This master bedroom was perfectly nice but understandably neglected, having been low on the family’s priority list for years. But it finally got its much-desired makeover, and the hotel-inspired results are totally worth the wait. This is so dreamy and calm! I’ve never stayed at a Four Seasons hotel, but now I want to know if the rooms are anything like this. Stephanie of Olive and Tate is responsible for this excellent bedroom upgrade.

Why are we showing you a photo of a kitchen in a post allegedly about an entryway? Well, because the wall you see is about to disappear, opening up the entryway in a major way. Kimberly Smith of Turning It Home helpfully describes the situation: In our home was a non-load bearing wall that separated the entry way/dining room from the kitchen.

This poor old dresser was dated and unwanted, until one intrepid crafter, armed with only a vision and an impressive drawer pull collection, took it in and made it over. The results are fantastically impressive. I actually squealed a bit when I saw this—and I don’t even really like purple! This is a piece that is 100% practical (storage), while somehow also being 100% fun (tassels!).

This vintage trailer had been sitting neglected for years, but was finally rescued and restored by someone with a dream. It’s now as darling as you could ever hope a vintage trailer would be, with a sassy twist. Here’s a bit more about what the trailer was like before its makeover: The trailer is a vintage Layton travel trailer. This trailer had been sitting on a family member’s property for as long as I can remember. It was a mess but it had “good bones.

This guest room had beautiful wooden floors, a cool old radiator, and some pretty delicious blue paint, but it was gradually becoming “kind of a neglected spot.” This renovation-free redo transformed the room from an accidental storage space to basically a boutique hotel, complete with a commissioned mural.

While this bathroom might not have looked bad at all before, its owner described it as “by far the worst bathroom we’d ever owned,” full of safety, sanitary, practical, and aesthetic issues. Two months later, the only issue with the bathroom is that it’s not mine. This is so stunning. I am an absolute sucker for those starburst tiles—and an equal sucker for vanities that look like (or began their lives as) furniture designed for other rooms of the home.

After 20 years, this living room was ready for an update. It didn’t need a gut job, just a refresh, a lightening, and perhaps even a brightening. Now the room still has all of its best elements, plus a few new ones that suit the space—and the times—perfectly. This is so streamlined and sophisticated now. It’s a clear evolution of the aesthetic seen in the image before, which is fascinating to see.

One of the most fun aspects of these makeover posts is getting to see all the ’80s decor, especially 1980s bathrooms. Here we have a wall-to-wall frameless mirror, wood towel bar and light fixture, orange-y wood in general, and, most importantly, a cream marble seashell sink. Perhaps those will come back into fashion, but for now, it’s gone! Let’s explore how else this bathroom was updated.

This family kitchen had a lot going for it—tons of windows, seating, and storage—but its owner described it as “SO dark. Dark counters, dark cabinets, dark lighting.” As magical as dark lighting sounds, the family felt this kitchen was due for a makeover and made it happen in just six weeks.

This kitchen is only 6 x 16 feet, but its owner managed to make it as roomy, practical, and inviting as possible. Spoiler alert: They even managed to squeeze in a ultra-cozy sitting area. This “bit of copper with a dash of pink theme” kitchen was completed by Kat of Rock N Roll Bride in four weeks, and I think it’s a major success.

This 34-square-meter (366-square-foot) Moscow apartment might not look like too much right now, but its owner saw potential and had it transformed into a rather roomy—bigger than at least two of my apartments anyway—Airbnb rental apartment. Unsurprisingly, the kitchen is the heart of this (temporary) home. This renovation was created by Anna Kovalchenko of Essenziale, who wisely stuck to a limited palette—black, white, and wood—throughout the small space.

Let’s be honest: Unless our bathroom caulk falls out completely, it doesn’t occur to many of us to replace it—clean it, sure, but replace entirely? Are we gross? Are we going to die tomorrow? Let’s explore. Fresh caulk should last quite a while—in the five year range—but a couple of factors can reduce its lifespan: Using the wrong kind for the job, poor installation, and even house settling can cause it to pull away from the wall and lose efficacy.

The original aesthetic of this 1984 home will look very familiar to all of us that remember the year—you can almost smell the cigarette smoke!—but it recently received a totally DIY makeover and the results are sweet vintage perfection. Introducing Myrtle…. This is so darling. It looks like the mid-century modern home of a family of storybook beavers. It’s just so sweet.

Be forewarned: This disco-fabulous backsplash is not long for the world, so enjoy it while you can. The rest of the kitchen was perhaps not worthy of such sparkle—two words: burnt linoleum. Now it’s fresh, unified, and bright. This kitchen is right at home in a 100-year-old house, and the modern appliances are nicely camouflaged against the white cabinetry and tiles.

What a nice living room, with vaulted ceiling, dramatic beams, nonstop windows, and luxurious couches you could sink into for days. But brace yourself for something entirely different. Here’s a full-length shot of the room that really shows off that impressive ceiling and the amazing wooden beams. I love the concept of a living area arranged around a view, but I also love what they did with the space instead: Wow!

This kitchen was very nice—great cabinets, pretty paint, sleek black countertops, fantastic wood floors—but even very nice can use a little boost now and then. Peel-and-stick tiles to the rescue, for a polished, personal, and renter-friendly update. This looks so great! The mini subway tile from Home Depot is delightful, plus the color works well with the new appliances and looks amazing with the orange sink.

This guest room closet was due for an update—it was originally dark brown—but its owner didn’t want to drop a ton of cash on it. After spending a few weeks and $76.69, this closet is now practical and super cute. The makeover by Jessica and Brett of The Mountain and Moon is darling. The new shelves add a ton of valuable storage, the accordion rack is as pretty as it is helpful, and that dotted wall is eye-catching!

This kitchen is perfectly nice—that huge window!—but its owner was able to pinpoint a few weaknesses that weren’t really working for the family. After a gradual transformation, this kitchen is now totally different, and totally wonderful. Here’s how reader Miriam Rogers described the kitchen pre-renovation: Dark wood cabinets and linoleum floors. The room was enclosed with a pocket door. A huge window meant there was not a lot of cabinet space.

A reader kindly sent in this bathroom, referring to it as “the epitome of ’90s glam.” For a moment there was hope that the After was going to be ’90s glam—think of all the Nagels!—but, instead, this is the story of how quintessentially ’90s elements were smartly incorporated into an updated, understated, and affordable makeover. Here’s a full-length view.

Here we have a pretty standard rental kitchen, with the classic beige-ish cabinets, walls, fridge, and countertops. It looks like everything is in pretty good shape, but one renter saw room for improvement—and a chance to try out allegedly rental-friendly home improvement products. Every surface has been stickered!

Be forewarned: This makeover is going to involve a lot of white paint, but when you’re attempting to make the most of a spider dungeon (or a dark, cramped space in a basement), you go with whatever works, and in this case, bright white paint worked like a charm. Wow. What a dreamy little art studio!

In this photo, this little French bedroom appears to simply be a blank slate, but according to its new owners, “Everything was old and ugly.” Five months of DIY weekends later, this room is now cozy, dramatic… and double-decked! The bedroom has gone from plain white to an incredible blue. This paint—Farrow & Ball’s Hague Blue—is the perfect blue for a bedroom; it’s deep and inky like the night sky, while perfectly white linens pop against it like stars.

Reader Caroline Savard shared the transformation of her Quebec rental—which only took one week! This apartment went from intensely colorful and crowded to calm and cozy, yet still absolutely packed with personality and style. Now the kitchen is so lovely and calm. You might laugh, but I had to look back and forth a few times to confirm that the only major change made was the painting of the cabinets and walls. And, of course, the clutter was cleared, which is incredibly powerful.

A 175-square-foot apartment is a small apartment, but one of our readers has transformed a challenging space overwhelmed by bulky furniture into a serene, seemingly spacious oasis, all for $1,700. Before we move on to the studio as it is now, here’s how reader Emily Barry described it before: The space had a more utilitarian feel before I moved in; it was basically being used only for sleeping, and didn’t feature much more than a bed and a TV.

Hanging up some wall shelves is one of the best things you can do for a room, and even a shelf you don’t adore is a good thing to have. However, if you can take an ordinary, affordable shelving unit and transform it into something remarkable for just $5, why not?

This smart redo preserved everything that was great, and changed everything that wasn't.

This ultra-’90s bathroom was radically transformed into a stunning, smart, and structurally unrecognizable bathroom for less than $3,000. It took vision, elbow grease, and a few (not so) small tasks. You know, like building custom door frames, “casting in place with concrete,” and “construct[ing] a custom wet table saw.” Easy breezy! That marble is simply to die for.

A daring and dramatic 30-day transformation.

If you were to renovate your kitchen in an attempt to increase the resale value of your home, what would you do? For once, this renovation didn’t involve painting or replacing the perfectly fine cabinets. Instead, the homeowner swapped in contemporary finishes, upgraded the appliances, and brightened up the whole room. Three major improvements jump out at me: the herringbone slate floor, the wood countertops, and the stainless steel dishwasher. Oh, and of course that dreamy sink!

She knew what she wanted, and she got it for a great price.

This builder-standard kitchen’s strength lies in its plainness: there might not be a ton here to flip over, but there’s not really anything to be put off by either. Fortunately, this kitchen’s new renter found a way to play up its strength and minimize its flaws—and all for only $700!

This windowless bathroom was a bit drab and dated, and over the course of just one weekend, it was transformed into a light and bright space. Oh, the power of a coat of paint and some new fixtures! That horizontal picture didn’t show much, so here’s a full-length shot, with a description of the pre-refresh situation from Genevieve Claire of Vieve Claire: The walls and ceiling were painted with a caramel colour making the bathroom look and feel outdated.

This rental powder room has bright white walls, interesting art, enviable jewelry displays, and very nice fixtures, but there’s just something missing. What could it be? STRIPES! The answer is stripes. This bathroom is now so bold and glamorous. I love the way the wallpaper highlights the interesting ceiling, and the way the lampshade echoes the shape of the skirt in the illustration.

This kitchen, submitted by reader Claire-Anne, underwent a huge transformation without a huge renovation budget. As you’ll see, the new space has so much more personality and flair than before, but it still has something in common with the old: IKEA. If you’ve ever wondered how to update old AKURUM cabinets with new SEKTION doors, here’s your answer.

What a nice bedroom! What will it have that’s new? Fresh bedding and/or wall paint? Or perhaps something a bit more dramatic . . . and even dog-friendly? This is so fun! And incredibly practical: additional storage, a nest-like reading/sleeping spot, a large mirror for outfit-evaluating and space embiggening, and a lovely new home for Deacon the dog. This makeover was created by Erica Massey—be sure to check out her Instagram for lots of puppy pics.

This bathroom window is amazing — just imagine gazing outside while in the tub! —but, unfortunately, it gets a bit lost in what the owner describes as an ultimate late-’80s/early-’90s bathroom: “Lots of beige, fancy flourishes and brown granite.” It will take a total gut job to bring this bathroom into the 21st Century. Here’s a full-length shot of what Erin Wheeler of Sunny Circle Studio‘s bathroom, pre-renovation.

Reader Anne’s home featured these somewhat overwhelming teal-shuttered cabinets, and while they provided a ton of storage, they made this petite hallway feel dark and crowded. They also trapped a dark secret in place… The cabinets were thoroughly installed, making it impossible to remove what lies beneath. The nailed-in wooden wardrobe covered a shabby 33-year-old carpet. There was even a newspaper from 1985 hidden under it! A time capsule!

A quick glance at this photo might yield the following evaluation: great windows, beautiful wood floors, overall very nice (if a bit yellow)—it could perhaps use some flair. Reader Anne is here to set us straight on the fact that this kitchen needs a bit more than just a quick coat of paint… Here’s what the kitchen was really like: Yellow walls, shabby original floorboards which were impossible to clean, half-done tile job by previous owner!

It seems like we’ve seen a thousand iterations of this powder room (minus the grand mirror): taupe linoleum counter, bulky vanity, dated wallpaper, standard fixtures. What can be done to make it less predictable and more special? A paint job, perhaps, or a countertop upgrade?

While there isn’t anything inherently wrong with this “before” (it’s clean, it’s white, it’s rocking some fun cabinet hardware and additional storage), we’re saying it: it’s boring. This bathroom could be in just about any house in any part of America. The “after” though…well, we’re smitten (it features one of the most stunning floors seen in all our Before & Afters).

If you’re tempted to skip this post because you assume the wood cabinetry—and everything else—will be painted white, please trust me when I say you’re going to want to see this one. Just don’t get too attached to that tablecloth. Before the big reveal, let’s fully examine this full-length shot of the kitchen before, which reveals both the paneled ceiling and the peeling floor.

This is an intriguing transformation, because the only difference between the before and after is the decorating. No remodeling, no renovation, no repainting or replacing anything, and yet the results are incredibly dramatic. So inspiring, especially to all of us with neither power tools nor the skills to wield them. Let’s back up to get a full view of the drop ceiling and beige floor—two standard rental features that add a fair amount of blah to any room.

You might think that the issues with this bathroom are mainly aesthetic — the dangling door, the intensely peach tiles, for starters. But, in fact, the problems go much further than these superficial concerns. Unfortunately, reader Rachel found that removing the ruffled curtain did nothing to alleviate the mold-infested walls.

Read this before you attempt yours.