Renovating & Remodeling Skills & How Tos

Chelsea’s black and white bathroom makeover incorporates classic elements into her family bathroom that keep the space feeling crisp and light. She also teaches us that one way to inspire even more tub envy is to paint said tub black. From Chelsea: This was a bathroom remodel that my husband and I completed on our small upstairs bathroom in our 1918 Craftsman bungalow located in Columbus, Ohio.

Wow! Wendy’s kitchen makeover was renovation free and budget friendly. She went from standard issue to a colorful, customized tile wonderland in 30 hours. Check it out! From Wendy: For my kitchen makeover we worked to a pretty tight budget but man I gotta tell you, I love it. You know when you go to a party and everyone winds up in the kitchen? Yeah, that’s basically me – every single night. Party for one. This is my most favouritest space.

I’ve heard it said that it’s helpful to live in your home before renovating, to get a feel for how you actually use the space and what you really want from the renovation. Well, this Upper East Side homeowner lived in his apartment for 40 years. So he had a pretty good idea. What he did want: A fresh new kitchen, but one whose traditional feel would integrate seamlessly with the rest of the apartment. What he didn’t want: a completely open-concept kitchen.

Who hasn’t dreamt of falling in love with an old house at the bottom of a mountain in France? Tiina is living our collective dream while tackling the very real problem of a non-functional kitchen. Her temporary solution keeps the romance while adding an affordable usability until its time for a full kitchen reno. From Tiina: We, my husband and I, fell in love with a floor of a crumbling old kitchen in a crumbling old house by the foot of the Montagne Noire in the autumn of 2016.

Shara’s old bathroom, while not totally on the cutting edge of design trends, was still pretty cute and seemingly livable. Turns out there were some structural issues with the bathroom (discovered during a kitchen remodel), so Shara jumped at the opportunity to rethink and upgrade the small space. She switched around the layout, built her own beautiful wooden vanity and added some sleek design elements that turned the bathroom into a spa-like space of serenity.

We love the look of a vintage-style mosaic tile floor in the bathroom. Like all true design classics, it matches with pretty much anything, and never really goes out of style. Compared to a lot of other options, it’s quite inexpensive — and when it comes to patterns, your choices are almost limitless. Here are some of our favorites. 1. Victorian Basketweave Black and White Porcelain Mosaic Tile, $70.99 for a box of 10 from Overstock 2.

It seems like just yesterday I was bemoaning the ubiquity of granite, hoping and praying it would go the way of the dodo bird and I’d never have to see its speckled self in a kitchen again. Now, after several years of declining use, the day has come: another surface has officially surpassed granite in terms of popularity. Any guesses as to what the new countertop du jour might be? It’s quartz, otherwise known as engineered stone.

Kari was charged with upping the glam and functionality of the master bathroom for a pair of empty nesters. After re-thinking the layout she added some black and white drama with some seriously high impact wallpaper. From Kari: My company, Kari McIntosh Designs, was hired by a couple whose youngest son had just left for college. They loved their classic Victorian home, but had always dreamt of renovating it to give it a contemporary makeover.

Avery’s 1980s kitchen was dark and dated, but all of the appliances were perfectly functional so she figured she could make some quick and inexpensive updates to transform the look of the space. After much internet research, she decided to go with her gut and chose a color and style that matched her personal tastes. From Avery: Our craftsman style parsonage is full of beautiful, original wood trim, built-ins, and doors from 1910.

Cate’s living room was closed off, outdated and the victim of some curious decisions made by previous owners. She set out to make the most of what she had, salvaging what historical details she could and making smart upgrades where needed. From Cate: Before our living room and kitchen were two separate rooms.

One of the fun things about working at Apartment Therapy is seeing how much potential there is in even the smallest of spaces. At 25 square feet, this barely-there kitchen is, I think, the smallest kitchen we’ve ever featured in a Before & After — which makes the end results even more impressive. A home with a 25 square-foot kitchen might sound a little insane to people from anywhere else, but in New York, you take what you can get.

After a bit of a vagabond lifestyle, Johanna was ready to put down her roots and settle into a home she could love. She found her house soul mate, and while it needed some improvements, she saw the home for what it could be. And as a reward she got to live out our collective dream of ripping up carpet to discover beautiful hardwood floors. From Johanna: Growing up moving every three years made it difficult for me to find a place where I felt I could settle down.

IKEA’s new cabinets are literally garbage. Kungsbacka, the Swedish furniture retailer’s latest line of kitchen cabinets, is made from reclaimed industrial wood and recycled plastic bottles. IKEA collaborated with Swedish design studio Form Us With Love to create a sleek collection of anthracite cabinets with a matte finish (you know we love a black kitchen!). Each 15.75-by-31.5-inch cabinet uses 25 plastic bottles.

Jennifer’s pink tile bathroom was a little outdated aesthetically, but more urgently, it lacked function. Like, didn’t have a door, lacked function. For under $3k Jennifer and her husband were able to add style and useability to the space. From Jenn: Our 1961 ranch only has two bathrooms, one of which was this sad pink nightmare. We’d spent six years in a pink bathroom in our previous apartment and 12 with another pink bathroom in this, our first house.

This tiny living room was the first challenge for sisters Kate and Jennifer when they were preparing to move into their condo, a home they wanted to be able to share with visiting friends and family. Unsure of how to make their limited space as functional and stylish as they hoped, the sisters hired design team Margo Haines and Jill Finney at Margo Inc. to help solve their space and style dilemmas.

Megan’s kitchen was dark, didn’t feel like her and was completely lacking storage. She decided to banish all the brown and open the space up to make it brighter and more functional. The result is a charming kitchen that was totally DIY! From Megan: Our ten year old kitchen (new to us) was dark, tiny and unattractive. Dust would settle on the eaves and required us to get on a ladder to clean them, which never happened. Our cabinets were very small and allowed for only minimal storage.

We got a glimpse of Ruth’s home in her House Call but her bathroom reno deserves some special attention. While the old bathroom was not horribly offensive aesthetically, it wasn’t fully functional (and a little stinky). After bumping the project up on her to-do list and getting to work, Ruth found herself with a darkly dramatic space that didn’t break the bank.

Nina helped a family turn their vacation property kitchen from a claustrophobic and kitschy space into a fun and open gathering space. By removing the divider, adding some unexpected color along with classic elements, she breathed new life into the room. From Nina: The owners, a young family, wanted a vacation apartment (that they could also rent out), located in a town adjacent to a European ski area.

Danielle added style and interest to her living room with a few simple and small touches: replacing the curtains, adding some light fixtures, and slapping on a new coat of paint. And then she made a big change, adding color and interest to the space in a major way. From Danielle: When we first moved into our family home, the living room was covered in brown and beige from floor to ceiling.

Lindsay and her family moved into a wonderful new space in a neighborhood they loved. But there was one snafu: the old and outdated kitchen. Lindsay has a food blog so a clunky kitchen just wouldn’t do. They gutted the entire thing and started from scratch, and the results are a fun and functional space that’s perfect for family life and blog life. From Lindsay: The biggest change we made was to the location of the sink and the removal of the existing island.

It’s hard to describe the color of the kitchen in this historic Craftsman in Oakland, pre-renovation. Turquoise blue? Sea-foam green? Whatever the exact hue, it wasn’t quite the right shade for homeowners Brett and her husband Brandon when they purchased this house in March of 2016.

This little kitchen was in need of a lot of spiffing up and a little bit more space. Christina gave the space a fresh new look with a smart layout, some classic tile and a coat of paint in a lovely light color. From Christina: We recently finished up our project in Redondo Beach. This was a smaller house that was in serious need of a face lift. It had so many colors happening as well as some issues in the kitchen.

This master bath had plenty of space but not a lot of function. Kendra set out to not only upgrade and maximize the utility of the space, but to create a calm and serene atmosphere. From Kendra: This master suite had taken on minor renovations before, but nothing that allowed it to shine and become a truly functional and relaxing oasis. This space had an outdated standing shower, no access to the walk-in-closet and overall lack of functionally.

Sure, we might all want to freshen our living room or bedroom, but no room can get dated, dingy, and even dangerous as quickly as a kitchen can. These 10 amazing makeovers, ranging from $200 DIYs to splashy professional jobs, show the power of paint, paring down, and—for crying out loud—new cabinets.

Warning: If winter has you stuck inside, growing increasingly sick of your same four walls (while grateful to have walls, of course), these 10 incredible redesigns might push you into a repainting, redecorating, cabin-fevered frenzy. Whether you’re considering slapping on a coat of paint or are ready to gut the place, there’s at least one project here that’s sure to inspire.

Ashley wanted a bathroom update that was stylish, full of storage and helped maximize the space of her small bathroom. By pulling in a surprising piece of furniture and painting the space a calming color, she created a bathroom that blends form and function. From Ashley: The tiny half bathroom connected to the master bedroom was original to the 1972 house and in desperate need of an update.

A dreary bathroom seems dirty no matter how clean it actually is, so giving it a fresh coat of white paint, additional lighting, and sparkling tiles can completely transform the look and feel of the room, all while making the weekly cleaning feel less Sisyphean.

Right before Thanksgiving we posed a question to readers — “If you had $200 to surprise someone with a gift, what would that gift be, and to whom would you give it?” Brigid Barjaktarevic’s response — some supplies to spruce up her non-profit workplace — caught our eye. We thought we could do more than just provide paint as the gift; we wanted to go all in on an Apartment Therapy makeover.

IKEA Pax wardrobes can be a godsend for creating closet space out of nothing and here is an exquisite example of how they can not only provide a massive amount of storage but appear like they were built just for your space.

When Sophia and Leon bought their 3-bedroom, 1.5-bathroom Manhattan apartment, there wasn’t a lot going on in the petite second bathroom — but what was going on looked a little like a gas station bathroom: fine for a gas station, but not for a home. The yellowing wall tile was distinctly uninspiring, and dingy grout made the floor tiles look dirty no matter how many times they were cleaned.

Heather’s kitchen was outdated, but not unlivable, so she and her husband opted for a few smart and thrifty updates to add some style to the space before a big kitchen remodel. From Heather: My husband and I recently purchased a 1960s home. It’s in great condition, but most everything is original to the house.

Natalie’s home was originally divided into apartments, so she had the not-so-small challenge of turning it back into a cohesive space. After experimenting with new paint colors, and switching up the floor, she finally found herself with a moody library full of quirky, personal charm. From Natalie: This room has changed over time as my husband and I have lived in the house. We bought our circa 1870s Pittsburgh home nearly three years ago.

When Marti set out to revamp her bathroom, she knew that a full tile update wasn’t in the cards. She didn’t let that deter her, however, and went ahead and made some really smart and stylish changes that created a less dated, more classic space. From Marti: My goal was to replace the glaring features that made the bathroom look really dated/cheap: most notably, the paint, mirror, and sink.

When Kate and Emilio purchased their Spanish Revival house, the kitchen was small and broken up into two separate rooms — an awkwardly long mudroom/pantry and an inefficiently small and dated kitchen. The cabinets and countertops were installed right in front of the windows, and there was little workspace between the range and sink.

Debra’s home had gorgeous mid-century bones, and her renovations made the most of them. With some stunning tile and beautiful pictures, she turned her bathroom into a breathtaking beauty. From Debra: We recently finished renovating two of our mid-century home’s bathrooms. Since they are adjacent to one another, my first inclination was to combine them into one large space.

Karyn and Jessica’s beach bungalow is an ever-evolving small space. This is what Karyn had to say in 2013: I had just moved to the island of Coronado and had the perfect bungalow apartment in mind. I envisioned something small but homey with a comfortable outdoor area. The universe must have been on my side because not two minutes after making my wish list I found the perfect studio apartment. Being a designer has its perks, especially after walking into this place.

Courtney and John’s guest bathroom was outdated and had a funky layout, so they set out to open up and update the space. From Courtney & John: To complement our recently renovated guest room, we decided to tackle the attached guest bath as well. Overall, the bathroom was functional with a stock vanity and prefabricated shower/tub combo. But the space lacked style and was not utilizing the square footage to its maximum capacity.

Heidi’s kitchen got a sleek and storage-minded upgrade. Taking cues from her building’s style —and her own personal aesthetic — she created a space that added a lot of functionality, without sacrificing affordability. From Heidi: The design was conceived around cues from my 1959 building’s clean aesthetic combined with a Scandinavian modern/folk influence.

When it comes to kitchen cabinets, hardware is a little thing that can make a big difference. We’ve rounded up ten of the best online sources for knobs, pulls, and everything in between, helpfully sorted into ‘High,’ ‘Mid’ and ‘Low’ categories so you can find the best store for your budget. My Knobs: A huge, almost overwhelming, selection of cabinet hardware at very reasonable prices. Cabinet Parts: Low prices and a large selection.

When her sister-in-law was ready to update her kitchen, Cathy knew she could make an impact while keeping most of the kitchen intact by painting the cabinets and making the biggest update to the floor. From Cathy: “Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.” I am a firm believer in trying to make the most of the existing elements in a space before considering replacing or changing them.

Chrissy’s bathroom was standard, outdated builder grade blah. She transformed the space into something warm and welcoming without any major renovations. From Chrissy: The bathroom before consisted of builder grade oak cabinets and a mirror with no frame. The cabinet over the toilet was bulky and made the bathroom feel smaller.

Minna’s gorgeous cabin is a stunning and serene oasis, but it wasn’t always that way. When they first bought the cabin it was far from what Minna had envisioned. But after some impactful changes, she transformed the space. We’re ready to move in! From Minna: I remember how lucky we felt when we bought this place four years ago. Our “dream cottage” was quite a wreck.

Remember Sophia and Leon’s Manhattan apartment? Last week we witnessed the transformation of their kitchen, and this week we’re looking at the overhaul of the unit’s main bathroom. While the old bathroom wasn’t yet completely falling apart, it had poorly installed, mismatched fixtures — and the fact that it needed to serve for three people meant extra storage space would be welcome.

Courtney & John’s bathroom was the height of ’80s glamour: a Jacuzzi tub AND a gold trimmed shower? Choosing not to live in a Gordon Gekko fever dream, they stripped the bathroom down and opted for a space that played up the historic interest of their new home. From Courtney & John: For basic necessity, the master bathroom was the first space that needed to be tackled FAST in order for us to move into this foreclosure property.

When tasked with updating a kitchen for a family with six kids, Syd and Shay of Studio McGee wanted to create a “next level” monochromatic kitchen, that could still house a large brood. From Studio McGee: When it comes to a bright, monochromatic kitchen, it’s all in the details. All-white kitchens are the number one request we receive. You might see a lot of people churning out white kitchens, but it’s the subtle design decisions that can take a kitchen to the next level.

I think part of the reason shipping container houses are so appealing is that building a house from shipping containers is like the grown-up equivalent of making a really sweet fort from cardboard boxes — you have succeeded in making something awesome from something that you just found, something that would otherwise be in the trash. (Of course, the actual reality of shipping container homes is a bit more complicated than that — but there’s no denying they have a certain draw.

Katie’s RV kitchen was functional but cookie-cutter. She wanted something that was unique and warm, and she took a chance on black paint in a small space and it totally paid off! From Katie: When we first purchased our RV the interior was in good condition, it just wasn’t our style. Not to mention every single person that owns the same model has this exact kitchen. We needed a space that felt like ours, ya know?

Sarah and Nick purchased their 1924 traditional island cottage in 2013, and spent the next five months renovating much of their new home. They were working with a very tight budget and a very real deadline; baby number two was on the way and the couple had made a pact that the kitchen be completed before his birth. Naturally, this made tackling the project a particular challenge.

Carrie, a serious Disney fan, has always fancied living Disney’s Haunted Mansion After trying to fix up her small bathroom she finally decided to let it go and follow her dream (which is a wish your heart makes) of a Disneyland-inspired bathroom. With a lucky wallpaper find (definitely not a poor unfortunate soul) and some smart internet shopping that let her remain one jump ahead of the design, even the bare necessities were on brand.

Prior to their renovation, Laura and Matthew’s kitchen had a few problems common to lots of NYC apartments: a tiny footprint, not enough storage space, and cabinets caked with years’ and years’ worth of paint. As you can see, the cabinets in their galley kitchen had taken on an unusual texture, and the oven was positioned about 18 inches from the opposite countertop. Definitely time for a change.

Kylie’s kitchen is also her office, so while the original was livable, it wasn’t really blog-worthy. After about six months of hard DIY work, she got a gorgeous, open and photo-worthy space. From Kylie: Our house is 1,500 square feet and was built in the 1950s. We love our location and want to stay here for a while, but the kitchen had to go.

Kate (from Centsational Girl) recently saw her friend’s kitchen remodel for the first time. Although this family originally had grand visions for a new kitchen, they ultimately pulled back, skipped the architect, and decided to save money instead. They kept the current layout and put their time and budget towards making their kitchen reflect their own tastes and lifestyle. From Kate: Over the weekend I popped in to visit some good friends, Dino and Heidi.

Looking at this photo, this space could become a lot of things. A retro inspired kitchen? A dreamy den? A nursery? The homeowner went an unexpected route and turned the space into a warm, relaxing and wholly unique space. From E: This project has been a long, long time in the planning and execution, but we’ve finally got the payoff of being able to use our beautiful wooden soaking tub.

This attic bedroom was super dark and dated. Catherine and Brian wanted to create a warm & welcoming master bedroom in the space, and boy did they have their work cut out for them. From Catherine & Bryan: We designed this space as a master bedroom. Aside from making it feel less dated, we wanted it to feel cozy, open, and full of character. We had talked about adding built-ins and cubbies, taking out the walls and widening the room, adding reading nooks – you name it, we thought of it.

An incredible, temporary floor makeover.

Eek! Nadya’s bathroom not only had some structural issues, but it was also lined with asbestos. In the midst of another renovation, Nadya had to tackle the issue on a budget. From Nadya: Our small post-war house in Brisbane, Australia was built in 1959, and like many similar houses of the era, had an asbestos-lined bathroom. As you can see, it was dingy and awful, and water from the shower was seeping into the wall. The nasty stuff had to go!

Ashley’s one room cabin was in need of some style to make it feel like a spot worth running away to. The changes are pretty impressive (be sure to check out the ceiling) and get super impressive when you find out all of the projects were DIY! From Ashley: We decided to completely gut a small one room cabin. It had quite a bit of water damage and was just completely outdated. We did all the projects ourselves and stuck to a small budget.

There were some great things that happened, design-wise, in the 70s, but this bathroom was not one of them. Molly and Jonathan had a few projects in mind when they purchased their Ditmas Park one-bedroom, but they knew that the “sunburn-colored” stripes in their bathroom needed to be the first thing to go. The problems with the bathroom went beyond the cosmetic.

Amanda’s cramped main bathroom was in desperate need of two things: light and space. After patiently waiting for two years, she got to work and created a bright & stylish space. From Amanda: We bought our 1925 Sears Kit home in December of 2014 and have slowly been renovating room by room. We started with the rooms that were deemed “unlivable” by us and let the rest stay as they were. Our upstairs bathroom was one of the rooms we learned to live with for almost two years.

When Christina and her husband moved into their historic row home, they waisted no time (seriously, no time) getting to work on renovations. During that time their guest bedroom took a back seat to other spaces and became a storage area. When it came time to get around to the guest bedroom, however, Christina went full force on DIY projects, smart planning and beautiful design choices.

When Nole and her family moved into their home, their sole bathroom was dark, cramped and falling apart. After overhauling the main fixtures and lightning everything up, they have a much happier spot! From Nole: This is the only full bathroom in our home. When my husband and I first toured our home, we immediately identified the bathroom as needing a total gut renovation.

About a year ago, my partner and I purchased our very first home. It’s a darling 1920s house with tons of curb appeal, but it still needs a lot of renovation work on the inside. And, while much of the house retains its original charm, the kitchen leaves a lot to be desired. After a bit of sleuthing, we learned from past building permits that the previous owners did a complete kitchen overhaul in 1970.

Isadora finally found the farmhouse of her dreams and set about creating a modern, Scandi inspired look in the dinning room, while sticking to a small budget. Putting their previous DIY skills to the test, Isadora and her husband created a bright and stylish space that is warmly welcoming. From Isadora: My husband and I have been dreaming of getting a farmhouse in Sonoma County. We spent a year and a half looking for the right property at the right price.

Erin wanted to pack a lot of style into her small bathroom. With her eye on function and organization, she upgraded, replaced and customized her way to a space that really makes a statement. From Erin: The old bathroom was basic and old. Because I had a small space to work with, I wanted to make a statement in my bathroom. I removed the old cast-iron tub and opted for floor-to-ceiling oversized subway tile to draw the eye up and brighten the windowless space.

Erin’s old kitchen looked straight out of Stranger Things and she knew before she moved in that she’d be going to battle with the demigorgon of outdated design (end of reference, I promise). By knocking down the cabinets and updating the kitchen with crisp, modern design she was able to make her galley kitchen functional and beautiful. From Erin: I recently bought a dated condo with hopes to make it my own. The obvious issue in the small galley kitchen was the lack of natural light.

Emma and Matt bought a home in Ipswich for its old world character and its affordability. But most of the time “character” often comes with a huge list of DIYs and needed renovations. This home had a particularly dated living area and kitchen that, despite the big windows letting light in, felt quite dark. The living area and kitchen of their home was very dated with the yellow walls, green trim, not to mention the dark wooden ceiling and kitchen cabinets.

We can’t all live in a gorgeous Haussmannien building on the left bank of the Seine. In fact, some of us have to live in effective but uninspiring homes with little to no architectural detail whatsoever. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do. In fact, there’s a lot you can do, even if you live in the most boring of houses, to add a little character to your space. Check out these 7 DIY projects. Add a ceiling medallion.

Lauren’s a big fan of cooking and entertaining, but her cramped galley kitchen was getting in the way of her following her bliss. So she enlisted some professional help and totally transformed her kitchen into a stunning, open space. From Lauren: I recently completed a 3.5 month apartment renovation. The driving force behind the project was my kitchen. I enjoy cooking and entertaining and the confines of the original galley kitchen was not conducive to the way I lived and entertained.

When they bought their co-op apartment in Brooklyn, Casey and Kumar had a particularly ambitious project in mind: transforming a one-bedroom to meet the needs of a family of four people. Doing so involved some pretty clever solutions along with a full-scale overhaul of the unit’s very small, very outdated kitchen. Since space in their small apartment was at a premium, Casey and Kumar wanted the kitchen to flow seamlessly into the rest of the living area.

Danica’s new house came with an old kitchen, and she knew it had to go. With a nice layout and some Craigslist luck on her side she was able to DIY her way to a gorgeous updated kitchen. From Danica: We moved into our home last year and the first project we tackled was the horribly boring builder grade kitchen. The layout was great but the oak cabinets, white laminate and checker backsplash needed some serious updating.

We featured Josef’s stylish Prague apartment a few weeks ago. Now we get to see how Daniele worked his magic on this tiny and outdated space. From Daniele: Josef gave me full creative freedom when renovating his apartment’s bathroom. The bathroom was old and dark. He wanted to fit in a bathtub, possibly his only request for this project. Given the small size of the bathroom I thought it was a bad idea, but he insisted so we did it.