The Latest

This fireplace lived in Patience’s little house by the sea, but it was old and dated so she waved her magic wand and presto! She tells us, “I wanted wow!” We’d say she got it. Her contractor demolished the top of the hearth and replaced it with a thick slab of bluestone. The rest of the brick was covered with stone veneer. The mantle is made from an old beam from a demolished barn. She kept the original screen but cleaned it up and painted it with a high-heat spray paint.

After moving into her 480 square foot apartment, Maura looked for a creative solution to solve two separate studio space challenges: how to create a space that a 70lb dog and two cats can all enjoy in peace and how to create a somewhat separate sleeping space so it didn’t feel like she was throwing cocktail parties in her bedroom when she entertained. Her DIY solution is smart and sweet.

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to dramatically improve the look of a space, as proven by the kitchen Julia and her boyfriend share in Montreal. Some budget ideas, affordable products and a lot of DIY labor made this kitchen brighter and more pleasant. From Julia: My boyfriend and I bought a duplex house in Montreal less than a year ago. We were able to buy in the city, but we didn’t have much money for renovations after.

Kristen calls herself a, “habitual renovator.” This particular 1920’s house was falling apart and she gave its kitchen some major love, much to the chagrin of the previous rodent residents. Says Kristen, “The mice were angry when we forced them out of the dishwasher and claimed back our kitchen!” The heart of this kitchen is the five burner Capital stove which Kristen tells us, “makes entertaining fun.

Lauren recently moved into her first place, a two bedroom condo. The original owners bought it new in ’79 and it had been virtually untouched so 26-year-old Lauren had her work cut out for her. Fortunately, her dad is a recently retired carpenter. She says, “He has plenty of projects to keep him busy now.” See what they did with this side bar. Lauren drew up the plans to convert the unused bar into a built in bookshelf and they got to work.

True story: we thought Jen might be pulling a fast one with this submission. We almost couldn’t believe that this beast of a dresser could turn out like it did. Want to see what we mean? Check it out. After inheriting it from her aunt, this dresser sat in the garage for months. Jen began experimenting with paint color, but nothing looked right. She even dismantled it, only to discover particle board. Yuck! Then, as Jen puts it, “this project got a little more interesting.

Who’s wearing green today? Cindy won’t be getting a pinch. She came across this free cherry wood sideboard, took it home and gave it a St. Paddy’s worthy makeover you won’t soon forget. She sanded and primed this sideboard and rolled on two coats of high gloss green. Then she polished up the original hardware to give it a glamorous shine. Cindy says: I was dying for a pop of color in my entryway/kitchen area and Kelly Green was just the color I wanted.

Remember when we gave you eight awesome ways to “fake” architectural details if your home didn’t come with charming elements built right in? Well if you own a home, have the adventurous DIY spirit and don’t want to fake it — if you want to add your own actual architectural detail — you’re going to want to pay attention to the project Vickiann tackled. Vickiann of My Crappy House is no professional bricklayer.

Armelle lives in Shanghai and runs Tsai Yun Studio with her friend Catherine. They collect and up-cycle old Chinese furniture that comes from many of the old houses that get torn down to build high-rise buildings. In the process of renovating her apartment, when Armelle spotted this old cabinet that was destined for the trash, she knew it could be the perfect addition to her sons’ bathroom.

When first-time homebuyers Nadine and John Paul bought a century home that was split into a duplex, they decided to rent out the bottom half and live in the top half. Now with a little additional money to spend on their new purchase, they decided to tackle the kitchen first, which was tiny, uninspiring and not at all luxurious. From Nadine: My partner, John Paul, is a carpenter by trade and owns a business building custom furniture.

Rita was on the hunt for a project where she could turn something unloved into something that could be used, cherished and enjoyed. Rita knew an old, rusted kitchen cart that once belonged to her great-grandmother (that had just been collecting dust in her basement) was the perfect project to tackle to give her space that extra something special. From Rita: I started by using WD40 on the wheels before applying Jasco’s Rust Converter and sanding it down.

Who’s ready for spring? Nora is. She was excited about having some outside space in her new London flat until she saw this terrace. But she invested a little cash and a lot of love and got this space ready for some sunny days. Now we love this cute, color blocked space. Nora pullled up the tiles and laid artificial grass, painted the grey cracked walls a nice bright white and scrubbed up the railings and spray painted all of the furniture fun colors!

Sometimes making a big change can be a fairly simple process if you have the guts to take the leap. When Tanya and her partner purchased their home, the dated, faux stone fireplace combined with “sauna wood” accents just wasn’t her cup of tea, so she made one easy, inexpensive change that had a huge impact. The brick got a thick coat of primer + paint in one (semi-gloss finish) and she spray painted those old gold vents with a high heat enamel spray paint in matte black.

These $5 Windsor chairs are just about in every thrift store I stop into. This one had a nice simple silhouette and narrow tapered spindles. I’ve been swooning over modern shaker style furniture for some time now and it was finally time to stop wanting and start doing. I was planning on spray painting the whole chair neon yellow, but as I started, I notice the beautiful gradient and continued to paint only the front half of the seat.

Naomi moved into her Edwardian UK home a year ago and has spent nearly the whole time planning renovations to her small bathroom. Her biggest goal? An easy-to-clean space with minimal areas for dust to gather. We hear you, Naomi. She introduced a little luxury with a sink crafted from Welsh slate, an extra wide bath, and stainless steel towel warmers which she tells us were worth every penny. She kept the walls and ceiling bright white and fell for those grey tiles, “the moment I saw them.

Carithanne says, “Who knows how long this chair sat abandoned in a forgotten basement before my dad rescued it for our next restoration project?” This particular piece was extra exciting because of its classic mid-century design, complete with a production date on the bottom from 1953! The upholstery needed a total overhaul after more than 60 years, but this piece had solid maple bones just waiting for the right person to come along and give it some TLC.

Kimberly of Swoonworthy and her partner Wayne did a great job renovating their old kitchen, but Kimberly wasn’t entirely happy with the results. She is a girl who requires more drama from her interiors. A couple of simple DIY projects later, she’s added some glitz and glamor to this space. And here it is, in all its sparkling glory.

Architectural designer Teddy desperately needed to update this kitchen but had major budgetary restrictions. No matter. See how just $300 worth of supplies made a huge difference. Wow, what a difference. We love how, even though all the major elements are the same (cabinets, backsplash, countertop), the color change and the addition of small details totally transformed this space.

Looking for the inspiration + resources to transform a boring bathroom into something that wows? Darlene Chimaliro and Caty Tillman of Studio MOD(ish) were tasked with adding some personality to a boring condo for a young fun couple. The two bathrooms were transformed, each to match the style of either spouse. The guest bathroom — dramatic and over-the-top — was designed to reflect the wife’s bold tastes, and Darlene and Caty shared the resources they used to create this look.

You know how earlier today we shared real advice about how to be patient and take your time when decorating a home? This Before & After perfectly highlights that idea. See this living room go from full of uninspiring hand-me-down furniture to a living room that, after taking the time to discover their tastes, is now a sophisticated, lovely space that matches their personality!