Outstanding Before & Afters Best of 2009

Before and Afters have always been one of our favorite features on Apartment Therapy. Not only do they display the creative genius of our readers, but they also demonstrate how something as simple as a little paint or elbow grease can transform a dud into a masterpiece. Each project's before and after is featured after the jump.

1 - Before.

This roundup features transformations as simple as a new coat of paint to complete bathroom overhauls. Each and every before and after makes us look at items in our home in a different light as we are inspired to spend our weekends on some amazing DIY projects. Be sure to click through to the original posts to see how each look was achieved.

1 - Before & After: Viv's Studio Makeover

2 - Before & After: Alice's Hand Painted Wood Trunk

3 - Before & After: Garden Makeover

4 - Mary's Colorful Bedroom Shuffle: Before and After

5 - Before & After: Rita Konig's Sofa

6 - Before and After: Darby's Bathroom Makeunder

7 - Before and After: Alex's Projected Chalkboard Paint Project

8 - Audrey's Lovely DIY Wicker Chair Before and After

9 - Charmaine's Painting Projects Before & After

10 - Before and After: Chair Reupholstered with Ikea Fabric

Comments (14)

Wow -- that bathroom! I love that they kept the red counter. It's just the right amount of "woah."

#9 before is much cuter, because of the dog :)

Good job all around. But, not to nitpick, it seems that some of the "after" photos are angled so as to cut out some of the offending parts of the room. In the bathroom, for example, the ceiling panels are a big part of the problem, but the After photo doesn't show the ceiling. And in the kitchen the granite counter is a huge ugh in the the before photo, but the after photo is angled so as to minimize the counter. Just saying...

The "before" blue of that wicker chair was so perfect! ;-(
Nice job on the upholstery, though.

I still like the chest in the before much better than painted.

haha #6 before cracks me up.

And I hope for #9 the dog got a nice new doggy bed since it looks like he's not going to be sitting in his favorite chair anymore!

Wow, that #6 before bathroom is amazing. I think they just painted the trim on the ceiling panels in the 'after'.

#9 is kinda sad that all that new wood was painted over.. that kitchen couldn't have been very old. If you look in the background, though, looks like they did some good work in the dining room--new wood floors and chandelier.

Did I miss a post saying that AT is on vacation this week or something? Barely any updates at all today!

The lady who did the bathroom (#6) explained in her blog that "The recessed tray ceiling is still there. I put new bulbs in it for now and cleaned the plexiglass covers. Eventually we want to drywall the ceiling to cover it's ugliness but for now we're fine with it. I'm just glad it's looking better... "

These were the BEST of 2009?? Sorry to say I was hoping for more 'wow.' A few were good, but brown couch with orange pillows and many piles to different brown couch with orange pillows with fewer piles? It's a fine change and all, but not the most dramatic.

I'm wowing over that bathroom. Well-done makeunder. you should be very proud.

If I had to use that "before" bathroom, I'd be waiting for Satan to pop out from behind the shower curtain. All that red/orange... and, at first glance, the window treatments look like flames. Flames that are reflected in the ornate mirrors.

LOL ngnerd!! I was thinking the same thing. It definitely looked like Satan's bathroom.