Step Inside the DIY Annex From Our 2025 Ideas House—Packed With Stylish Projects You Can Totally Do Yourself

How do you transform a new-build, blank-slate apartment into a warm and cozy space that feels like home? Enlist three of the most creative home design influencers and task them with…well, just doing their thing! Drew Michael Scott, Valeria Jacobs, and Mallory Fletchall spent months designing their spaces. All three incorporated charming vintage touches and soft, sophisticated palettes that make the whole apartment sing.

Tasked with imparting some of their crafty genius to the home, they came up with a slew of projects that are totally DIYable. Brutalist-inspired wall art! An IKEA hack that magically transforms plain cabinets! An on-trend pleated fabric lampshade! The end result? An apartment that’s packed to the gills with great ideas, beautiful design, and tons of character.

Vintage-Filled Living Room

Because he’s always on the hunt for great pieces, Scott began by shopping his own vintage furniture and home goods store, Lone Fox, in Los Angeles. A French sideboard, Danish chairs, and a German daybed made the cut. “I incorporated pieces from different eras and countries, giving the room an almost worldly feel,” he says. He added some soft textiles and unique accessories, then he got out his power tools and built a bespoke pedestal out of a box and tiles, made his own brutalist-inspired wall art, and wrapped a picture frame in fabric.

Look closely at those curtains: As a final flourish, he added fringe trim to the slightly-too-short hems, a brilliant hack that enhanced the look for a cool $100. Wanna get crafty? Check out the clever DIYs from the home.

Storied Main Bedroom

Determined to make her space feel lived in, Jacobs, a Bay Area–based DIYer, added millwork, piled on loads of textures, and played around with power clashing. “I started with a color palette inspired by the surrounding buildings—earthy burnt orange, soft greens, and warm cream tones,” she says. “But the real turning point was the grasscloth wallpaper. The moment it went up, the space instantly felt richer, as if it had looked like this for years instead of days.” (There really is fabric everywhere, including on her handmade lampshade—see the step-by-step here.)

When mixing patterns, pair a small-scale print with a larger-scale one so they don’t compete with each other, Jacobs says. For a bit of polish, she suggests unlacquered brass finishes on items like sconces, hardware, and frames. “They age so beautifully and add instant warmth!”

Ready to be wowed? Don’t miss the dramatic before-and-after shots to see how Jacobs (and the rest of the designers!) worked their magic on a blank slate.

Calming Office

Because our setting this year was a modern high-rise, Fletchall found herself presented with a bit of a challenge, as she’s used to older spaces that have original details. “My starting point was installing crown molding and a chair rail to give the room some architectural interest,” says the Brooklyn-based influencer. Then, by staying true to design elements she always prioritizes—like a soft palette and vintage decor—she created a room that feels warm and friendly. Her main DIY project: turning basic IKEA cabinets into beautiful faux built-ins, complete with a marble top, brass hardware, and more of that molding. While we love the whole room, we’re still swooning over that thin stripe of chocolate brown paint around the top of the walls. And we adore this pink paint so much, we even wrote an ode to the cozy neutral color. Just saying: It’s a good thing there’s a fainting couch in here.