How to Make Inexpensive Furniture Look Like a Million Dollars

By Angela Elias

Updated on 9/29/2017 at 3:20 PM

Jason Pickens
Brittany Makes
Jason Pickens
Brittany Makes




If you're aching for a custom piece of furniture but can't splurge on the expense, a little DIY know-how can help you transform any big-box store purchase into custom gold. When furniture designer and expert woodworker Jason Pickens isn't creating bespoke beauties for his New York clientele or stores like Steven Alan, he's sharing his tips with curious editors like us! We hit him up for his favorite ways to personalize standard store-bought furniture into works of art. Read on for Jason's five go-to tricks.


  1. Add your own pulls or handles to any drawers or doors. Jason recommends trolling antique shops and flea markets to find unique and interesting pulls and knobs.
  2. Add faux finishes such as Panyl (an online shop that sells pieces for customizing Ikea furniture) or decals to give it a more individualized and stylish look. Want to take it a step further? Jason recommends adding a faux finish to the insides of drawers, cabinets, and shelves for really polished results.
  3. Add upholstery to fabric-based pieces.
  4. Add paint — so many different types of paint and paint effects exist to make simple furniture much more exciting. Here's an easy guide to painting wood furniture like a pro!
  5. Change the surface of furniture — add brass, sheet metal, wood, copper, or any other material.
Jason Pickens
Brittany Makes