Can’t Afford Your Dream Furniture? Meet The DIY Influencer Building Her Own

Danielle Guerrero knows her way around a power saw. As far as home influencers go, her clout comes not from pristine curation or an encyclopedic knowledge of deep-cut decor brands; instead, it comes from her handiwork. She's the queen of at-home DIY — and we're not talking plate storage Pinterest hacks. We're talking full-on carpentry. "I fell in love with this $5,000 coffee table, but there was no way I was going to pay that kind of money," she says of her living room's centerpiece. "So instead, I bought the materials, and built a similar one for $75."

The rest of her home follows suit: You'll find personally laid floors, a garage workshop, a homemade TV frame, the list goes on. But Guerrero's DIY impulse is not just about aesthetics. About two years ago, just before purchasing her home, she lost her sister. And the process of building up her home — independently, with her own hands — became a means of coping.

"[DIY] made me feel in control. I felt strong," says Guerrero. "It brought me the joy and creative release that I was missing after I lost my sister and I don't think I would be where I am today without it. I love that I can make something out of nothing and look at that and say, 'I DID THAT!'”

Still, as a first-time homeowner, her space continues to be a work in progress. That's why, in this installment of Sweet Digs, we catch up with Guerrero while she renovates her backyard in real time with the help of the Home Depot app — which offers a supremely helpful product locator (complete with image search capabilities), an endless roster of available tutorials, and next-day delivery capabilities on all of the essentials (think: deck varnish and 2X4s).

Watch the video above for a BTS look at the DIY transformation (yes, there are power tools involved).