The Latest: Aug 2014

Jenny describes the “before” of her compact kitchen best: it was safe. White walls, white cabinets. Not a lot of color, accessories, style or windows. It gave off about as much charm as a doctor’s office. So she decided to add color — but in a practical way. She’d keep the black floor tiles that hide dirt, but add a cheery pop of color in an unexpected place, and throw in some efficient storage ideas for good measure.

Dark, dated wood paneling on the walls. Beige builder’s carpet on the floor. Even the curtains in this room were old news. Cara could have given up when tasked with turning this space into a dining room, but she persevered. And the result is a bright delight! From Cara: There is no question that it took a bit of vision and a large leap of faith to see the potential in our dining room. Paneling, old carpet, dated light fixtures.

Lana’s family needed a space to pull their stroller in, roll their bikes through, and let their umbrellas dry, and they didn’t want it to be fussy. They spent a weekend transforming this stodgy entry into a “fun spot to throw some shoes on.” So fun! We love the punch of personality that pattern gives this little room. Great job.