Rooms

“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 food blogger Christine Han and her partner moved into their Brooklyn apartment in the summer of 2021, they knew they had a big renovation project ahead of them. Luckily, they were more than willing to tackle the work — especially the kitchen, which was a mishmash of furniture, inefficient appliances, and odd backsplash tiles. Before they began, Christine convinced her partner that they could revamp the space for less than $2,000.

When Orima Kamalu describes the former kitchen in her colorful, DIY-filled house, it’s hard not to wonder why she wanted to make any changes at all.“The original kitchen was always a lovely, large open space with plenty of storage and room to move around. The units were all gloss-white with chrome-effect bar handles,” she explains. However, while the kitchen (which Orima thinks was last updated in the early 2000s) was functional, it wasn’t exactly their style.

“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.

Digital creator, interior decorator, and color-lover Devin Downs quickly realized that the somewhat basic kitchen in his New York City rental wasn’t going to work for him.“The kitchen had no personality — it felt purely functional and uninspiring,” he explains. “I was cooking in a sea of beige and stainless steel.”After painting the adjoining hallway with Behr’s “Young Green,” Devin knew the kitchen needed to mirror that energy.

The thought of building a kitchen from scratch might seem daunting to some (me included!), but to Tim and Kat Moore, it was a no-brainer when it came to their coastal Sicily house.The unfinished room, which essentially served as a walkway to gorgeous sea views, was actually a benefit to them. Instead of having to remove outdated fixtures, they could imagine how the space would work for them.The couple didn’t want to compromise the sea view with a flashy, loud kitchen.

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 Katherine and Genevieve moved into their Spanish bungalow-style Southern California home (built in 1933), they set out to find a way to honor the space’s past while also looking toward their future. This included the “mismatched but functional” kitchen, as Genevieve described it. Initially, the three countertops and two cabinets were competing against each other for space and the eye. Additionally, a pocket-sized laundry room divided the space.

When homeowners Heath and Samantha Mitchell moved into their cottage-style home in Sydney, Australia, they loved the charming historic details. The colors in the kitchen, though? Not so much. “Our ‘before’ kitchen had golden timber-look cabinetry, yellowing tiles and walls, and a dark gray speckled benchtop,” Samantha said. “The handles and knobs were black and gothic-like, and there were even black dragon fixtures at the entry.

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.

In the world of kitchen remodeling, there are entirely DIY projects (like this ‘80s kitchen makeover), while some transformations require professional help (and there’s no shame in that!).However, some unique makeovers are so hands-off, they take place while the homeowner is living in an entirely different country — at least, that was the case for Sonia Blair’s Latin American home. Blair owns a home in Mazatlan, Mexico, but lives in Colorado.

Sometimes a kitchen renovation might modernize a space, but the contemporary changes don’t necessarily fit the home’s aesthetic. That was definitely the case in Yvonne Langen and Michael Rizk’s colorful Canadian home.When they originally bought the house, “the kitchen featured reddish-orange cabinetry, a mottled brown laminate countertop, white appliances, and beige/brown ceramic tiles on both the floor and backsplash,” Langen explains.

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.

It’s not that Detroit-based interior designer Christie Kristl didn’t like the updated kitchen in her 1963 home, but it didn’t exactly scream fun. The hardware, countertops, and cabinets were all fine, so they stayed put.But thankfully, when the previous owners updated everything in 2018, they didn’t bother with any backsplash — so Christie got to make the call.

When Shardé Marchewski and her husband, Jens, moved into their 1885 Boston home four years ago, the basement was unfinished. And not just incomplete but like a scene out of a scary movie.Luckily, the couple had a vision — as all creatives tend to: a gorgeous in-law suite complete with a fully functional kitchen. (The kitchen, arguably, ended up being the star of the project.) “We wanted the kitchen to feel timeless, striking, and functional.

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.

When Anna Ladd moved into her 100-year-old Philadelphia home, it had everything she was looking for. It still had some of its historical charm but had been renovated enough that it didn’t feel like an overwhelming project (this being her first home, after all). However, the kitchen, which was renovated in 2022 (after being “very 2000s beige,” as Anna describes it), was a bit over-renovated for her taste.

The design idea for this Nova Scotia kitchen renovation was delightfully specific: “Ralph Lauren Polo Club meets Martha Stewart,” says Victoria Armour, cofounder of Stil James.Luckily, she understood the assignment. The client, a mother of three teenagers, wanted a space where the extended family could gather and make memories, and what better room to start with than the kitchen?

Jordan Smith knows most homeowners might raise eyebrows at her choice to remove the upper kitchen cabinets in her tiny kitchen. She and her husband, Luke, live in a 529-square-foot studio apartment in Brooklyn, so storage is at a premium. But to her, it all made sense.The builder-grade cabinets and finishes weren’t the couple’s style, and they knew they wanted to renovate the kitchen before they even moved in.

A vintage-inspired kitchen? We love to see it. But a dated kitchen? Hard pass. Daniela Sanchez, founder of Rose House Talent Agency, had a kitchen that fell into the latter category; in fact, the room (sans appliances) was original to the 1979 home. “‘Dated’ would be an understatement,” Daniela says of the original kitchen.

Without a demolition!

It all stemmed from a single tile.

A favorite travel destination inspired many pieces of this personality-packed gallery wall.

The space is totally unrecognizable.

This living room redo is chock-full of tips for filling up a small space without it feeling overwhelming.

It’s totally sophisticated and totally pink.

The fresh vibe comes courtesy of new wallpaper and some smart DIYs.

Plus, this first-time cabinet painter has some great DIY tips for getting the job done.

This homeowner’s advice? Don’t be afraid to go bold.

The details are everything.

The before was gray with mostly brown-toned furniture, rugs, and objects that my boyfriend described as “curbside pickups.”

It's an "eclectic, artful oasis."

"This is my happy place!" the DIYer says of the "after."

The wall color is so good!

“All of the storage is amazing,” the homeowner says of the after.

You have to see the countertops.

From ‘90s blah to modern sophistication.

With a soak tub!

Now, it’s much more functional for a family of five.

It's unrecognizable!

There’s not a lot paint and wallpaper can’t fix, according to this DIYer.

Renters can copy this look, too!

Plus, the “after” is filled with secondhand finds.

Now she has a cozy, luxe movie room!

The cabinets are incredible.

The project only took a couple of hours to complete.

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

A “dark, cramped, and outdated” kitchen is now a stunning space with a country cottage vibe.

“The goal was to create a warmer, more layered space,” the homeowner says.

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).

The whole family helped with this renovation!

Lily Sawyer used bright colors and cozy textures to bring life back to her living room.

This redo sacrifices a less-than-functional mudroom, with gorgeous results.

Including PAX, HEMNES and other IKEA superstars.

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.

The result is beautiful, bright, and airy — and has enough space for two people to cook at the same time.

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

"There are still a few stray big toy items that cannot fit in the drawers or cabinets, but overall it has the perfect mix of functionality, open space, and design I was craving," the homeowner says of the "After."

These pro-approved tips are perfect for renters.

The after features one of this year's trendiest paint colors.

The new tile shower is a total game-changer.

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.