The Latest: May 26, 2016

When Paige and Thorben moved into their San Francisco apartment, they knew they were going to stay put for a while. And though they were renting, the couple made it a goal to customize their apartment to their liking—something they could call home and be proud of. Throughout the years, they’ve tackled many ambitious projects: building a Murphy bed, custom shelving, and “hacking” their kitchen lighting.

This Before & After is all about the pursuit of a beautiful dream. When they bought their co-op in Manhattan, Laura and Peter had a dream, the same dream that animates the hopes of millions of New Yorkers: an in-unit washer and dryer. In pursuit of their dream, they intentionally bought in a building that allowed retrofits of washer and dryer connections.

Meredith moved into a lovely mid century modern home with a decidedly not mid century style kitchen. Ten weeks of living through a renovation with three kids led to a gorgeous, window-grate free update. From Meredith: My husband and I bought this dated, yet lovely mid century modern home in River Forest, Illinois in September 2015 and immediately saw its potential to be something great. He is an architect in Chicago and I am a stay-at-home mom of three with a background in fashion and styling.

All this week we’re talking about bathroom renovations, starting with Ashley’s recent remodel, and following up with tons of helpful posts about the process! So you’re well under way on your bathroom renovation, but it’s time to choose a grout. While this step may seem unimportant in comparison to the bigger pieces of the renovation, the material and color of the grout can have a huge impact on your bathroom’s design and function.

All this week we’re talking about bathroom renovations, starting with Ashley’s recent remodel, and following up with tons of helpful posts about the process! Cement tile is a Pinterest dream come to life. Installing it, however, can be tricky if you don’t plan ahead and do your research. If you’ve laid ceramic tile before, you’re headed in the right direction — but there is still much more to learn before you start.