DIY Before & Afters | Do It Yourself Projects & Hacks

“The room now feels like a warm hug when I walk in,” the DIYer says.

“It was my first time really taking a corner from ‘blank and awkward’ to ‘built-in and intentional,’” the DIYer says.

The bare white walls and plain shower curtain were the antithesis of my shared style with my partner (which is handsome, colorful, and personalized).

After dreaming of a fireplace for years, I finally made my own in my 10th apartment.

The new kitchen has so much more personality.

The DIYer was pleasantly surprised by how real the tiles looked.

“The original space had paneling, but it was buried under layers of paint,” the homeowner says.

The new space has a "massive cozy factor," the DIYer says.

The "after" has a "cozy, lived-in feel," the homeowner says.

This DIY redo saved the homeowner thousands of dollars.

The layout got a functional overhaul.

The DIYer wanted to fill it “with color, nostalgia, and early 20th-century glamour.”

The paint color is pretty and timeless.

The vanity area is the star of the show.

A fresh paint job makes the old cabinets look so much better.

You’d never guess the "new" cabinets are from 1988.

What was once a "blank white box" is now a beautiful laundry room.

And it’s renter-friendly!

It’s totally renter-friendly.

“Bring on the pinks and purples,” this designer and homeowner says.

It was all DIY, and it cost about $800.

The homeowner’s point of inspiration was the new tile.

The 200-square-foot kitchen “feels more open and light,” the homeowner says.

It cost $10,000 to renovate.

The bathroom was last updated in 2007.

This has “relax here” written all over it.

The vanity was too bulky, and the mirror was “laughably wrong” for the room.

Removing "layers on layers of wallpaper" helped create a cozy, family-friendly dining space.

“The bench is both functional and pretty,” the DIYer says.

Way before and after.

The closet makeover is totally copyable.

It's an homage to Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner.

This hack cost just $2.

Before, there was barely any cabinet storage.

The makeover boasts three kinds of peel-and-stick.

The built-in bookshelves are so dreamy.

The bedroom "before" looked nice, too, but the homeowner was ready for a change of pace.

The paint color is perfect.

The mural was improvised.

“Everything had to be renter-friendly,” the DIYer says.

Even though you might not live in a rental home forever, that doesn’t mean you have to grin and bear it if you’re not loving the look and feel. There are plenty of smart ways you can update a space in a reversible, temporary way. Renter Sarah Bryant (@sarahlouwho) knows this well. After moving into a charming 1901 apartment in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, Sarah decided to make some changes to what she guessed was an “early 2000s” kitchen.

Leaning into color — not away from it — will make a space feel calm, according to this DIYer.

Get ready to drool over the wood detailing, roof color, dog statues, and dreamy fall backdrop.

It was inspired by something from the designer’s yard.

This is proof that a small budget can make a big impact.

“I’ve just been craving something new in the living room,” the DIYer says.

It’s forest-inspired.

A basic big-box find becomes stylish shoe storage with striking stripes.

It looks so sophisticated.

“It makes me happy every time I open the front door or walk into the living room,” the DIYer says.

“It 100% paid off,” the homeowner says.

The cabinet was free from Facebook Marketplace.

It's so much brighter.

The gist of this project is straightforward: Assemble a BILLY, then surround it with trim.

The homeowner saved up for four years to make it happen.

Paint for the win!

The tub is the same one as before — just refinished — and the tiles are stunning.

The homeowner wanted to lean into color wheel opposites.

See how the “builder-grade, landlord-special kitchen” took a turn for the colorful and whimsical.

This homeowner loves her little galley kitchen — she’s totally over open-concept.

“The transformation reads bright and airy in the day, and deep and moody after twilight hours,” the DIYer says.

“This was very cost-friendly and fun,” the DIYer says.

There are clever DIY ideas to borrow whether your kitchen is a temporary or forever place to cook.

It came with great bones, like a fireplace and original woodwork.

The details are everything.

The lesson in this porch makeover? Think colorfully!

It works way better for this family of five.

“As a homebody, introvert, and remote worker, it feels especially important to create a space I truly enjoy being in,” the renter says.

And it has the prettiest accent wall.

“When one piece of furniture can play double duty, it’s a win for me,” the DIYer says.

The project included several DIY “firsts” for the homeowners.

Plus, there’s cool new texture and hardware.