The Latest: 2017

There's even one trick that gives you a whole new look for free.

After Josie helped her client, Lisa, move into her Prospect Heights apartment she tackled the task of figuring out a look and layout for the space that would meet the needs and wants of her client. The space needed to be multi-functional, work with the somewhat unconventional window alcove and inject some style into the space.

Michelle and her husband bought their house with the anticipation of putting in some serious work on the kitchen. What they didn’t expect was a handful of undisclosed damages and, as first time renovators, just how much time a kitchen reno can take. But they survived! Smarter, saavier and with a much better kitchen. From Michelle: We spent almost a year looking at houses before we came across our current home.

Jillian is not only a talented designer, she’s also an insanely generous sibling. She helped her sister and her fiancé tackle their kitchen renovation long distance. That’s love. From Jillian: My sister and her fiancé purchased their first home in the Fells Point neighborhood of Baltimore late last year — a traditional brick rowhome.

When Jessica and her husband, David, moved from Westchester to New York City for work, they were lucky to find a spacious apartment in Hudson Heights with a breathtaking view of the Hudson river and the George Washington Bridge. One thing about the apartment that wasn’t so great: the kitchen. It was in decent shape, but its layout — a single row of cabinets and appliances, arranged along a single wall — left a lot to be desired when it came to counter space and storage.

"I moved to San Francisco with a couple of suitcases and found a room that barely fit a bed and didn't have a closet."

"I love how light and airy it feels which was a goal. I love the bright and happy splashes of colors in the accessories."

Lauren’s living room was dark and dated, and distinctly not her style. She gave renovating the space the old college try when she first moved in, but with other spaces in the home needing her energy and attention she wasn’t able to fully finish it. Enter one of the most valuable tools available to DIYers everywhere — a good friend. From Lauren: When we bought the house, the living room was dark and, to put it frankly, “depressing.

"Throw yourself into the project and be excited!"

Oversized knit blankets crafted from chunky yarn and PVC-pipe needles have been floating around Pinterest for a few years now. And while the finished projects looked amazing, I couldn’t bring myself to buy supplies that would take up any more space in my apartment. But now that needle-free arm knitting has hit the DIY scene, I’m 100% on board with giant knit everything.

Everything about Aysu Sener‘s Dutch home is lovely. The color palette is warm and welcoming. A mix of textures adds an atmosphere of coziness. And of course, there’s Aysu’s beautiful macramé work. Upon closer reflection, though, the genius of Aysu’s interior design skills reveals itself. Her organic modern living room holds a secret: The statement wall behind the couch is show-stopping, unique and deceptively simple to recreate.

Some renovations are a long time in coming. In 2005, Felix got the opportunity to buy an apartment in the Williamsburg building where she’d been living for the past three years. She jumped on the chance, choosing an apartment with the exact same layout as the one she’d been living in on the fifth floor, just two floors down. The third-floor apartment came with a location that was much more convenient, and a bathroom that, while spacious, was also, in Felix’s words, a bit grim.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Finding affordable art that you actually like is one of the hardest parts of furnishing a home. And once you finally find the pieces, you realize that frames cost even more than the art itself (yikes!). As per usual, IKEA (combined with brilliant bloggers around the web) saves the day with wall decor DIYs and art-hanging hacks that are totally within budget. You can kiss those blank walls buh-bye.

Tyler and his family were about to make the move into a house built in the 1950s when they realized that it would need some upgrades in order to be suitable for their young daughter. Two weeks of intense DIY fixes later, they’re home was not only livable, but totally adorable! From Tyler: Our boss’s father recently passed away.