Rooms

Erin’s guest bedroom is small but makes up for it with great views. She was feeling it was a little too orange-y for her tastes and decided to paint the wainscoting grey. It made a world of difference, but wasn’t totally what she envisioned, so she dove in and gave the room an entirely new look. From Erin: Our guest room is the smallest in the house, but has amazing views of the Atlantic Ocean. It always felt dark and dreary and sad.

Devon and Jessica were tasked with adding personality, style and storage to their friend’s living area. Taking style cues from his favorite cult classic TV show, the duo created a funky and bright space that celebrated the occupant’s interests. From Devon & Jessica: Off in the final frontier, Los Angeles, lives a Star Trek-loving singleton who was anxious to update his one bedroom apartment.

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.

Marti’s master bedroom makeover was a slow and steady labor of love. Her first move was to tackle the too-bright purple paint and choose a color that was a little more serene. After that, she mixed DIY projects with budget finds for a chic and calm bedroom. From Marti: We’ve lived in our house for a little over one year now, and our bedroom has come a long way. There was certainly nowhere to go but up!

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.

Michelle stepped in to help a grad student create a stylish and functional space that she could love for all of her harried, paper writing years. She added color and fun without creating a room full of distractions. From Michelle: This grad student was moving into an apartment that she would live in for the next five years. Mina had a small budget, but a lot of style. Her space was a blank canvas, as she was starting from scratch.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Sarah found herself in an all-too-familiar predicament: she had a bland bathroom and a strict landlord. Not wanting to force her bathroom to live a colorless life, she got creative and found a stylish and temporary solution. From Sarah: Last spring we moved from Manhattan to Northern Virginia, where we’ve been living in a beautiful rental house.

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.

When Amanda moved into her boyfriend’s home, she brought the furniture from her college apartment along with her: a bunch of mismatched hand-me-downs that didn’t fit the new house. After a year of making no progress, Amanda came up with a new plan and transformed their random living room into a dreamy escape that feels like home.

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.

Courtney found her ideal furniture at a thrift store, but it needed a little work. Combine DIY skills and a very generous birthday present, and you get a very cool dream come true. From Courtney: I’ve always loved and coveted two kinds of tables: a formica table and a pedestal table. As luck would have it, I found both on the same day at a thrift store.

Sarah’s dorm room is fun, bright and youthful. By mixing bright colorful DIY projects with bright white minimalism, she made her space look larger — all without sacrificing personality. From Sarah: As a junior in college, I had the opportunity to live in a single dorm room, and I couldn’t wait to start decorating. The goal was to make the dark 12′ X 8.5′ room more colorful and fun, but also feel open and inviting.

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.

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.

We recently finished redoing Tara’s rental kitchen, transforming it from a 1970s nightmare into a more livable and lovable space. After doing the more substantial stuff — like painting cabinets and redo-ing the floors — we added a bunch of space-saving storage to make it a small kitchen superstar. It doesn’t take much, just a few 5-minute projects here and there.

Courtney and John felt that they could take a leap of design faith in their guest room. A dark and daring ceiling and some funky, textured decor helped shape the room into an interesting and inviting space. From Courtney & John: In our opinion, a guest room renovation is the best kind of renovation! Though you want the room to be cohesive with the rest of your home, you don’t have to live in it everyday, so you can afford to take some risks.

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.

Liz’s bedroom was already a cozy and serene space with a sloped ceiling and white plan walls, but she wanted to add a little something special. From Liz: To get this project started, I adapted a few ideas from one of my favorite bloggers, Jenna Sue. This girl has added amazing faux wood beams in her home and recently did a bathroom makeover with lace curtains around a clawfoot tub that seriously left my jaw on the floor. It was to die for, you guys!

Are you looking to update your kitchen on a budget? This round up will provide you with the motivation and inspiration to make your dream a reality, without breaking the bank. These $1000 (or less) makeovers prove that a little can go a long way to make a space feel new.

Project by: Whitney Jones of Whitney J Decor Homeowner: Coletha Kennedy Location: New Orleans, Louisiana Coletha Kennedy’s dining room in her New Orleans home was in desperate need of reinvention. Dated wallpaper and dingy wall-to-wall carpeting just wouldn’t do for the mother of two, who owns a fashion boutique in town. Designer Whitney Jones of Whitney J Decor stepped in to help her bring her maximalist, glamorous dream to life.

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.

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.

Brady was blessed with a beauty of a blank canvas, and he did not fail to make it special. By mixing a variety of styles, from Boho to classic Hollywood glam, he was able to create a space unique to his personal style and needs. From Brady: I spent months and months looking for the “perfect place” and saw over 20 apartments before I finally landed on this one.

Sometimes it’s not the wall knocked down or the whole room painted that’s the visual impact your room needs — a small detail can pack a decor punch, too! The proof is in Erin and Tobin’s cute Providence condo: I spotted three small but mighty mini DIY projects in Erin and Tobin’s home — the kind of ideas you can do without a lot of time, tools or money. See if they’re small DIY details that could add personality to one of your rooms.

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.

A dreamy bedroom on a budget

An incredible, temporary floor makeover.

Stacy’s rental bathroom started out just fine. She had white and grey tile floors, a grey-blue wall color, and a white pedestal sink. The bathroom was tiny, but there was a separate counter and mirror from the sink, with plenty of space to store her products. The only trouble was the green countertops, which made the bathroom feel dark and dingy despite it being light everywhere else.

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!

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 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.

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.

Tamsin’s charming old Victorian blessed her with a renovator’s dream come true — gorgeous hardwood floors just chilling underneath carpet, waiting to shine. After setting her floors free, she set about creating a warm and charming living room. From Tamsin: Our home here in Connecticut is a Victorian house and was built in 1900. There are beautiful features that come with a house of this age, all of which make for an interesting space to decorate.

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.

New home, new projects! Kristina knew that upgrading her out of date bathroom was the first thing she wanted to tackle in her new home. Three months later she now has the bathroom of her dreams. From Kristina: As soon my husband and I moved into the Ravine House, we started on our massive upstairs renovation, which included our master bathroom. It was in desperate need of a revamp!

This vintage kitchen had a lot of brown in it. Brown cabinets. Brown counters. A brown floor. Yep, even a brown oven. Thanks to the DIY skills of this couple in Pittsburgh, their kitchen is brighter and a heckuva lot more modern. Lauren writes: “We did most of the kitchen ourselves and a good bit I did all by myself. I was completely terrified to do it but I’m so glad I did.

We are big fans of Calling It Home’s yearly One Room Challenge, and love to watch all the amazing transformations that happen in just six short weeks. Some are more extensive than others, but all are amazing and inspirational. Above is a blank slate guest bedroom from Pencil & Paper Co. which became a layered, yet fresh and comfortable space for house guests.