Update Furniture with Brackets

Basic desks, tables, and bookshelves are staples in many homes. They can be purchased inexpensively, and although they serve their functions well, their low cost often comes at the expense of style. This lack of style is especially noticeable when you try to coordinate several of these furniture basics in the same room.

Luckily, it’s not hard to transform utilitarian pieces into a matching set that’s worthy of notice. By attaching decorative brackets at the plain corners of your furniture, you can get custom-looking pieces in no time. Just check each piece of furniture to ensure that the corners form 90-degree angles and that there’s enough surface area to attach the brackets.

The look that you can get for your furniture pieces will vary dramatically based on the bracket style you choose. To customize your project even further, you can paint the brackets before attaching them (photo 1). When you’re happy with the look of the brackets, screw them into the corners of your furniture (photo 2). Be sure to pre-drill the holes to prevent splitting. Then touch up the screw heads with paint to complete the makeover.