Renovating & Remodeling Skills & How Tos

Name: Ana and Patrick Kamin Type of Project: Kitchen Update Location: San Francisco, California When we moved to San Francisco and started looking for apartments, 85% of the kitchens we saw were not acceptable by my terms. On the one side, you have the ones that are newly updated, but the landlord chose the countertop and cabinets straight from the ’70s. Or you have the kitchens that are totally rundown — and the renovation will cost a fortune.

The ‘before’ kitchen in this Upper West Side two-bedroom wasn’t in terrible condition, but it was plagued by a few issues common to small kitchens — teeny tiny appliances, and a serious lack of cabinet and counter space. The dark finishes and awkward, chopped-up blocks of cabinets made the small space seem even smaller.

After living in New York for 11 years, Diana Marsh was ready to move back to her home state of Michigan and design a beautiful nest. As the proprietor of the downtown Ann Arbor store Thistle and Bess, Diana stocks up and offers one-of-a-kind treasures for those seeking a luxurious lifestyle. And not surprisingly, she was looking to create a luxurious lifestyle in the 1890s house she bought.

Nicole and Dan’s house tour of their Park Slope brownstone had me green with envy. A large space, it was lovingly renovated and beautifully decorated. The way in which they designed the home — to maximize light, to embrace color and pattern — is impressive enough. But wait until you see what the living room and entryway looked like before they renovated.

There’s a certain home blogger, who shall remain nameless, who has moved a bunch of times over the past few years — meaning the makeovers just kept coming. In one of her kitchens, she artfully laid faux marble adhesive tiles over an ugly linoleum floor. They weren’t exactly dead ringers for Kim K. solid calacatta marble or anything, but they made a big difference. “The best thing about it,” she wrote, “is that you just peel off the back and stick it down.

Every square inch of this kitchen was ripped out and lovingly put back together — this time in a much more functional and stylish way — by the homeowners themselves. As designer Michelle Gage writes on her blog: “The floors were dirty and sticky. The appliances appeared to be original to the house. The counter tops were held together with tape.” It took two years to save enough money to finally tackle this outdated kitchen’s remodel.

A small bathroom is bad enough to live with. But when your small bathroom is windowless and boring? Well that’s just sad. Designer Mary Lee wasn’t going to stand for a tiny, depressing bathroom. So she worked her DIY remodel magic on this part of her Seattle studio apartment, and the result is inspiring! I just loved Mary’s advice for decorating that she shared in her house tour: “More isn’t always better when it comes to stuff and space.

Brandon and Gabi aren’t just living a dream life — traveling around and enjoying the beauty of our country — they’re doing it while living in this dreamy Airstream trailer. As we showed in their house tour, tons of thought went into the DIY details of their tiny mobile home, from storage to lighting and more. And while the end result is certainly beautiful, it took A LOT of work to get it there.

As bathrooms go, the bathroom in Lauren’s Brooklyn Heights studio wasn’t in the worst shape. Aesthetically, it wasn’t much to write home about (and the odd, alien sink seemed ready for takeoff), but we’ve seen much worse. The real problem in this small space was storage. As in, there wasn’t any.

Shaila’s kitchen came with both a fun connection to DC history and a pretty funky layout. Aesthetics aside, it was time for a reno; the kitchen had begun to fall apart. Taking a cue from the age of the building and her personal love of art-deco, Shaila gave her new-to-her old kitchen a stylish updated vintage-inspired look. Take it away, Shaila… After serving as a diplomat around the world, it was time for me to come back to Washington.

I look at a lot of kitchens for my job, and rarely do I see something completely new that makes me think, “Wow. Why has no one ever done this before?” So when I saw the dishwasher situation in this kitchen above, I definitely paused. At some point refrigerator designers figured out that people don’t want to bend over every time they reach for the orange juice. So now it’s common to see appliances with freezers on the bottom of the unit, and regular cold storage up top.

There are remodels…and then there are total transformations. Julia and Kurt bought a run-down studio apartment nine years ago. The layout was weird and it was on the teeny side. But instead of just improving the look of the current home’s foot print, they thought outside of the box! They decided to take over the home’s huge rooftop terrace to convert their studio apartment into a two-level, two-bedroom modern home. Originally all the living spaces were on one level.

Considering the amazing renovation work done on the living room, dining room and kitchen of Nicole and Dan Lucey’s Brooklyn brownstone, it’s not exactly a surprise that they also showed the same care, intention and design savvy with the family’s upstairs bedrooms. What is surprising are the bold design choices in two of the rooms, and the serene space the master bedroom turned out to be. Nicole and Dan’s sophisticated son originally wanted ALL black walls.

Structurally, there was nothing wrong with the bathroom in Nikki and Chris’ Astoria condo. Aesthetically, it looked a bit like an upscale gas station bathroom from the early 90s. The ‘after’, I think you’ll agree, is a huge improvement. The couple’s vision for their new bathroom was a modern twist on a classic NYC bath.

House-hunting in New York is a notoriously harrowing process. After months of searching, Nikki and Chris thought they had found the perfect apartment in Astoria. It was beautiful, had all the features they wanted, and was within their budget. But after a few weeks, the deal fell through. Incredibly discouraged, Nikki and Chris wondered if they would ever be able to find a place that felt like home. Two days later, they were putting in an offer on another place.

Lately, new designs for the kitchen look more and more like old designs for the kitchen. There’s a certain style of British kitchen — vintage-style appliances, Shaker-style cabinets, a bit austere but with very traditional accents — that’s becoming very popular. Looking at these kitchens, I am struck by the fact that they look remarkably similar to some of the 1920s kitchens I came across while researching this series about the history of kitchen design.

For the longest time, vinyl flooring has been as a compromise rather than a design choice made with confidence and enthusiasm. Yes, it’s budget-friendly, durable and easy to clean. But has it been the kind of material that others would devote a Pinterest board to? Not so much. In recent years, big and small brands alike have taken a new approach to vinyl floor products.

When updating a vintage home with a past, a designer has to carefully carry out a vision without erasing the past. Such was the case for this vintage home, located underneath the Hollywood sign in the Beachwood Canyon neighborhood of Los Angeles and redesigned by Justin Krzyston with Stonehurst Construction. The circa-1950s home was happily lived in by the original owners until they had passed away.

When they decided to start a family, interior designer Meredith and her husband realized that their one-bedroom duplex (with the bedroom accessed by a dizzying spiral staircase) was just not going to cut it anymore. After being outbid on four different houses, they finally found their perfect place: a charming Tudor townhouse in Brooklyn’s Kensington neighborhood, with an apricot tree in the front yard and even — an amenity almost unheard of in New York — a garage.

The kitchen in this Brooklyn brownstone — before its reinvigorating renovation and revival — was dismal. Dark, dated. Grimy and greasy. Peeling paint, cracked walls and a floor you wouldn’t want to walk barefoot on. The whole home needed a lot of work, but the kitchen perhaps most so. After all, for many families the kitchen is the heart of the home. The hub of action. The hangout space of party guests.

When Maria and Eric bought their two-bedroom apartment in Queens, they knew the bathroom would need an overhaul. Moldering tile and aging, mismatched features meant the bathroom’s aesthetics weren’t great, but the real issue in this small space was a serious lack of storage. So they set about turning a decrepit space that had seen better days into a bright, modern bathroom — and added a few clever storage solutions along the way.

It's just as cheap and available as subway tile, and you're not tired of it yet.

One of my favorite trends recently is the re-introduction of color to the bathroom. After so many years of white and beige, it’s about time. If you’d like to take baby steps, you can introduce color to your bathroom with art, or with paint, or maybe even with some nice towels — but if you’re ready to really commit, consider one of these unexpected (and unexpectedly delightful) ways to add color to your bathroom.

When your work involves promoting an array of new and vintage designer furniture from showrooms, brands and private collections, it’s safe to say that you’re surrounded by decor inspiration every day. That’s precisely the case for Tamara Rosenthal, the Vice President of Marketing for the designer furniture consignment site Viyet, when she set out to renovate the 1,700-square-foot Upper East Side apartment her family calls home.

There are few words whispered with more veneration than ‘the kitchen work triangle’ — a decades-old term that still dominates kitchen design today. But does it still hold true in the modern world? Before you start your next remodel, get the latest thinking on layouts and decide what’s best for you. As Nancy recently wrote in her series on 100 Years in the Kitchen, the concept came about in the 1940s, based on industrial motion studies aimed at increased efficiency.

If you’ve ever had your eye on a super fancy 60″ stove from companies like Viking or Wolf, you know just how expensive they are. These kitchen ranges are fantastic features for serious cooks, but an extra large one can cost beaucoup de bucks — we are talking over $10,000 for that single appliance alone. So when I saw this genius workaround, which gives you most (if not all) of the features, without the higher price tag, I really wanted to share.

Noticed one or two Shaker cabinets on Apartment Therapy or Pinterest lately? You are not the only one. The traditional style adds clean architectural interest while still blending in nicely with whatever else is going on. And it’s absolutely everywhere right now. But is it the only option if you want something timeless?

Matte black is having a big moment. From the exteriors of houses to furniture to kitchen cabinets and more, one of the most popular ways to add matte black to your home is the easy and versatile accent wall. Want to take your matte black game to the next level though? Wall paint simply not a big enough statement for you? These two black accent walls weren’t achieved with wall paint; they’re wood walls.

Fernando and Maximiliano bought an abandoned-for-years, run-down, dilapidated house in the La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. Though the house had good architecture, classic bones, and potential, every room needed a lot of work. A budget of…zero meant that the couple would have to do much of the renovations themselves. Here, Fernando and Maximiliano tell us about the what they were facing with these bathrooms and how they turned them around.

When Fernando and Maximiliano bought a classic house in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of La Boca, the building had been abandoned for years and every room was begging to be renovated. With a very minimal budget they decided to redo every room themselves. When we bought the house the living and dining room were two separate rooms, and every wall had a different color or wallpaper. The wooden floors were buried in dirt.

Fernando and Maximiliano bought a classic house in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of La Boca. It had great architectural bones, but the building had been neglected for years. Every room needed tons of transformation. But with a teeny-tiny budget to work with, they With almost zero budget they decided to tackle the renovations themselves! People say that you don’t miss something until it’s gone…and that became very true about windows.

I’ll just start off and say that there’s a lot to love about exposed brick walls. I’ve lived with many over the years, and there’s no substitute for the warmth, texture, and authenticity they bring to a room. But those are just the pros, because exposed brick can also be kind of a nightmare. So, read on to decide if all that historic charm is worth the headache.

Not all barn doors have to look as if they came straight from a farm. Here are our favorite picks, from rustic to modern.

Buying an apartment in New York often involves a level of compromise. When Deeksha and Joe moved from D.C. to New York, along with their three-month-old son, their dream was to find a three-bedroom apartment. Reality was a spacious apartment in Washington Heights, with gorgeous views of the river — and only two bedrooms. But in the apartment’s L-shaped living room, they saw an opportunity.

Here's a fresh new way to add a little fun to your bathroom.

Ever wandered down into someone’s basement and seen a fully functional toilet in the middle of the room? ‘Pittsburgh Potties’ are just that —common commodes installed in your average unfinished basement, without walls or doors —and so named because of their prevalence in Western Pennsylvania. Why, you might be asking, is this an actual thing in this area? I’m glad you’re as curious as I was.

After living with the cramped, unremarkable bathroom in his Manhattan apartment for almost a decade, Charlie had a pretty clear idea of what he wanted out of his renovation: “I wanted it to look bigger.” Which was a bit of a challenge in a 40-square-foot space with no windows — but I think you’ll agree that this renovation rises to the occasion. The biggest change was replacing the old tub with a glass shower stall, which significantly opens up the space.

And all for less than $1 per square foot.

Although this Greenpoint kitchen, at 100 square feet, is much larger than many NYC apartment kitchens, it was suffering a bit from dark, heavy finishes. The black countertop sucked light out of the space, and glass-front cabinets left nowhere to hide clutter, making the kitchen feel chaotic and cramped. Plus, two of the cabinets were blocking a window — never a good look. The new kitchen embraces lightness and brightness, but, refreshingly, doesn’t go all the way white.

White tile — it’s timeless, classic, affordable and looks good in just about any backsplash, regardless of your kitchen or bathroom’s style or size. Its ability to complement any color palette or material selection means you can choose something that will remain classic and flexible for your home’s future. But what can be done to keep it looking fresh and unique?

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This kitchen above designed by Laura Butler-Madden, is very pretty, with deep blue cabinets, brass accents, and open shelving. It sits on one end of a huge, open concept great room with soaring ceilings and beautiful herringbone floors. But this room’s highest achievement may be achieving “peak kitchen island”. Let’s zoom in on it and discuss, shall we? First off, it’s freaking huge.

No one doubts the transformation that painting an entire room in neon pink would have (bold, to say the least), but tell someone you painted an entire room white, and they might wonder what the next coat will be. These rooms prove, however, that white is its own standalone color that can make a huge impact on a space. Perhaps white paint’s biggest super power (other than being affordable and versatile, of course) is its ability to brighten up a space.

This unremarkable “cherry wood cave with black plastic counter tops” in the suburbs of Chicago was transformed into a dreamy kitchen, full of personality and luxurious finishes. The homeowner spent months searching for the perfect interior designer, someone who would bring authenticity to the project, and the wait was clearly well worth it.

There’s no denying the appeal of vintage bathrooms — but Rachel and Michael’s vintage bathroom had seen better days. The tilework, though charming, was badly chipped, and the tight, walled-in enclosure made showering a bit of a claustrophobic experience. The original vanity, mirror, and lights had been replaced with ones that didn’t quite suit the style of the room, and then on top of it all, there was the color of the walls: a very bad, oppressive beige.

When Kia Designs renovated a house in London that had been previously used as a house share, they knew they had a lot of work ahead of them—especially in the kitchen, which was easily the worst part of the house. They hoped it would come to be the heart of the home, a place that people would love to gather in and hate to leave. To give you a sense of how far this room came, take a look at it in it’s original state: Clearly, mission accomplished!

Zachary Leung’s Toronto kitchen was recently declared the 2017 Remodelista Considered Design Awards Best Amateur Kitchen, and it’s not hard to see why. He lovingly converted this 130-year-old dark and awkward room into a space that’s somehow both timeless and of-the-moment, with room for entertaining, laundry, and cleverly concealed storage. It’s hard to believe this was designed by someone who doesn’t do interior design full-time for a living.

To share a mere 478-square-feet with another human has its challenges. But to share and successfully use only 38 square feet of kitchen space is even more impressive! There were many design dilemmas facing Ali and Chip when they purchased this small Brooklyn apartment three years ago, but none so mammoth as the task of making a teeny tiny kitchen work for two people who enjoy cooking.

There are so many reasons to remodel your kitchen. You just bought a house and you hate what’s there now. Perhaps you finally saved up some money and can afford the change. Or, you plan to sell the home in a couple of years and think new cabinets will appeal to buyers. All good reasons, but do you want to know the most common thing that pushed people to finally take the plunge and redo their kitchens? #1 Reason: Because homeowners just can’t stand their current one anymore.

A few weeks ago, when I wrote about square tile being the new subway tile, the response, from a lot of you, was a hard no. Many people in the comments agreed that subway tile was classic, whereas square tile reminded them of either truck stops or icky, bland ’70s and ’80s bathrooms.

IKEA’s IVAR collection is a very versatile system, with different ways to configure storage, and made of unfinished wood that’s a virtual blank slate for paint. But, in a recent makeover project, the big question became: could it become the centerpiece of an inexpensive rental bathroom makeover? Erika’s bathroom suffered from a distinct lack of style, so I wanted to start with a great vanity in a fun color. One of my first thoughts, when on a strict budget, is usually IKEA.

IKEA’s instructions are in(famous), with their illustrated diagrams, lack of words, and the oddly bulbous “IKEA man.” For the most part, with some head scratching, you can figure them out. But, as we discovered in our recent bathroom makeover, when it comes to installing a sink, the Swedish retailer left out one major detail, which is essential to the job. Read this before you shut your water off and get to work.

For our most recent budget makeover, I was working with a double whammy on the walls: textured surfaces on the top half, and oddly-cut sections of beadboard paneling down below. Combined, everything looked bad and very slapped together, not to mention dingy and depressing. In order to inject some style, I needed an inexpensive solution that was also practical enough to work in a bathroom. My solution? I replaced the awful beadboard with crisp white sheets of pegboard!

If you’ve ever lived in an apartment with an old, crumbling bathroom, you recognize Janna’s frustration with her Manhattan bathroom. “No matter how much we cleaned, it never felt clean,” she said. The small bathroom was dominated by an enormous seven foot tub, as demonstrated by the “before” pic above. In addition to the less-than-ideal layout, the walls and floors were in bad shape, the toilet leaked, and the vanity was beginning to fall apart.

IKEA kitchens—and bathrooms and wardrobes—are super-popular, but sometimes you want to kick things up a notch and move past the ubiquitous IKEA look. These six companies craft cabinet fronts, panels, and more in a wide variety of materials, colors, and styles. Some of them will even work with you to create fronts in custom colors and styles. Design your basic IKEA kitchen layout, and then head to one of these companies to make it the kitchen of your dreams.

When Giovanni purchased his Brooklyn condo, the kitchen had barely any cabinet space — and almost no workspace to speak of. His kitchen was just a drab row of appliances stacked next to each other, adjoining an alcove where a combination washer/dryer sat, visible to the rest of the apartment.

Fall has its beauty, but it can be a little too fleeting. Only too soon are we dealing with winter’s bare trees, slush, and seemingly neverending cold weather. If there’s a season where everyone deserves a little extra self-care, it’s winter. Japanese culture has an age-old way to combat the chill, which we could all learn a lot from.

Certain landlords, and almost all dorms, have strict rules against painting the walls, which is a major bummer if you love color. So imagine my excitement when I learned about removable, paintable wallpaper — I shouted “hallelujah” and quickly ordered some to find out if it was the answer to all our rental wishes and dreams. So, is this product too good to be true? One thing to note is that it took awhile to find actual removable paintable wallpaper.

Mila participated in a recent round of the One Room Challenge, but didn’t want to get overwhelmed by a major hard-core makeover. So, instead, she chose to redo the single wall just inside her entryway, which is also part of her living room. As is, the space was fine, but she was bored with the current gallery wall of photos, and wanted instead to make it as impressive as possible with just a little work and money. Her goal for the end of the project?

If you love pink faux marble Formica, do not click through because you will be heartbroken to see that this counter and backsplash have been (spoiler alert!) ripped out in favor of an impeccable slab of marble. As for the shutters, I have some further bad news… So gorgeous and graceful!

Finding the perfect apartment in New York, for a reasonable price, is no easy task. When soon-to-be parents Fabio and Melina decided to upgrade from their one-bedroom rental, finding an acceptable two-bedroom place within their budget turned out to be quite a challenge. Finally they found a place that fit the bill: two bedrooms, great location, and at a price they could afford. The apartment, which hadn’t been updated in 40 years, was less than perfect. But this couple saw potential.

While looking for matte black fixtures for a recent bathroom makeover, I had a hard time finding affordable, in-stock options from the usual places. Lighting with a black finish? No problem. Cabinet pulls? Everywhere. But searching for sink faucets yielded only a few good results. Then I figured out the trick and duh. It’s so easy it’s stupid. Black faucets are such a nice change of pace from ubiquitous chrome, or even the brushed brass we’ve seen so much of lately.

After a long search, Melina and Fabio finally found a two-bedroom place in their desired New York neighborhood — and at a price they could actually afford. The only problem? The bathroom, which hadn’t been renovated in the apartment’s 40-year lifespan, had seen better days. With its dated vanity, off-color tile, and always-dirty grout, it was definitely in need of an update. The new bathroom looks fresh yet classic, in shades of black and white, with a touch of gold.

When Dana and David bought their home, it had wonky oak builder-grade cabinets in the kitchen, dingy wall paint, and — perhaps most importantly — a lot of shades of yellow. The previous owners were going for “hacienda” and the pseudo-Spanish style just wasn’t working for its new residents. All the other rooms in the house were updated first, and the kitchen was the last one standing — mainly because Dana and David knew it was a BIG job.

No scraping required.

Close your eyes. Now, envision a vinyl floor. Does your mind automatically think checkerboard, faux wood, or something retro? You might not think of modern, bright patterns —like the one above — that look more like popular cement tile of late. But, vinyl flooring options have expanded, and you can now get this budget material in fun colors and designs that go well beyond your great grandmother’s old kitchen.

You might have already seen my recent bathroom makeover, which I did in the span of a frenzied weekend and shared earlier this week. After all was said and done, I was very happy with how it all turned out. Then, I made one last-minute addition, which was about ten minutes worth of work, and cost less than $10. It made a small, but significant difference nonetheless. And here’s the good news. You can do it too, even if you’re a renter. Can you see the difference?

As much as we love schoolhouse-style lighting, it isn’t always the best idea to buy something truly vintage and hope it works. There are stores — such as Schoolhouse Electric or Barn Light Electric — who sell absolutely beautiful fixtures in this style, but they are often out of financial reach. To help you stay on budget, and get the look you want, we’ve rounded up some of the best lighting options out there, all well under $100.

Chase and her husband bought a 1937 Key West-style house in Palm Grove, Miami and it came with a serious bathroom disaster. In a DIY job gone horribly wrong, the bath had serious structural issues, not to mention some very interesting (ahem) design decisions — neither of which did the home any favors. Chase was also itching to fulfill her dream of designing a room from start to finish, then actually enjoying it as her own. Then Hurricane Irma came.

There are basically three different ways to get cabinets into your kitchen. You can have them custom-built to fit the space. This is very expensive. You can get pre-made cabinets delivered, already assembled, and install them yourself (or have a contractor do it for you). This is less expensive. Or you can order ready-to-assemble (RTA) kitchen cabinets, and assemble them yourself. This is the most budget-friendly option of all.

Eighties design is a fascinating subject of study because of the peculiar arc it’s taken recently: from despised and reviled to avant-garde cool, all within the space of a very short period of time. But with all the love for Memphis and weird ’80s graphics, there’s one particular aspect of this design era I haven’t heard much about: the ’80s kitchen. Is it as terrible as we remember? Has the time for a renaissance finally come? Let’s take a look.

I love tile. I might even be a little obsessed with tile. So the fact that tile, even very bold tile, is making a comeback in the bathroom has me very excited. Lately I’ve been noticing an interesting trend in tiled bathrooms: bathrooms with tile on the ceiling. That, my friends, is commitment. Is this something you would do? Or is it all just a little too much?