“The space seemed to have received no love for decades,” Taylor Graves says of what would become her daughter’s nursery. Before Taylor and her husband moved in, it had been a college student’s guest room and was simply used for function — “and it looked like it,” Taylor notes. Multiple layers of paint covered multiple layers of wallpaper, but the room was filled with details that just needed proper attention.

While traveling, I always fall in love with the architecture and design style of the places I’m visiting — it’s impossible for me not to become inspired and take a part of it home with me. Lots of homeowners feel the same — like this family home in London, England, that got a major makeover inspired by their trip to Miami, or this Netherlands home inspired by the family’s time in Malaysia.

When it comes to bathing habits, there are usually two camps: bath enthusiasts or strictly shower people. Luiza Frediani Oxley and her partner, Chris, fall into the latter group. So in the bathroom of their small London flat, the tub took up unnecessary space. “It felt cramped, lacked proper storage, and had a few underlying issues like worn finishes and general wear that made it feel tired rather than functional,” Luiza explains.

When Jessica Archibald and her husband Stephen bought their 1909 home, it was “like walking into a ’60s time capsule,” Jessica says. There was an intercom system, built-in radio, Formica countertops, and carpet.“Sixty-year-old carpet on the kitchen floor,” Jessica says. “It doesn’t get more disgusting than that.

Open-concept living rooms, dining rooms, and kitchens have dominated home construction since the ’90s. But when DIYer Molly Miller moved into her new build in 2018, her family actually wanted more separation between the home’s main living areas. Everything was “lumped together in one large space,” and it made it difficult to have a functional kitchen with the limited storage.

”The office didn’t exist before,” Alana Resnick says. When she and her boyfriend, Miles Ronbeck, found their Upper East Side apartment, it had a very long living space. And while they originally were looking for an apartment with two bedrooms (to convert one into a dedicated office), they fell in love with the natural light and the ample square footage.

Multipurpose rooms, because of the nature of what they are (essentially combining two separate spaces, with their own goals and needs, into one), can easily become overwhelming and a headache. For June Cruz, that room was her dual laundry room and mudroom. It had no storage or organization, which made it a dysfunctional area. “It was essentially a drop zone for our coats, shoes, and bags, as well as our weekly laundry,” June describes.

Searching for and purchasing a home isn’t a small task. Not only is this process a major life milestone, but it can also be a hefty financial commitment. Knowing this, it’s totally fair to want to find a space that checks all the boxes. But in some situations, sacrifices might be necessary. Like when Lauren Alexander bought her condominium in 2021. “The home had good bones — beautiful crown molding and a stunning view with lots of natural light,” Lauren shares.

“Every great design process starts with a conversation, and for this project, that conversation began with discussing their life,” founder of Rise Up Home and interior designer Kendra Joseph explains.Kendra asked her clients questions like “What does a Tuesday morning look like with two young kids?” and “Where does the chaos land, and where does the calm need to be?

“When [my husband and I] bought our first home, the bathroom was at the top of my list to transform,” Samantha Kivell, a DIYer and bespoke upholsterer, says. But DIY projects can sometimes be put on the back burner when schedules fill up, or other projects become top priority. However, once Samantha’s schedule cleared up, she finally had time to tackle the DIY transformation she had been eager to do.

From the Property Brothers to Mr. Kate!

When Sophie Simmons moved into her 331-square-foot New York apartment, she was living alone and planned on using the railroad apartment’s awkward middle room as her closet and living space for her “single girl setup.”“The room started as a small shoebox with a closet spanning one entire wall, and a bench seat on the other,” Sophie explains. The whole room revolved around her French Louis XVI-style John Richard coffee table that she had bought secondhand for $50.

Three years ago, when Morgan and Faye Hurley moved into their family home just an hour outside of Boston, they were charmed by the vintage details — especially in the kitchen. Faye describes the original room as “so retro and fun,” but the smaller space (which included a connected laundry nook) wasn’t big enough to accommodate their family of five plus three cats.

When your life is already changing exponentially, and you’re taking on a brand new adventure, why not add one more task to your already very full plate?At least, that was Elisabeth Edelman’s thinking when she purchased her 1950s Cape Cod home. “I had just sold my PR firm, had a baby on my own, and was setting out to write a novel and get published,” Elisabeth shares.

When moving into a new space, it’s normal to discover unique (or even strange!) things abandoned by the previous occupants. Whether that’s items left behind during the move, or unusual design choices that you now have to figure out what to do with — it’s always an interesting adventure people face.

Inspiration can strike from almost anywhere — and that includes your undergarments drawer. In the case of Vickiann Vachula’s primary bedroom redo, a pair of soft-colored underwear was a close shade to what she had envisioned and helped inspire the room’s eventual color palette. Vickiann is the creator of My Crappy House, a blog that documents gradual renovations and DIY projects of her home.

With a soak tub!

Now she has a cozy, luxe movie room!

The “cheap and failing” kitchen reno is long forgotten after a modern update made it a “hosting haven.”

An interior designer gave her home office the perfect balance of calm for working and bold for client meetings (plus, it has such a smart hidden storage hack).

This bathroom was straight out of the '70s, but after two architects completely DIYed the space, it’s now accessible with custom Americana-style tile flooring.

Her 100-year-old condo had a traditional dining room that wasn’t being used to its full potential. A custom, dramatic Murphy bed changed everything.

This dream bathroom was once an unused bedroom, and now it has a bold color palette and original fireplace feature.

Inspired by her client’s project and her dark green IKEA curtains, photographer Meghan Beierle-O’Brien decided to finally make her and her husband’s primary bedroom a place she wanted to be.

This 1921 cottage had a tiny, 75-square-foot kitchen that needed a little TLC. After finding a charming cast iron sink, Alison O’Reilly knew exactly what to DIY — a beautiful sink combination with her antique Hoosier cabinet.

Mary Zenker, founder of Shaker Home Studio, put off renovating her family bathroom for as long as possible. But plumbing issues forced the family to say goodbye to the butter yellow tiles and hello to a calming retreat.

A color consultant discovered a bright cobalt blue Victorian fireplace boarded up in her 1890s home office — and it pulled the whole room together.

When this couple moved in, they redid the guest bathroom with a geometric accent wall. Years later, they’ve learned a thing or two and decided to redo the space with bold, colorful details — completely DIYed.

Working with her landlord’s permission, she made five simple swaps that changed everything about her kitchen.

Artist Maggie Beckett already had her dream NYC apartment. But when her husband moved in, the space needed an update to reflect both of their personalities. Their tiny bedroom with no closet space was the perfect place to experiment with an IKEA PAX DIY nook and landscape mural.

An all-gray living room had no privacy, but the interior designer, Rainbow Shaker, created a colorful, sun-lit space with privacy for a London-based family.

After getting a quote for $15,000, Bre Okoren decided to DIY the patio to fit her $2,000 budget. She loved hosting friends and family, and wanted to recreate a space that offered warmth and connection.

First-time homeowners transformed their 1800s Italianate home and color-drenched the dining room after extensive research to find a historically accurate color. They used a bold Roman Clay shade that they later found out was original to the house’s dining room, too — making it meant to be.

As a New York City renter, Sarah Ingle had to pick her battles when renovating her tiny bathroom. She left the frosted glass shower but added warm textures, colors, and unique wall decor.

As a college graduate, I had officially moved out — it was time to say goodbye and let my parents have the home they always wanted post-kids.

DIYer Amanda Oleri and carpenter Jason Staebler wanted to add unique charm to their 1980s kitchen, while including a fun spice-storage solution. The couple’s DIY spice cabinet went viral for the smart storage solution.

TJ’s Dwellings & Designs took a “dark and unusable” Jack and Jill bathroom and turned it into a stylishly elevated space for the homeowners to unwind in — while still honoring the 1910 bungalow’s character and era.

For this family of five, the laundry room was the most used space in the house — but it wasn’t working for them when they first moved in. Now, it’s filled with even more storage, organization, and joy.

Jill Arden Lukeman, a Connecticut-based interior designer and owner of The Mariner and the Muse, transformed her 1920s cottage and turned the downstairs bathroom into a fun, “feminine” moment.

A Wisconsin 1928 bungalow needed some TLC and elbow grease, and when it came to Maudie Francek and Ronnie’s bedroom, they combined their love of the outdoors with mid-century modern style to create a “cozy minimal” space that restored the home’s character.

Only took 6 hours, $250, and some elbow grease.

An interior curator put his bed in his loft’s cubby and color-drenched the space. By adding an IKEA PAX wardrobe, Kiron Thomas maximized his creative space and gave himself a separate, relaxing area to wind down each night.

This "forgettable" and "emotionally flat" entryway turned into a fun, joyful welcome that set the tone for the rest of the house.

Four builder-grade bathrooms become magical and personality-filled after an interior designer made two easy swaps that matched the client’s business goals for Maeve House.

A couple’s cottage in Door County, Wisconsin, didn’t have a garage for storage, so they created a potting shed for their tools. Now, it’s a “beautiful” space they enjoy beyond gardening.