Rooms

When Billy and Sally bought this 775 square foot apartment in the Fort Greene area of Brooklyn, it had a few of the less-than-charming features common to many NYC area flats — badly worn floors; a tiny, cramped kitchen, awkwardly separated from the rest of the space. With the power vested in them as new homeowners, they decided to do something about it, embarking on an inspiring renovation that shows just how much living you can do in a small space.

House & HomeMandy used the Ace Hotel in New York as inspiration, and chose vintage-style fixtures and finishes, with warm brass accents and black trim. The result is classic and dramatic and befitting the home’s history.Traditional sconces, and the weathered wood vanity, add to the old-school vibe.See more photos, and the rest of the step-by-step house renovation over at Canadian House & Home.

Some parents worry that their baby’s closet is too small, but what if all you have for a nursery IS a closet? Kari has been inspired by all the small nurseries we’ve shown in the past and wanted to share her own small space baby project: her closet turned nursery.  Kari writes: We are about to have a daughter and wanted to stay in our one-bedroom apartment, so we converted our walk-in closet into a nursery. Our space was 43′ x 77′.

If you’ve ever lived in an apartment, this ‘before’ picture might look a little familiar. In fact, I’m pretty sure my very first rental had the exact same wood-trimmed cabinets and white laminate countertop. But when Brooklyn residents Mark and Erin bought their own place, they decided it was time for an update — one that would make their outdated kitchen more beautiful and more useful.

Have you ever been intimidated by refinishing metal furniture? Joanna shows it’s entirely possible, and gets great results with a little time and elbow grease. She found this little cabinet in a parking lot and instantly saw its potential. Want to see the result of her work? Read on… The cabinet is now totally bright, cheerful and ready for its new life in Joanna’s house.

When we first saw this basement bathroom at the open house before we purchased our home, my first thoughts were, “that’s gotta go”. For the next six months after the house was ours, this bathroom renovation sat on the back burner until we finally had the time to tackle it.Once the time came to jump into it we were faced with problem after problem (isn’t that how all renovations go?).

We often extol the virtues of creating a nursery that will grow with your child and we still believe that. But if you find design and decorating fun, maybe you are looking forward to updating the nursery to a “big kid” room. Reader Laura felt it was time to go from “the land of the dinosaurs” to “swimming with the fishes” in her son’s new, nautical bedroom.

8-year-old Jake had been sharing a room with his older brother until the family decided it was time for each of the boys to have their own space. Their home had a small office that might serve for a third bedroom… after a few little adjustments. Okay, maybe a few big adjustments. Jake’s parents wanted a place where he could sleep, play, study, and host sleepovers — you know, kid things — but the room’s small footprint made this a bit of a challenge.

How do you add color to a rental without painting? That was the challenge this client posed to Lisa of Olive Juice Designs. She responded by creating an inviting living room, perfect for entertaining, without pulling out a single paintbrush. From Lisa: A single apartment dweller in San Francisco contacted me to help her with her living room. She admitted that her apartment was lacking in many areas, and she was embarrassed to have friends over.

You can see more angles over at Rebecca’s blog, Mid Century Modern Remodel Thanks for sharing your project with us, Rebecca!

When Chris and Julia moved into their home in 2011, one of the spaces that really needed major attention was the outdated, builder-grade kitchen, complete with almond-colored appliances, pink countertops, dingy cabinets and fluorescent lighting. Although they were initially planning to tweak the layout, ultimately they decided to save money by keeping the floor plan and refurbishing the existing cabinets. They worked on the kitchen in phases, replacing appliances as they could afford it.

Gemma and her husband have a baby on the way and, while they didn’t get pregnant just so they could design the nursery, for them, it was a welcome bonus. When they moved into their bungalow, the room was, as Gemma called it, “a hot turquoise mess.” With $600 to spend, they were able to fill the room with nursery essentials: a crib, dresser/changing table (they scored a used one and fixed it up) and a new rug.

Many kids fantasize about having a secret, child-size room just for them. My own kids have a secret room, but it’s more accurately called “hide behind the couch” or, sometimes, “throw a blanket over your head.” Parents Fey & Mark in Cleveland Heights, Ohio discovered they had unused space below their stairs and decided to do something really special with it.

When Sarah, an editor at Vanity Fair, and her husband Michael, a writer for Bloomberg News, bought their home on the Upper East Side, they knew the kitchen could use a little work. Their apartment, which dates back to 1910, hadn’t had many improvements since then. The kitchen, in particular, was a strange mish-mash of styles: the upper cabinets, original to the apartment, were beautiful, but riddled with wood putty spots and pockmarks from the past 100 years.

Erin of DIY on the Cheap needed a new sleeping solution for her two boys – her youngest was sleeping in the nursery, while her older son was in the guest bedroom. She decided to create a shared “big boy room” for both and hit it out of the ballpark! Erin made the headboards (you can find the tutorial here), toddler bed and pillows herself as well as updated/upcycled a ton of other pieces in the space. See more about the transformation on Erin’s blog, DIY on the Cheap.

Dana of MADE wanted to spice up her daughter Lucy’s boring bedroom. Living in the suburbs in a “cookie cutter” home, the space was seriously lacking in character and personality. With paint, accessories, and a lot of creativity, this room went from white to wow! I love that Dana didn’t make any big purchases (furniture, an area rug, or curtains) to totally transform the space. The biggest changes were a very creative coat of paint and a few fun DIY projects.

Rebecca’s landlord graciously upgraded the “dismal” linoleum floor when she moved into this rental apartment in Astoria, Queens. But the cabinets — the kind of cheap, beige particleboard cabinets you find in dated apartments — were in serious need of something to make them more attractive. On a tight budget, Rebecca turned to paint and a cheery color palette.

This is a great makeover and a cool story because it involves a mom and son working collaboratively to create a completely new room for a budget of only $150! Take a dip into Levi’s newly nautical bedroom (puns = not my strong suit). I know, wonderful, isn’t it?

Is this the worst kitchen you’ve ever seen? Well, it may not look like it. But behind its benign, if somewhat bland, appearance lurked a dirty secret… a really dirty one. Mouse poop. Rob and Liz, the homeowners, were only using about 25% of their cabinet space, thanks to these uninvited guests. Additionally, the kitchen was freezing in the winter — standing in the right place, you could actually feel a breeze blowing across your feet. Lovely.

Here’s how Hung describes the room his 5-year-old son Adrian inherited when they bought this house: “purple 70s shag plush carpeting and lime green grey walls”. Not exactly a child’s dream room. The family decided to turn Adrian’s room into a not-too-themey nautical room.. Great job! The textile hanging and lights are particularly dramatic and memorable. They’re a smart way to add a strong visual that is affordable and that even renters could do.

Scandinavian magazine Allt I Hemmet recently featured this laundry room, submitted by one of their readers. Far from exciting, Anna-Lena’s space was devoid of color and personality, not to mention cramped. With Allt I Hemmet’s help, the laundry room got a good cleaning itself, and came out on the other side with a sparkling new personality.

In small rooms it just makes sense to “go up” and optimize your vertical space. Faced with the challenge of making better use of a tiny bedroom (7′ x 12′) in Manhattan, architect Benjamin Marcus conceived a lofted bed structure with stairs and desk and storage below. Benjamin tells us more about this project: The room has two points of entry on opposite long walls, making it a very tight space.

When you buy a house with a pink, mauve, salmon and coral bathroom, it might be time to renovate. Some people like that kind of thing, but Katie isn’t one of them. She and her husband tore out the carpet the day they moved in. Soon after that, they made a plan and got to work on the rest of the renovation. You might be surprised to learn that this beautiful bathroom update only cost $3,500. Katie and her husband did a lot of the work themselves, and made some smart choices.

Kim, a lifestyle blogger who loves spending time in her kitchen trying out recipes with her two young daughters, always wanted to redo this space to be more open, bright and inspiring. Without a huge budget, the family decided to tackle the project themselves — a scary thought for folks who had never tried anything like it before!

Before there were loofahs and washcloths, people used an old fashioned bar of soap sewn into a felted wool covering. The wool was exfoliating and had antibacterial qualities, and the soap created a nice lather without wasting its suds. In the last few years, felted soap has come back into fashion (it’s popping up in lots of Etsy shops as well as Anthropologie, and is a popular gift item this season). Today, we show you how to make it!

It took just one weekend for Tasha, a self-described “designer trapped in a lawyer’s body,” to transform her laundry room (from the room in her home “where fun went to die” ) to a room that now makes her and her husband smile! Using leftover paint from previous DIY projects, Tasha painted the cabinets and walls.

Maggie and her family relocated to Heilsbronn, Germany and began decorating and renovating (lots of DIY!) their new home. Her son’s bedroom was livable but had no life. A subtle, but warm paint job and the addition of nautical-inspired accessories later and her son has a room that reflects his interests and personality. Maggie tells us more: My son is absolutely obsessed with all things Titanic so for his room it was a no brain-er, nautical or nothing.

I’ve had this idea for a cloud mobile tutorial for months now, but there was always something more pressing to do (I should clarify that, in most cases, neither the mobile nor the more pressing matter was accomplished). This was actually a very easy little project, I’m surprised to say. You never know, when you delve into something new, whether it will go as planned or end up in the unfinished pile in the corner of the closet (along with the partially knitted baby blanket).

When Maude Lefrancois found out she was pregnant, she decided to change her home office into the nursery — and her desk was the perfect height for a changing table. With a few nuts and bolts, a shelf, and vintage wood crates, she turned her sterile office desk into a warmer industrial changing station with more than enough storage. Maude drilled holes into the metal frame and attached four angled brackets with nuts and bolts.

With baby Finn on the way, mom Kelli of Purple Tree Photography wanted to transform the family’s unused third bedroom into a nursery for their new addition. After many coats of paint and a lot of hard work, the space has been transformed into a bright and airy oasis for their beautiful baby boy. I think my favorite part is the pop of color in the small nook above the crib – it went from being the biggest eyesore of the space to its greatest asset.

This kitchen was originally built in 1989, and after 20 plus years of daily use, it was falling apart. While it may not look too bad on the surface, behind the before photograph were broken cabinets, a cooktop that barely worked, and granite countertop edges that were falling off. The kitchen had a contemporary feel for 1989, but for 2013 the owner was hoping for a softer, more family friendly feel.

Kim wanted to update her son Carter’s nursery into a big boy room. They never used the room except for sleeping, and it was stuffed with forgotten gifts and baby gear. Kim knew she wanted the new space to be light and airy and to reflect Carter’s personality and interests, so she painted the walls a bright white, added a splash of Carter’s favorite color on the ceiling, and added fresh accessories: What a stunning transformation! Thank you Kim!

Little powder rooms can pack a punch. Case in point: Emily of Cupcakes and Cashmere recently redid a tiny bathroom in her house, and decided not to play it safe. The results are impressive: I think it’s safe to say that this oversized floral wallpaper from Ellie Cashman is a show stopper and, when paired with the marble vanity and gold accents, makes for a glamorous and timeless room.

June’s mom needed a bathroom makeover. As you can see, it was a little dated and — like most showers over time — needed refreshing. On a recent visit, June and her dad got to work and totally renovated the small bathroom over the course of a week. See what it looks like now…. June and her father did the work themselves, including tiling the walls and floors, for the 90 square foot space. They even built a custom tiled shower pan.

Alexa may one day completely renovate this bathroom and add a great tile floor, but she wasn’t quite ready to make that leap. But this old gray sad vinyl floor covering sure wasn’t doing this room any favors. So she grabbed a cheery color of paint, a stencil and completely redid the look of this small bathroom without spending a lot of time or money! From Alexa: For this project I wanted to update the old gray rolled vinyl flooring in my bathroom.

Julie remodeled her dark, out-dated half bath right after moving in, but it took awhile to finish the room completely. She moved on to other projects until she found the perfect chandelier to cap off the space. That motivated her to finally put the last finishing touches in place. And we’re so glad she did! Julie’s renovation shows what you can do to brighten even the most cramped of small spaces.

We bet plenty of folks would have passed up this heavy laminate dresser, even if found in the “free” section of Craigslist. But not Breanna. She saw some creative potential for this forgotten furniture piece, instead transforming it into attractive and useful storage for a friend’s kitchen! From Breanna: This laminate dresser came from the FREE category on Craigslist and got a well deserved makeover for my friend, Abby.

Like a lot of homeowners, Colleen and Pete dreamed of transforming their underused attic into a space that they would use everyday. Their aim was to turn it into a bright, sunny, master bedroom suite where they would have enough room for their king-sized bed, clothing, and a bathroom, as well as for a cozy nook to read nighttime stories to their two children, Mac and Quin.

When Gretchen finally got down to finishing her bedroom space, she added wall color, fresh art and affordable flea market finds to fill out what has now become a very calm and sophisticated space. From Gretchen: The before picture shows the room how it looked when we moved in, with all our furniture from our old house just sort of plopped down in the room.

Want to see what just a few coats of paint can do to a room? Rafaela’s dining room wasn’t bad-looking before — great furniture and fun art made for a stylish space. But as a renter, she hated the beige walls that seemed to cast a dull look on the entire room. It was time for a wall paint change as well as a new coat of color on a pair of shelves she had had for years. From Rafaela: I rent this place and all walls were beige-yellowish (urgh!

When Sara’s family moved into this house, they had a long series of DIY and renovation projects to tackle and the closet you see above became their “chaos cupboard” – toys, tools, spare pillows, old curtains, and a de facto staging area for their next project. Sara described it as “an embarrassing vortex of stuff.

I think AgaP. would admit that this wasn’t her “best” project in terms of ease and fun. But the finished result is pretty spectacular and inspiration to those of us with entryways whose doors have seen better days. Take a look and see how it turned out: AgaP. had a “bad craft day” and encountered every DIY problem in the book. But, armed with her list of dos and don’ts, you’ll learn from her mistakes, and it’ll be all smooth sailing from there.

Yellow tile on the floors and counters. Brown grout that always looked dirty. Too dark, patchy maroon walls. Amanda’s master bathroom was dated, but it had potential. A remodel has turned it to a peaceful modern retreat. From Amanda: Our 1970s house had an outdated, leaky but large and potential-filled master bathroom. Knowing the tiled shower pan was leaking, we knew it was time for a full tear out and remodel. blog Thank you Amanda!

When Meghann bought her first house last year, she didn’t have enough money to do a complete remodel of her kitchen, but the home’s original “orange-y” wood cabinets just weren’t working for her. With dark appliances and only one window, her main goal was to brighten her space up, as affordably as she could. She didn’t do a lot, but the $90 she did spend over a weekend made a surprising impact!

How many of you have moved into a new house that had a bathroom just like this? Although owner Mera tried to put a few bandaids on the style situation as long as she could (with new wall color and a rug), it was a hole in the ceiling and peeling paint that finally prompted a full renovation. See how it turned out… Not every room can carry off red and purple, but Mera managed to add just enough color to create a cheerful and happy bathroom.