Renovating & Remodeling Skills & How Tos

It took a lot of "woman-power" the homeowners say, but the end results are worth it.

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.

The final renovation in this season of "Fixer Upper: Welcome Home" is on a scale unlike any other.

Steve and Leanne Ford were up for the challenge.

Shivering while doing laundry? This will help.

It went from dark to dreamy in just three weeks.

Plus, you have to see the bedroom ceiling covered in floral wallpaper.

The asymmetrical kitchen island is genius.

Add "Design Star: Next Gen" to those queues.

They did it on a tight budget, too.

The series premiere renovation was as drastic as one could hope.

The before? Nice, but too small. The after? A real stunner, and way more practical, too.

Some of these glamorous upgrades can work in any room.

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

Ben and Erin Napier were up for the challenge.

There were plenty of Dwight Schrute jokes along the way.

These seven upgrades were at the top of everyone's list this year.

The soothing color combination of blue and white did the trick.

Each delivered a Houdini-like moment at home.

The classic look of the new kitchen makes it feel timeless.

Just wait until you see the kitchen cabinets.

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

They're dangerous, difficult, and expensive to do on my own—so I'll hire out every time.

This is a dramatic (and very effective) transformation.

I have to give my reasons for wanting certain finishes or fixes, and they can’t just be “because I like it that way.”

Wait until you see what the homeowner did with the soffit.

This space was an inefficient laundry room—but reimagined as an entryway, it's beyond functional.

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.

Sometimes it takes a little creativity—and a whole lot of work—to bring back the charming factor you know that an older home once had.

Fixes and upgrades that seasoned pros say were worth every penny.

From insulating walls to running a gas line.

HGTV's Jasmine Roth wants you to ask yourself these questions before grabbing the hammer.

Stress, begone!

One highlight: a totally doable IKEA hack.

A huge reminder to leave the home renovations to the experts.

You'll have wanderlust after seeing this stunner.

Once you see this redo, you'll be looking at every nook and cranny in your home in a new light.

It's a little Scandi, a little boho, and a lot chic.

It's completely unrecognizable from the dingy before.

These BILLY built-ins added lots more function and style.

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

Plant parents will love this shower's feature wall.

Going all-in on your home reno project? Here's what to know before busting out a sledgehammer.

The after looks way brighter and more open thanks to some smart design tricks.

With all the time spent inside your home—eating, sleeping, etc.—it can be easy to forget about the impact that the outside of your home has.

Carpet has its place—but the bathroom is not it. Tearing it out of this bathroom paved the way for a much-needed redo.

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

When the old house collapsed, the team went full speed ahead with creating a modern, rustic dream home.

"It feels like we added an entire room," says the homeowner.

Learn from Redditors before making the mistakes yourself.

Learn from their mistakes to save yourself time, money, and effort.

Maybe this will motivate you to tackle your own garage.

In this bathroom redo, tile is the star.

It took about six weeks and £7,000 to turn the bathroom from unusable to an "OMG, when can we come over?" oasis.

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

Whether you're using it as an occasional getaway or hoping to turn it into full-time living, here are five tips for saving money on the overhaul.

Pro advice on the best (and worst) things to buy used.

Designer Orlando Soria brings new energy into a home for a family to be able to move forward.

You'll still love these upgrades for years to come.

Now there's tons more room to relax.

This house needed some serious updating, starting with the wall to wall carpet.

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.

This space is just as beautiful as it is functional.

Lisa Backus and Andrea Richardson of Design Bar Detroit transformed this dark and dated Detroit loft bathroom into a bright, modern space.

This refresh holds on tight to the bathroom's original vintage charm.

It's all about highlighting mid-century style.

Karen E. Laine and Mina Starsiak describe its style as “refined industrial.”

You'll want to take a sledgehammer to your uppers once you see the result.

Here at Apartment Therapy, we love a colorful kitchen. But we also recognize that painting your kitchen is a little different from say, painting your living room or bedroom. It feels a little more scary, a little more permanent. It can also affect your home’s resale value. If you love color, but these things have you feeling a little trepidatious, why not consider blue?

Name: Graeme & Rebekah Molloy Type of Project: Kitchen Remodel Location: Chautauqua Park, Des Moines, Iowa Type of building: 1920 Tudor The Renovation Diaries are a collaboration with our community in which we feature your step by step renovation progress and provide monetary support towards getting it done in style. See all of our Reno Diaries here. Rebekah and Graeme are now totally in the thick of their kitchen reno.

Most of our Renovation Diary projects involve transforming an existing space. This one was different because Faith and Mike chose to create a bathroom in their 1920s Columbus home where before there was only a sleeping porch. Originally the space was only 7 feet tall, with a sloping floor that would have to be replaced. It was a unique project, and a unique challenge. (You can see many more photos of the original space in the post that introduced Faith and Mike’s bathroom remodel.