Laundry Room Before & Afters

This DIYer was quoted nearly $2,500 for built-ins but was able to create something she loved for a fraction of that.

It's a simple project with a big wow factor.

This laundry room maximizes storage and style and has TONS of DIY details.

The fireplace redo will make you do a double-take.

Here's your inspiration to let your hobbies guide your home design.

Reuse, repurpose, re-style.

The space looks bigger and brighter, and it's way more functional, too.

A little DIY and some smart shopping totally transforms this living area.

It has a high-end look without the high-end price.

This might inspire you to choose an electric color for your next set of built-ins.

A smart paint job takes this once-boring fireplace front-and-center.

And it's still filled with vintage charm.

Colonial-style houses come with many gifts, like great windows, symmetry, and tall ceilings. But like any place built over 100 years ago, homeowner Katrina’s 1900 Colonial Revival house needed some updating — especially in the living room. While it had large windows, the space felt dark and uninviting because of the old gray carpeting, dark valances, clunky ceiling fan, and striped beige ’70s-era wallpaper.

Let this inspire you to give the weird and underused spaces in your home a new life.

This redo proves the power of color.

The "after" is a breath of fresh air.

It's all happy vibes in the after.

The "after" will make you gasp.

With built-ins and board-and-batten!

Using just one wall of this room to create a laundry setup makes the whole space extra practical for the whole family.

One major difference? Uncovering the original hardwood floors beneath that carpet.

Ben and Erin Napier were up for the challenge.

Many of this year’s living room before and afters were sparked by the previous space not being used to its fullest potential. With a little bit of love and rearranging (and a fresh coat of paint), these transformations prove that a living room redo is within reach—and possibly cheaper than you thought.

Yes, function is the most important part of a laundry room—but that space can be gorgeous, too.

One word: fireplace!

A good indication that a room needs a redo is the realization that you're not using it to its full potential.

Cozy season is here, which means it's the perfect time to refresh living spaces—and that goes double when there's a fireplace involved.

Using IKEA cabinets!

Laundry rooms deserve to look pretty, too.

This project brings the sunshine inside.

Pretty AND practical? A winning combo!

A smart design trick helps this living room look even bigger, without changing size.

It's completely unrecognizable from the dingy before.

Simple stock wood, a nail gun, and some paint took this living room to the next level!

The 12-foot-by-15-foot room didn't even change size.

Here's proof that just a few hours of work can yield a seriously big return.

The after isn't just for laundry—it's also a plant parent's dream.

"We had to get creative with our finishes to get the look we wanted but for less," the homeowner says.

When architect and interior designer Taryn Bone of Bone Collective Studio bought her first home last year with her husband, she knew the laundry room of her new Boston residence would need some work just to become functional.

The old laundry room was such an eyesore that it "quickly became the dumping ground for items we wanted to be hidden from our every day living space," the homeowner says.

You'll want to steal the high-contrast color scheme for your own space.

Here's proof that you don't have to bust down a wall to brighten up a dark space.

Doing laundry over and over and over is chore enough—the room shouldn't bum you out, too.

Dreamy? A laundry room? Yes, really!

This DIY redo makes the whole living room shine—but the fireplace is a real standout.

This homeowner got creative with supplies she already had.

Who says you can't have both style and function?

The secret to how it's done? Paint, of course!

A book lover's dream: cozy, warm, inviting, and with TONS of storage.

When it comes to old house living, the best renovations are the ones that bring out the already-existing beauty.

No paint required!

The project took two years, but that patience helped save a lot of money.

After no updates in at least 35 years, this living room was ready to shine.

You'll want to give all your shelves an ombre paint job after seeing these.

These homeowners got their keys at 4 p.m. on a Friday, and by 6 p.m. had already started tearing out the carpet.

This black-and-white redo is totally DIYable.

Knocking out a wall made this space way more inviting.

"It's a low-cost project that can change the look and vibe of a room completely," says the homeowner.

The "new" counters will wow you.

The "after" is bringing max coziness.

Pick just one to copy in your own laundry room, or try them all.

You'll love the newly added window seat.

Flamingo wallpaper—enough said.

This is one small budget, big impact transformation.

Better yet? It took just a weekend.

The "after" is like a breath of fresh air.

A one-wall redo totally transforms the look of this living room.

Spoiler: The word art decal doesn't make the cut.

The shakeup took the space from blah and bland to totally vibrant.

This renovation made the space way more usable year-round.

Project by: Molly of Awfully Big Adventure Location: Austin, TX This project focused on taking my tiny, boring, popcorn-ceilinged living room and turning it into a cheery, comfortable place to come home to- all on a serious budget. Using mainly Ikea, Craigslist, hand-me-downs, and tchotchkes galore, the living room came together and is now a colorful, eclectic space far from the oatmeal box it once was.

Renovation by: Laura Location: Oak Park, Illinois My husband Michael and I just purchased this 1892 gothic Victorian home in outlying Chicago’s historic Oak Park. (land of Frank Lloyd Wright and Ernest Hemingway’s birthplace.) I own a jewelry boutique called Gem Jewelry Boutique and Michael is a general contractor. The home is perfect with its nearly 10 foot high ceilings and elegant moulding, original marble fireplace and gothic windows.