Rochelle Taylor-Butcher and Angus Ord’s journey from purchasing what they describe as an ‘unliveable’ flat to turning it into a cozy home reflects the power of determination and resourcefulness. The couple, driven by the desire to step onto the housing ladder, embarked on a daunting task without prior experience in renovation. Situated in Kingston, South London, their one-bed flat greeted them with peeling wallpaper, moldy walls, and a musty carpet, yet they saw potential where others might have seen despair. With a mix of grit and ingenuity, Rochelle and Angus turned to YouTube tutorials, transforming themselves into DIY enthusiasts, tackling everything from plumbing to kitchen installation and floorboard sanding.

Their thrifty approach not only saved them nearly £9k by bypassing professional tradespeople but also added £20k to the property’s value, a testament to their hard work and determination. Rochelle’s ecstatic expression upon finally owning a property echoes the dreams of many young homeowners striving for stability and security. Despite facing challenges such as uneaten cornflakes behind the dishwasher and outdated cabinets, the couple remained undeterred, embodying the ethos of perseverance and creativity. Through paint sales, recycled materials, and family assistance, they redefined the notion of home improvement, proving that with dedication and a willingness to learn, one can overcome even the most daunting renovation projects.

Rowan and Tim Giles’ vibrant shared kids’ room in their eclectic, Scandinavian-inspired Cheshire home is a testament to resourceful design and family collaboration. Faced with the challenge of needing to borrow space from one room to enhance another during their home renovation, the couple decided to make their children’s shared bedroom even more spacious, totaling an impressive 193 square feet. Despite the necessity of reclaiming space for a family bathroom, the couple cleverly utilized a combination of DIY projects and professional assistance to create private areas, abundant storage, and personalized touches for their 8-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son.

One of the key features of the room is the bunk bed system designed and built by Tim, providing individualized spaces for the children. Since their early years, the kids have enjoyed the unique charm of these beds, each equipped with its shelf and reading light. To maximize storage, built-in solutions play a crucial role in maintaining the room’s sense of expansiveness. A long bench with a cushion along one side of the room conceals ample drawers beneath, perfect for storing large toys and board games. The couple also involved their extended family in the creative process, with Tim’s mother crafting the bench cushion and curtains using IKEA fabric. By blending personal touches, resourceful design, and family involvement, the Giles created a lively and functional space that blends practicality with unique charm, all within a reasonable budget of just over $6,000. Rowan’s favorite aspect of the room is the abundant natural light streaming through a large bay window and a beautiful curved sash window, contributing to the overall warmth and comfort of the space.

Charlie Low and Dale Comley, a UK couple with a shared love for climbing, a passion for DIY projects, and an interest in van life, embarked on a transformative journey when they decided to turn a former DHL van into a tiny home on wheels. The couple, with backgrounds in physics and engineering, had initially planned to convert a van while working full-time, taking a year off to travel. However, living on a steep street in Bristol without a garage or workshop presented challenges. Undeterred, they dedicated every spare weekend to driving to Charlie’s mom’s place, where they worked on the van, returning home when the day’s work was done.

Starting their project in February 2019 and completing it in March 2020, the couple faced an unexpected delay due to the pandemic, moving into the van in April 2021. The meticulously converted van features a sleeping area at one end and a kitchenette at the other, all powered by an off-grid electrical system fueled by solar panels and a battery-to-battery charger. The bathroom setup includes a discreet composting toilet and an outdoor shower with a tankless water heater.

Inspired by their journey, Charlie and Dale wrote a van conversion guidebook, sharing their knowledge and experience to assist others venturing into the world of van life. Charlie and Dale’s story not only showcases their determination and craftsmanship in transforming a DHL van into a cozy home but also reflects the growing trend of individuals seeking alternative lifestyles, embracing the freedom and mobility that come with life on the road.

Even though Summer began a month ago, it is still not late to plan a makeover for your garden. Since the good weather is here to stay, this is the best time for outdoor DIY projects and upcycling of old objects. If you love spending time in your garden, but feel like the place needs a little more personality, you can choose from one of the next 5 garden projects.
You can start with easy ones, such as building a planter or a bird house, or more complicated ones, that imply creating your decorations.
The most fun of them all might be the upcycled thrift store garden chandelier, which can be transformed into an outdoor solar chandelier.
And if you feel brave enough and are equipped with a lot of patience, you can try and tackle the shutter garden angel decoration. You will need a set of old shutters that need to be cleaned, refurbished, and transformed into this cute decor piece.
It will become the guardian angel of your garden and change its entire outlook.

The simple is living is many times misunderstood by outsiders and those who choose the glam of the city.
Kalle Flodin who swears by the simple living has recently shared a video explaining his lifestyle choice and its misunderstood aspects. In the video, Flodin walks the viewer through his recent projects and a cabin he is turning into a sauna and outdoor shower. Besides the transformation project, he also shares useful insights about wood supplies and how to prepare for winter if you choose the off-the-grid way.
Flodin is currently working on his main cabin as well, which is in the initial stage at the moment, but he has big plans for it. Another subject in the video is how to cover your water supply needs when living off-the-grid and how this can become a major issue if not handled correctly. Keep in mind that even though it is very trendy now, the off-the-grid lifestyle might not be suitable for everyone as it requires going back to basics and putting in a lot of work.
So if you prefer the comfort of the city, or do not have a flexible job, that permits you to work remotely and also leaves you enough free time for DIY project around the house, it might be a good idea to reconsider the switch.

What can be better than a chair in which you can both relax and drink wine? This awesome DIY Adirondack chair can be a great gift for someone who loves wine, as it also has a wine storage drawer underneath it.
So, if you are looking to surprise someone with the ultimate summer furniture piece, this is a must-have! In case you feel crafty and want to build this chair yourself, you can use palettes to make it and even get inspired by online designs.
You choose between single or double wine chairs, and this way you can even enjoy a sip with your significant other. You can even add an in-built wine glass holder to the armrests to create the ultimate relaxing experience.
Depending on the space you have and the height of your chair, you can add either stacked drawers or create separate compartments, so your wine chair can hold more bottles.
Feel free to choose your favorite design and start working on the coolest chair you’ll ever own.

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Here’s another DIY wine chair made from pallets

Source: Pinterest

This Double Chair have a table in the middle for holding your wine glasses, and a wine storage drawer underneath the table!

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This may be the ultimate Adirondack wine chair that contains a neat little wine storage drawer beneath the seat! It even has a rope handle to easily access the drawer!

Source: Pinterest

Summer is almost around the corner, which means it’s time for colorful DIY projects to spice up your garden. If you’re feeling crafty and wish to welcome friends around once the good weather comes, you can try making a sunflower-patterned garden table.
There are lots of cool projects on the Internet which can help you get inspired; you just need to find some time and patience for them.
Of course, you don’t have to build the table from scratch, as you can simply apply the pattern yourself or use a sticker.
And if just feel like going a little bit crazy, you can even paint the sunflowers blue or pink, as there are so many different colors of sunflowers out there. In the end, you’ll have a fun and funky table that will quickly become the centerpiece of your outdoor area and a place around which friends and family can gather on summer evenings.
Picnic tables usually come with benches included, so it is up to you if you want to also style the benches or leave them all natural.

Insulators can be used for a lot of arts and crafts projects, but they are most perfect as planters. These types of insulators were used mainly for telephone and telegraph wires and became most popular as a design object in the 1960s.

For your DIY projects, you can use them as planters and they come in many shapes and colors, so they can be easily adapted to the rest of your décor. To make these beautiful planters, you’re going to need: wood glue, pieces of wood, copper wire, small pebbles, two glass insulators, screw-in hooks, wire cutters, soil, and two succulents.

The plants of your choice can be a wide variety, but succulents are very easy to take care of and are the preferred choice among interior designers. The planter will be very easy to assemble, so you can make this project either by yourself or organize a fun arts and crafts weekend with your family and friends.

How 12 teens invented a solar-powered tent for the homeless

Girl power is so underestimated and girl scientists are especially ignored by the science community. But an all-girl engineering team came up with an innovative solution to keep homeless people safe in winter.

A team of 12 girls from San Fernando High School in partnership with DIY Girls designed solar-powered tents for the homeless, and they can also be packed and folded into a backpack to be easily transported.

DIY Girls is an organization that offers its support for girls interested in science and technology and builds a sense of community by connecting girls through science projects.

When drafting the plans of the tent, the girls had in mind a few key features, such as lightweight, easily transportable, and has a LED or UV light that can disinfect the tent. The goal was also to patent the invention and to make sure it gets to as many people in need as it is possible.

This project is so empowering and it’s living proof that great minds can do great things when coming together and having proper support.

Left to right: Kassandra Salazar, Paulina Martinez, and Paola Valtierra, help DIY Girls Executive Director Evelyn Gomez set up the solar-powered tent. Visit Site

Prinsesa Alvarez shows off the solar-powered tent in its rollaway backpack.

Top image: Daniela Orozco uses pliers to pick off excess plastic from a 3D-printed box that will house wires for the solar panels. Bottom image: Left to right: Paulina Martinez, America Hernandez, and Maggie Mejia, check out the teams’ social media channels.