Wooden dresser with six drawers labeled "before," showing a worn finish.
Before & After: Dresser Re-Do Inspired by Anthropologie
When Korrie came across this mid-century dresser in need of some TLC, she immediately envisioned the piece redone in a style inspired by an Anthropologie dresser. Given the beat up finish, she knew painting was her best option, but wanted to preserve some of the wood tones that drew her to the dresser in the first place. The end result is a fun look that gives new life to a classic piece.
Jul 27, 2011
Ryan’s Georgetown Vintage Americana
Name: Ryan ZagoneLocation: Georgetown — Washington, DCSize: 330 square feetYears lived in: 1.5 — Rented In a leafy corner of Georgetown that is also a quick walk to Dupont Circle, Ryan has made a studio apartment into an efficient home. He has drawn on some of the District’s best resources for vintage and antiques while adding contemporary pieces and travel finds. The result is distinctly masculine and simultaneously rustic and refined.
Jul 26, 2011
Meg & Dan’s Colorful Jamaica Plain Condo
Name: Meg and DanLocation: Jamaica Plain, MassachusettsSize: 925 square feetYears lived in: 1 — owned Meg and Dan, professional classical musicians with the Jupiter String Quartet, travel frequently for their work. So an uncluttered, streamlined home is all the more important. In fact, they were remarkably relaxed about the fact that we scheduled our photo shoot only hours before they had to head to the airport for an international work trip.
Jul 26, 2011
Before & After: Percy Freshens Up the Powder Room
The “before” shot of this bathroom looks like the kind of room I’ve seen a million times. A plain old bathroom, nothing unusual, perhaps a little dated, and definitely boring. Oh, but this bathroom is anything but boring now…See, what did I tell you? The “after” is anything but boring! When I saw the changes that Percy has been making to his home over on Design*Sponge I had a moment of design envy. How can one dude be so unbelievably creative?
Jul 26, 2011
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Jul 26, 2011
Vince’s Flower District Home
Name: Vince StroopLocation: Flower District — New York, New YorkSize: 700 square feetYears lived in: 4 years — rented There is a magical place that exists amongst the grit and hustle of New York City where the scenery demands you take a breath and stop to smell the roses. It is sweet, fresh, and totally unexpected. Walking down 28th street you find yourself strolling straight into New York’s garden district.
Jul 25, 2011
Jessica’s Gem in Kerrisdale
Name: JessicaLocation: Kerrisdale — Vancouver, BC We found this gem of a character building in 2010, while hunting for a new, pet-friendly space and something to get us out of the suburbs and a little closer to work downtown…The SO good!:This building blew our minds, 1200 square feet, late 1920’s – early 1930’s character, built in glass door cabinet, wood floors, 10 foot ceilings, working fireplace, window seat, cat and dog friendly, above an amazing candy store (!!
Jul 25, 2011
Zoe & Trey’s Refined Eclectic Georgetown Digs
Name: Zoe Feldman and Trey Location: Georgetown — Washington, DCSize: 2 bedrooms, 1 full bath, 2 half baths. Approx: 1200 sq ftYears lived in: almost 2 years — owned Seeing what tricks designers use in their own homes is always a treat, but getting to peek into the home of an interior designer as unique as Zoe Feldman is a total thrill, especially since she was so open about sharing tips and resources.
Jul 21, 2011
Before &amp After: A “Grandma Glider”
Madeline wrote us with not only a great Before & After to share, but a lovely story: I had done a lot of looking around online for inspiration for recovering old gliders and really didn’t find as much as I’d hoped. Now that my old glider has a fresh new look I was hoping it could be some inspiration for someone else out there.
Jul 21, 2011
Before & After: Colorful Outdoor Bench
It’s not everyday you come across an old bench that has so much potential. If you do ever come across a run-down version of the perfect outdoor (or indoor) piece you’ve been looking for, don’t keep walking — pick that bad boy up and head straight to the home improvement store! You never know how that thing will look after a good sanding and a fresh coat of paint!Christina took to her blog to boast about the recent transformation of a pretty run down wood bench.
Jul 21, 2011
Nick Keppol’s Picture Perfect Brooklyn Office
NameNick Keppol Location Size/Room Years lived in Brooklyn-based master typographer Nick Keppol shows us how form truly follows function in his beautiful home office that’s bursting with modern details. Terrariums that add an organic detail, library stacks of creative reads, and enough Herman Miller gear that’ll bring a tear to your eye – everything screams style (or perhaps even slightly obsessive on the curation front, depending on who you ask).
Jul 20, 2011
Maryam & Max’s Modern Beachwood Canyon Home
Name: Maryam and MaxLocation: Beachwood Canyon – Los Angeles, CaliforniaSize: 1,900 square feetYears lived in: 10 years Living in the Hollywood Hills with an unobstructed city view is one of the ultimate LA fantasies. Maryam and Max’s home is beautifully designed with modern furniture and a collection of Maryam’s pottery scattered throughout the house. My favorite room is definitely the sitting room, where they often enjoy breakfast while taking in the view.
Jul 20, 2011
Penny, Petra & Sydney’s Gorgeous, Artful Home
Name: Penny, Petra and Sydney CortrightLocation: The Mesa — Santa Barbara, CaliforniaSize: 2,600 square feet (including a 600 square foot attached studio rental)Years lived in: 20 — owned Never have I turned a corner to face a staircase that literally reads, painted on the stairs, “And I’ll Buy You a Stairway to Heaven.” This detail leads to many more creative twists and turns, as I toured this unique home on the top of a hill in Santa Barbara.
Jul 18, 2011
David & Marta’s Simple Yet Stylish Loft
Name: David and MartaLocation: East Village, Downtown — San Diego, CaliforniaSize: 820 square feetYears lived in: 5 years — rented This loft in downtown San Diego has a soaring 35-foot ceiling and exposed rafters and pipes, which bring a raw edge to David and Marta’s pared-down style. The space also makes a stylish backdrop for the surf and California-themed prints David designs as Orange & Park.
Jul 18, 2011
Ben & Abby’s Art-Filled Treehouse
Name: Ben and Abby (and Lucy the pug)Location: Golden Hill – San Diego, CaliforniaSize: 700 square feet (1 bedroom, 1 bath)Years lived in: 2 years, rent In this light-flooded Golden Hill apartment, Ben serves as resident curator. By day, he’s director of La Jolla’s Quint Contemporary Art, one of the hottest galleries in San Diego, making him more than qualified.
Jul 15, 2011
Jeff & Mary’s Mod Home (and Airstream!) Rehab
Name: Jeff and Mary LaCosteLocation: Crown Hill — Seattle, WashingtonSize: 2100 square feetYears lived in: 4 — 3BR, owned Behold! It’s the folks behind ModKnobs, which we featured back in 2009 (custom modern doorknobs made from hockey pucks). Rehabbing their home from the the ground up, Jeff and Mary left no detail untouched.
Jul 14, 2011
Deron & Marye’s Modern Geometry
Name: Deron and Marye Miller, Son Conner – 15; Daughter Macee – 12; Boston Terriers Sparky, Slinger and Murphy and Chihuahua Wilbur Location: Rollingwood — Austin, TXSize: 4000 square feetYears lived in: Owned 1 year You know the state saying: “Everything’s bigger in Texas.” Because we have a little more room to stretch out here, our houses are sometimes larger than the norm.
Jul 14, 2011
Before & After: An Old Church, Transformed
Fuzzco, a small design studio in Charleston, recently renovated an old beat up church. Their self-remodel features natural resources and some elements made by friends! The result is phenomenal and really proves that anyone can do a renovation themselves.Helen & Josh, owners of Fuzzco, spent 5 months renovating this space. They opened up the space by removing much of the facade and inserting a giant glass wall with door.
Jul 14, 2011
Before & After: An Outdated Desk Goes Gorgeous and Girly
This looks like your grandmother’s desk, right? Well, it was someone’s grandmother’s desk until Erin bought it cheaply on Craigslist and totally re-envisioned it for her daughter, Sydney.After!Fabulous, no? (And I really didn’t think she could save that brass plated stool.) The aqua paint choice is perfect and she did a great job bringing this desk back to life.
Jul 14, 2011
American Style Through the Decades: The Forties
The 1940s were a tumultuous time. It is impossible to understand those years outside of the context of WWII. The war not only defined the decade but from a design perspective, split it virtually in half. During the first half of the decade, new design was halted, as supply shortages and rationing demanded that all available resources — material and otherwise — be directed towards the war effort…Socially, the decade featured a similar split.
Jul 14, 2011
Before & After: What a Difference Some Paint Makes!
I am in the process of turning my bedroom into a shared space with my fiance. We are on the lookout for yard sale finds to accentuate the space, and were happy to find this great miniature dresser last year. It has been sitting in the storage unit waiting for refurbishing time and the perfect color of paint.Finally, with a little time off and the right color of paint (Martha Stewart’s “Pencil”), we went to work.
Jul 12, 2011
Sam & Dominic’s Sunny Phinney Ridge Home
Name: Sam Spencer and Dominic WilliamsonLocation: Phinney Ridge — Seattle, WashingtonSize: 2000 sq feetYears lived in: 8.5 years Sam, Dominic and their two little girls live on a sunny hill in the neighborhood of Phinney Ridge in Seattle. The house stands out on the street as a sweet, contemporary haven with subtle storybook details. Their bright, red, front door and modern, silver house numbers are just a preview of the chic decor inside.
Jul 8, 2011
Before & After: Transforming a Lampshade
I have a hard time looking at vintage lamps and overcoming the often bland and dreary shades that adorn them. Looking at a DIY like this, though, inspires me to broaden my vision!Heather Spriggs Thompson is a designer, artist and stylist with an extremely inspiring blog titled, appropriately, Heather Spriggs. One of her most recent projects was to transform the lackluster shade that came on an otherwise beautiful milk glass lamp.
Jul 8, 2011
Bathroom Before & After: From Carpeted to Calm & Clean
Bathrooms are supposed to be a place of calm and serenity. However, it is a little hard to find peace and happiness when the bathroom has worn carpet, outdated cabinetry, and overall screams 1970s. The owners of the condo featured above are employed in the design industry and surrounded by beautiful designs everyday. They decided it was time to take the plunge and hire an interior designer to help them completely transform their bathroom.
Jul 8, 2011
Anne & Jake’s Bright Colorful Midwestern Home
Name: Anne Ingman, photographer and blogger, and Jake Ingman, along with dog Judy Location: Saint Paul, Minnesota Size: 842 square feet Years lived in: Owned 4 years The Minnesota home of married couple Anne and Jake Ingman absolutely exudes friendliness, warmth and style. Simply decorated to maximize space, the result is a bright and airy home that fits the personalities of two young, stay-at-home, creative people. Dog Judy also makes an excellent visual accessory for any room!
Jul 7, 2011
Shannan & Cory’s Geek Chic Farmhouse
Name: Shannan Martin, along with her husband Cory and 3 kidsLocation: Wakarusa, IndianaSize: 2300 square feetYears lived in: 4 — owned We see a lot of urban spaces in house tours around here so Shannan and Cory’s farmhouse is something a little different. Nestled in the lush green fields of Amish country, the couple have created a dreamy little haven that is stylish in its simplicity.
Jul 7, 2011
American Style Through the Decades: The Seventies
It is easy to dismiss the 1970s as “the decade that taste forgot”. But to do so would be to overlook the decade’s contributions in architecture, furniture design and interior decorating. After all, with the Bad and the Ugly there is usually some Good.
Jul 7, 2011
Minh & Ted’s Lovingly Renovated Home
Name: Minh and Ted Location: Miracle Mile — Los Angeles, California Size: 1,700 square feet Years lived in: 8 years When Minh and Ted received an unexpected offer on their West Hollywood place, within days they were on the hunt for a new place to call home. Their realtor found them a distressed house that required a lot of work – you never really know the scope of what you are getting into until you are deep in renovation.
Jul 6, 2011
Before & After: Jessie’s Bright White Kitchen Reno
This kitchen seems to be suffering from a bit of a brown overload. With the combination of wood cabinetry and hardwood floors, plus the black appliances and dark green paint, this kitchen is looking a little dark. Jessie agreed with that assertion and decided to lighten up the room:Isn’t it amazing what a little white paint can do? Of course, it’s a lot more than just a little white paint at work here.
Jul 6, 2011
Heidi & David’s Downtown Portland Loft
Name: Heidi and DavidLocation: Downtown — Portland, OregonSize: 900 sq ft Years lived in: 6 months — rented When Heidi and David relocated to Portland, Oregon from Brooklyn a few months ago, they hoped to find a place in an urban neighborhood, close to the farmer’s market and city life. They found just that in an open live/work loft they share with their cat, Gypsy.
Jul 5, 2011
Paul’s Mid-Century Modern Design Developed Over Time
Name: Paul Location: San Luis Obispo, California Size: 1,800 square feet (house) and 325 square feet (guest house) Years lived in: 49 years Paul’s home is filled with many classic MCM furniture pieces — such as the Eames lounge, Eames rocker, Eero Saarinen’s tulip chair and the Bertoia wire chair — which is mixed in with a great selection of modern art.
Jun 30, 2011
Haley & Ted’s Bright White Cottage
Name: Haley and Ted, + their dog RupertLocation: Summerland, California (a little coastal town just a few miles south of Santa Barbara)Size: 950 square feetYears lived in: About 1 year — rent Haley and Ted live in one of those idyllic, adorable bright cottages with a traditional porch that face the coast of a sleepy beach town. Nestled in between some of the best wineries and vintage shops, their three bedroom home presents a wonderful palette of textiles and colors.
Jun 29, 2011
Before & After: Terri’s Battered to Beautiful Chairs
Sometimes I think that, with the power of paint and elbow grease, there’s never a need to buy anything new again. And seeing a before and after like this one just lends support to that theory. That something so old and battered can be freshened up to look so beautiful gives me hope that there’s plenty of life left in a lot of old things (myself included).When Terri, over at Crafty Workin Mommy, brought these two chairs home from a garage sale, her husband thought she was crazy.
Jun 27, 2011
Before & After: Paint Transforms a Vintage Dresser
Though painted furniture isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, it is makeovers like this that demonstrate why this technique is so popular. This yard sale find with fabulous curves was transformed with a little elbow grease, some leftover paint, and a mix of old and new hardware.We have written about Sarah’s magic touch wth paint before (Sarah’s Delightful Dresser Redo); now we’re starting to wonder how she has so much luck finding dressers with such appealing lines.
Jun 22, 2011
The Las Vegas Home of MadeByGirl’s Jen Ramos
Name: Jen Ramos Location: Henderson, Nevada Size: 2,800 square feet Years lived in: 8 months At the end of last year, Jen started the process of remodeling her kitchen. She posted a few inspirational photos and a photo of her kitchen on her design blog, Made By Girl. I was so excited to see the transformation that I kept checking in and waiting to see the final result of her new kitchen. Jen gave me a peek at the rest of her house and I couldn’t resist a full house tour.
Jun 17, 2011
Trent’s Relaxing, Beach-like Retreat
Name: Designer Trent HultgrenLocation: South — Austin, TexasSize: 623 square feet Years lived in: renting, 3 weeks We don’t think we’ve ever seen better evidence that you can design a small home affordably, beautifully and stylishly than with the Austin apartment of designer, Los Angeles transplant and former HGTV star Trent Hultgren.
Jun 16, 2011
How To: Cut & Install FLOR Carpet Tiles
After years of perusing FLOR’s catalog and website, I finally bit the bullet and ordered the carpet tiles for my entryway and kitchen. The Problem: I have gone through about five different rugs in my entryway. With one pitiful rug pad and two overly-welcoming dogs that rush the front door every time they hear a noise — I was forever straightening, fixing and flattening the front rug.
Jun 16, 2011
Vicente Wolf Takes It Over the Top at Union Square
Standing at the Union Square farmers’ market, the cast iron arches of the former headquarters of Tiffany and Company always made me swoon. This week, I had the pleasure of viewing them from the inside out. The 19th century manufacturing, office and showroom space has been transformed into a monument to large-scale living. The 16-foot ceilings are enough to stop one dead in their tracks.Vicente Wolf thoroughly assumed his role as designer for the 36-unit building.
Jun 15, 2011
Joanna & Gerry Collectively Maximize Their Small Space
Name: Joanna and Gerry Location: Park Slope — Brooklyn, New York Size: 1.5 bedrooms (small!) Years rented : Joanna – 8 or so / Gerry – 4 Gerry and Joanna have an affinity for collecting rare oddities. They have resourcefully made the most of their small living space by repurposing furniture and by taking advantage of their tall ceilings to display and store their most loved collections.
Jun 14, 2011
The Stathoulis’ Mid-Wilshire Wonder
Name: Alexis, George, Eva (5), Theo (2), and Xander (2 months) Location: Los Angeles, CaliforniaSize: 2,500 square feetYears lived in: 3 years — owned The Stathoulis home makes everyone who enters it feel transported. It feels as if the air is fresher, the food richer, and the light is…Mediterranean? When I first visited this gem of a home I didn’t pick up on it right away.
Jun 8, 2011
Before & After: Jason’s Beautiful Bathroom Remodel
The red and white tile, the white laminate vanity, the past-its-prime bathtub and tile… this bathroom needs an update. Enter designer Jason Wong to save the day!That after photo is totally inspiring, right? As if replacing the vanity and sink weren’t improvement enough, adding the window to that area really opens up the space (and adds some very appreciated sunlight where it’s needed most – at the mirror).
Jun 8, 2011
Chancie & Dan’s Mt. Washington Oasis
Name: Chancie, Dan, and Clark Meehan Location: Mt. Washington — Los AngelesSize: 2,000 square feetYears lived in: 9 — owned Chancie and Dan have worked hard to update and expand their tiny hillside starter home and the result of their efforts is a surprisingly harmonious mix of modern, traditional, rustic, and quirky — a combination that aptly reflects the home’s inhabitants and its setting.
Jun 7, 2011
Gus’s Modern Nursery on a Budget
Name: GusAge: Still cookin’, expected July 2011Location: Minneapolis, MNRoom Size: 110 sq. feet After seeing Alison and Jeff’s house tour and the playroom they created for their son, Finn, we were thrilled to finally see the big reveal for the nursery Alison created for their new baby (due in July!).
Jun 7, 2011
Before & After: Tiffany’s Auto Shopped Chair
When Tiffany found this chair she was immediately in love. What she didn’t love was the scratchy, ripped fabric covering it. As we all know, DIY upholstery projects can be daunting so Tiffany decided to leave the recovering to the professionals. To the auto body professionals, that is.Upon the recommendation from a friend, Tiffany, from the blog Living Green with Glamour, decided to take her old chair to a local auto repair shop to have it reupholstered.
Jun 6, 2011
Ave’s Neutral + Coral Nursery
Name: Ave RoseAge: 5 monthsLocation: Santa Monica, CARoom Size: 12′ x 9 1/2′ Leah took a different approach when designing her daughter Ave’s nursery. She designed the space to easily transition into Ave’s toddler years. Leah also wanted to create a nursery that was minimalist and very organized. It is a small space, so it can easily get cluttered.Working on a tight budget, Leah had to make compromises and get creative to make the most out of the design.
Jun 3, 2011
Ikea Gorm Makeover
Ikea markets the Gorm shelf as lowly secondary shelving for the pantry or garage. Well, take a look at this makeover, Ikea. We think this transformed Gorm belongs in the living room, office, or even a lucky kid’s room.After!Shauntelle from A Beautiful Abode snagged a $15 Gorm off Craigslist and with some silver spray paint, wood stain, and some boards, turned it into this amazing industrial chic shelf.
Jun 2, 2011
How To Make Fireflies That Really Light Up
Remember when you were a kid how magical it was when the summer sun finally set at the end of the day and the fireflies came out and you never wanted to come inside even though your older sister told you your house was built on a graveyard and the zombies would come out at night? Well, here’s a super quick craft to help your kids feel a little bit of that magic. These fireflies are super easy to make. Just pop a flameless LED tealight into a plastic Easter egg.
May 31, 2011
Simon, Levi & Josie’s Shared Bedroom
Names & Ages: Simon (4) Levi (3) and Josie (7 months) Location: Seattle, WA Room size: 95 square feet This month has been all about Small Spaces at Ohdeedoh and this Room Tour is the perfect example of not letting small spaces deter you from creative possibility. Rebekah and her husband knew they needed to fit their three children into one space (with little sister on the way!) so they made it work.
May 27, 2011