Melissa DiRenzo

There’s definitely no shortage of holiday ornaments out there to buy, but there’s something so satisfying about making a few. It’s always nice to give/receive something handmade—and one-of-a-kind—and by making a few for yourself, you get to create a little memory that you can revisit every year when you pull them out to decorate the tree. These ornaments are fairly easy, adorable, and—bonus!—you’re recycling.

Years ago my grandma gave me a huge stack of napkins and, even though I knew that those plain white ones weren’t really my thing, I politely took them. Fast forward to a recent afternoon of marker tie dye fun! I’m a little embarrassed to show you how easy it is and I can truly say I really had fun creating these little masterpieces. • Rubbing alcohol (min.

I’m so excited to share with you today a before & after of my very own kitchen! I live in a converted hard loft in the eclectic neighbourhood of Kensington Market in Toronto. It was converted to lofts in 1999 — which you can see by this before photo. There was nothing absolutely terrible with this kitchen (well maybe those countertops), but it just felt dated and didn’t match my colorful and eclectic personality and the rest of my space. I decided to give it a major makeover.

I’m super excited to share my very own living room Before & After with you. Once I finished my kitchen makeover earlier this year, things snowballed a bit and I suddenly wanted to change everything. I’ve also lived in my loft for seven years, and the itch is for real—the redecorating itch, that is. That’s a thing, right?

It’s all too common that the room that should be the most relaxing is the one that’s the most chaotic- or just forgotten when it comes to decor. The master bedroom should be your sanctuary so that you can rest up and deal with everything else life has planned for you, right? After spending years creating and decorating her space, Virginia of Fynes Designs decided a master bedroom makeover was long overdue. Get ready for a wow! transformation.

I think when most people move into a new home, decorating the guest room probably isn’t their first priority—but that wasn’t so in this case. Emily, owner of Cheerfully Made, recently moved with her family into a big, four-bedroom in the small town of Almonte, Ontario, and while the extra space was amazing and the house was in great shape, it was stuck in a time warp. And what was the first room Emily attacked? The guest room.

The front entrance can be a tricky space to make over. It usually is not very big, has limited options, and needs to be really functional. And if you have an open-concept home, you have to make sure the entry works with the look of the whole space. Lidy and Joel from Hello Lidy had already tackled most of their open-plan, split-level house and were not happy with the view of their dated front entrance from their newly made-over living room.

Range hoods may not be the most glamorous kitchen appliance to shop for, but they’re definitely a must-have to avoid lingering odors and keep your kitchen air as fresh as possible. Here’s a shopping guide to get you started when looking for a range hood. Like all the other appliances in your kitchen, there are a few factors to consider when buying a range hood.

Minimalism is officially a thing right now, with people (and especially millennials) cutting back their possessions, moving into tiny homes, and living with a whole lot less. Kitchen appliances have followed suit, and more small stoves and fridges are available than ever before. If you’re living in a wee kitchen — or just want to save space without sacrificing style — then consider one of these compact designs for your space.

It’s that time of year where we prepare to hibernate. That means cozy socks, piles of blankets, and lots and lots of candles. Thankfully making all those candles on your own is easier than you think. The best part about it is that you can make candles that are completely custom for you — which means your favorite scents in containers that match your style or space. Here are nine great DIY candle and container combos to help keep you busy (and cozy) this season.

Emily juggles a successful creative business as well as her family of four so having a space to work at home is crucial. She had a large enough room to work in, but it was dated and not necessarily the most functional. First, Emily worked with a professional organizer to help edit her current work space. Add some of her signature cheerful DIY style and this uninspiring room was transformed into a bright and fresh space that will keep her organized with no shortage of creative inspiration.

Who couldn’t use a little glam in their life, right? Okay, so maybe it takes a certain type of person to pull off a really glam look at home, but Tim from Design Maze and the resident of this apartment were the perfect team to pull off this eye-popping den with a modern take on Hollywood glamour. I think it will make even the most minimalist design lover feel a little glam-envy. The best part? This is a rental apartment so everything is temporary.

Don't let the holiday countdown stress you out–we're here to help you make the most of it!

If you love vintage decor, specifically vintage lamps, I’m about to make your day. I find so many great lamps in my vintage hunting but I had to start passing them by because as much as I love them, it drives me absolutely nuts trying to find the right updated shade for them. Finding the right shape and size gives me grey hairs. Then I discovered i like that lamp and their DIY Lamp Shade Kit.

Have I got a doozy of a before & after for you today. Have you ever purchased a house or moved into a rental that comes with plenty of the previous owner’s ‘character’? For Lidy and her family that meant acquiring a bright fuschia bedroom when they purchased their home near Calgary, Canada. It takes a strong vision and sense of style to transform a room like this into something so modern and cool. Above is how the room looked when they decided to purchase the house.

If you’ve ever done a kitchen makeover or thought about it and did a little research, you know that things get really pricey, really fast (I can speak from experience). That’s why I was so impressed by Brooklyn Berry’s $500 kitchen makeover. That’s almost like pennies in the kitchen makeover world. The key is being a really savvy shopper, getting creative and getting your hands dirty to do most of the work yourself.

The best before & after projects are those that you will never guess in a million years what they’ll look like. Alex from Northstory completely changes the form and function of these two thrift shop mirrors into a fresh, modern and Scandinavian-inspired planter. Check out the reveal: Totally fabulous and unexpected, right? It takes a special eye and talent to visualize this when spotting those mirrors amongst the junk.

There are a select few of lucky folks out there who get to live in authentic converted lofts full of character— and then there’s everyone else. Even if you live in a suburban home, you can still infuse your space with the feeling of wood beams, cement floors and exposed brick walls. It’s true! This amazing transformation by Shannon from AKA Design + Life is proof. She turned this simple space into a brick wall full of character that could pass for any cool downtown coffee shop.