When Shardé Marchewski and her husband, Jens, moved into their 1885 Boston home four years ago, the basement was unfinished. And not just incomplete but like a scene out of a scary movie.Luckily, the couple had a vision — as all creatives tend to: a gorgeous in-law suite complete with a fully functional kitchen. (The kitchen, arguably, ended up being the star of the project.) “We wanted the kitchen to feel timeless, striking, and functional.

Inspiration can strike from almost anywhere — and that includes your undergarments drawer. In the case of Vickiann Vachula’s primary bedroom redo, a pair of soft-colored underwear was a close shade to what she had envisioned and helped inspire the room’s eventual color palette. Vickiann is the creator of My Crappy House, a blog that documents gradual renovations and DIY projects of her home.