Renovating & Remodeling Skills & How Tos

Taking on a home improvement project is expensive enough as it is – why add to the bill? Whether you’re fixing a leaky faucet or remodeling an entire bathroom, here are some costly mistakes to avoid. It’s crucial to take care of structural issues before starting on cosmetic fixes.

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To your average homeowner watching HGTV, the idea of Fixer Upper hosts Chip and Joanna Gaines or some other home improvement hero waving a magic hammer and turning your 1970s kitchen catastrophe into something out of a glossy magazine spread sounds almost too good to be true. So is it? We asked two alumni of home renovation shows to tell us what the experience was really like, and whether there were any downsides or unwelcome surprises. The verdict?

This post is especially for those of us who have lived in 400-ish-square-foot homes, and with a loved one we’d like to keep loving. We can relate to the limited storage, style compromises (there’s zero “me” space), multi-multi-use rooms, and eccentric bed positioning. This studio, shared by a married couple, is an inspiring small space, both pre- and post-renovation. This dreamy decor was designed and executed by Kate Lemmon of Kate L Photography.

Some rooms have a million flaws that need remedying; the problem with this nursery-to-be was there was no real there there. After months of sanding, painting, ripping out, and replacing by a very pregnant lady and her crew, this room was lovingly decorated for its tiny new occupant. The word for this nursery, created by Bridget Matkovich of The DIY Playbook, is dreamy.

Aldo and Zane had already been living in the Borough Market area of London when they fell in love with the city, so it made sense they’d want to buy in the same neighborhood. In fact, an apartment—”a characterful warehouse conversion on a quiet street near Borough Market”—caught their eye. When they got the opportunity to purchase it in 2016, they took on the remodel of a space with great light… but in need of an upgrade.

Some vintage bathrooms are incredibly charming, but I’m afraid the same could not be said of this one. One of the bathrooms in Jonathan and Cecilia’s Queens apartment was a mishmash of styles, with a black and gold sliding shower door, an uninspiring vanity cabinet, and wall and floor tile in a particularly unappealing shade of mauve.

Ursula’s new condo in Brooklyn’s Bed-Stuy neighborhood came with a builder-basic kitchen that seemed trapped in the ’90s, and a dark color scheme in the living room that, while stylish, made the space feel heavy and dark. Her goals for the renovation were two-fold: to modernize the kitchen, and brighten the entire space to emphasize its natural lighting and generous proportions. So out went the dark, heavy wood cabinets, replaced by streamlined modern ones in a glossy white.

Can this humble, crumbling little garage be replaced by the hottest place to stay in town, all in just six short months? With a little help from trusted architects and contractors, anything is possible! Let’s let Jude Green of That Homebird Life explain how this family decided to go from a useless garage to a multi-use guesthouse: We pulled down an old rotting garage and constructed a guest house (with attached storage room, loft and bathroom) in its place.

This kitchen is perfectly nice! It’s got lots of windows, a beautiful hardwood floor, and classic cabinets. Its owner, however, wanted something beyond perfectly nice, and, after four years of plotting and planning, made it into something special. In the full-length shot, you can see that lovely floor, as well as more of the mustard walls.

If you want to add just one thing to a room to fancy it up, to really take the space to the next level, you can’t do better than crown molding. Crown molding draws the eye up and gives a room instant architectural character. And depending on the profile you choose, it can be a very inexpensive upgrade — and even one you can install yourself. Choosing the right crown molding for your space depends not just on style, but on scale.

We all have to start somewhere, and that includes Chip and Joanna Gaines. The Fixer Upper stars might be worth millions today, but they were newlyweds once, and just getting started out as a young couple while living in Waco, Texas. And apparently, their early homes were a far cry from their current sweet farmhouse setup. We recently asked Chip what he remembers about the first home they shared back in the day, before there were all the kids and animals running around.

Peggy Wang, Buzzfeed’s founding editor, decided one day a few years ago she was ready to move out of tiny apartment living. “It was like a weird sudden existential outburst in my usual lazy put-everything-off-forever mindset,” she writes. When she purchased this 1100-square-foot home in Queens, it felt like the right fit. But boy it needed a face lift. She worked closely with White Arrow—Keren Richter and her husband Thomas Richter—to remodel this home.

This kitchen had a lot of cozy charm, but it wasn’t very user-friendly. After five months of DIY renovations, it’s now bright, spacious, and totally made for cooking. It’s hard to believe this is the same amount of space! While the old kitchen felt claustrophobic, the new one is roomy and airy, yet it appears to boast about the same amount of storage space. Rachel Klein of The Northern Current is the powerhouse behind this renovation, and she did a bang-up job.

If you're looking for something warm and classic, and not too crazy, try this perfect cabinet color.

When you’re dealing with a small space, very minimal designs are usually the preferred choice (or so the thinking goes). But when Nancy decided to remodel her Upper East Side studio, she made some bold choices in the tiny six-foot-wide kitchen—things that you might not expect in a room this size, but that give this little space a character all its own. Previously, the kitchen was a bit of a blank slate.

This is a 115-year-old, 1,800-square-foot carriage house with 11-foot ceilings and tons of character. It had been recently renovated, but its new owners wanted to go a step further, by going back to the past and revealing the home’s historic charms. Such a nice modern upgrade! Allow me to list my favorite things about this transformation: 1. That beam!

It would be fascinating to meet the person who decided to decorate this living room—in what its new owner described as “the ugliest house I’ve ever seen”—with bright green walls and all red furnishings, but we’ll have to be content with seeing how this Christmas-y space was transformed into a bright, modern, and colorful—but not quite as colorful—room.

This bathroom was very, very orange, but no longer. The once-colorful bathroom still has plenty of color, just not quite as bright and “day-glo.” Here’s the full-length version of the bathroom before, so we can see the pedestal sink and what the homeowner describes as “yucky” floor tiles, but let’s take in the full expanse of ORANGE. I kind of love it, actually.

This bedroom was already cute, cozy, and charming, but its owner came up with an affordable, renter-friendly way to upgrade the space—and the results are tropically fantastic. Laura B of Thrifted Bohemian transformed this bedroom into a vibrant oasis with a little help from peel-and-stick wallpaper that goes with the bed perfectly.

After living in Brooklyn for awhile, architect Niraya and civil engineer Humberto wanted to bring that “loft” style to Miami, where they currently live. After hunting for a townhouse to buy, they found this home, which was actually used as the manager’s quarters of a Marriott Hotel in the ’70s and ’80s. And boy did it look like it was still in the ’70s and ’80s.

Painting your cabinets is one of the most transformative and inexpensive ways to upgrade your kitchen. But to do it right, there’s the sanding, priming, more sanding, and painting. No doubt, it’s a lot of work. Turns out chalk paint lets you skip over many of those steps so you can get straight to the new color, even if that new color is just a fresh coat of bright clean white.

Sick of shiplap yet? It’s the little wall siding that could, chugging its way all across America these days. We’ve seen it in kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms, and even inside showers. Oh, and it is apparently all over a certain Texas town called Waco—maybe you’ve heard of it? Whether you are a diehard devotee, a grudging admirer, or just looking for another reason to hate it, know that shiplap has at least one major check in the “con” column.

Gorgeous hardwood floors, a large window, posh location, a fireplace, and built-ins galore? Yes, please. This Upper East Side apartment’s living room was already dreamy as hell, but one bold client-designer team knew it could be so much more. My favorite part of this transformation is the way the newly painted built-ins echo the tone of the fireplace, creating, along with the mirror, a delightful triptych. The coffee table appears to be the same hue, further unifying the space.

We’ve written before about kitchens with green cabinets, and blue cabinets, and black cabinets, and those are all lovely, but this post is dedicated to a particular favorite of mine: gray cabinets. Whether you’re looking for a pearl gray or a seal gray or a dark almost-charcoal gray, this color has a timeless allure, and suits practically any space. Here are five reasons why this style is here to stay.

This penny tile floor is fabulously snakeskin-like, but an unstable subfloor caused tiles to pop out. Similarly, that pedestal sink is graceful but offered no counter space, while the intriguingly low tub was unused and unnecessary. After 15 years, this remodeled bathroom was remodeled again and the results are dreamy. So pretty. Pink, black, white, and wood is a fantastic combo that I might not ever have thought of.

Where exactly is the kitchen, you ask? Why, it’s behind that grey dividing wall. And while the room’s cabinetry and other surfaces were very nice, this home’s new owner found the kitchen to be “small and closed-off.” It was perhaps the most closed-off kitchen in the history of our renovation posts.

This Philadelphia row home came with many enviable features when Matt and Anne Thomas bought it. Stunning architecture. Tons of space. All that natural light. The one thing they didn’t love was the home’s extremely red-toned cherry wood floors. But, the floors had just been re-done and were nice in every other regard. Replacing them would have been wasteful.

This kitchen was super cozy and sun-soaked, and it boasted an ample and intriguing island/peninsula hybrid—pretty sure that’s what an isthmus is—but it had a few shortcomings: The finishings were getting worn, and the freezer was a full 70 years old. Now it’s light and airy, and full of personal charm and quirky objects. Reader Catherine S. Vodrey of OutspokenWomen.

Years ago most kitchens were dark and full of autumn tones, like red, gold, and even orange. More recently, those bolder shades have given way to all-white kitchens. Why? Homeowners are building and renovating kitchens to be open to the rest of the floorplan, rather than segmented. “Kitchens have basically become invisible to blend with the rest of the home.

Hugh Molten, a South Carolina-based real estate agent, didn’t plan for such a big project when he bought this falling-down old church. “I originally had the vision to simply clean it out and live in it basically as-is; create a small shower in the corner, stainless prep tables for the kitchen and call it done.” Today, this 1600-square-foot former house of worship is an incredible industrial modern home, and how it ended up that way was a long and interesting journey.

You are currently gazing upon a floor that is not only old linoleum—it is the old linoleum floor of a fish-gutting room. Is there any hope for this room, or is it doomed to be forever haunted by dearly departed stinky fishies? The old, fishy floor has been replaced with a watery blue dream; it’s like a river you can walk on. This stained plywood floor was created by Tanya of Dans le Lakehouse, and I’m in awe of her vision.

Instagram is overflowing with renovated vintage trailers: they’re all adorable, and they all have adorable names. Check out the amazing work that’s been done on Sprite, Scamp, Rosie, Rubie Jane, Lula, Lorelai, Peach, and 12 others—most of these homes-on-wheels are at least 40 years old, and they all look better than ever. This minimal beauty is enormous for a trailer, but fairly small for a family of five!

So you want to make a cool $100,000? Popular HGTV shows lead you to believe the secret to getting rich quick is to start flipping houses. From Chip and Joanna Gaines, to Tarek and Christina El Moussa, there are plenty of everyday people making a name for themselves this way. So a few years ago, after I got married, my husband and I said to ourselves: We could totally do this. He works in construction.

Nothing screams ‘Sad Kitchen’ like shoddy old countertops. Okay, a bad floor or rickety old cabinets are probably right up there, but a decades-old, grungy, cracked, and damaged counter can turn an otherwise perfectly decent kitchen into something to cringe over. When my husband and I prepared to put our previous home on the market, our realtor encouraged us to replace the dated laminate counter.

Let’s talk about wainscoting. Wainscoting is one of our favorite ways to dress up a boring or unremarkable room, to give it an instant dose of old-world style. But it can also be an easy detail to get wrong. Specifically, a lot of people struggle with how far up the wall the wainscoting should be hung—an important detail that makes a huge difference in the look of the finished application. Here’s what you need to know.

We had so much fun exploring The Best Vintage Travel Trailer Makeovers on Instagram that we’re back with 20 more. This time the focus is on exterior paint jobs, but the adorable trailer names—Sassafras Lou, Delilah, Sprout, Beatrice, Archie, and Mrs. Schmick—are still going strong. Let’s hit the road! These pink scallops are the sweetest, cutest thing ever, and a big change from the original mossy-green stripes.

Let’s be real: This about-to-be-renovated kitchen is far nicer than any kitchen I’ve ever had, so much so that I kept putting ‘after’ labels on the ‘before’ photos. But now it has a fresh vibe, new appliances, and a radically different look. After all the before/after confusion, I still had to double-check that this was the same view as the top image. It is the same camera angle, but every other thing has been changed.

Wow.

This is a very straightforward, efficient kitchen that looks exactly like at least three kitchens that I’ve been in. But it had a few issues that needed to be remedied (starting with secretly leaking pipes). Reader Ellen McCormick was kind enough to submit her project and give an in-depth description of the challenges this kitchen presented: Before the remodel the kitchen completely lacked character and function.

This little stairway landing is so pretty. It’s got hardwood floors, a gracefully placed window worthy of Vermeer, a dramatic work of art, and an intriguing vintage table. Its owner did not feel so positive about the space, however, and saw potential for so much more. Seriously, wow! I love the notion of a stairway accent wall; as you’ll see below, it’s incredibly inviting from below.

A reader moved into this trailer without realizing how much work it needed, and it’s always so much more difficult to renovate a space when you’re already living in it—especially when your home is essentially one room. It took some serious determination and a bit of boldness, but this trailer is now home sweet home.

There’s something to be said for appreciating the home you have. In a way, I feel lucky to have lived in so many bad apartments in my 20s. It made all the fixer-uppers we looked at while house hunting—the only homes remotely near our price range—a little less off-putting. Is it structurally safe, with a working stove? Wow! There aren’t any rats or strange midwinter mosquito infestations? Super!

This is a nice big kitchen with tons of storage, lots of natural light, many ovens, and a cute baby blue and tan color scheme. However, it had some issues and some awkwardness that its owner was determined to rectify.

We’ve enjoyed a few bathroom renovations which preserved the vintage tile—dreamy blue and seafoam green—but know this right now: This is not going to be one of those situations. Don’t worry, though, because the results and the story behind this 1939 home are absolutely amazing. The designer behind this remodel shares the story of this family home: My client has lived in this home since she was 12 years old. She bought it from her mother and has raised her family in it.

This St. Paul, Minnesota, kitchen was large, sunny, and full of storage, but its owners wanted something new and bold. With the help of a thoughtful designer, they now have the kitchen of their dreams. Kassina Falstad of OlliePop Design is responsible for this renovation; here she describes the company’s approach and this project in particular: Our motto is love your house for less, as we believe everyone can afford great design.

What do you do when you have two bathrooms right next to each other? Knock down a wall and transform them into one luxurious space. When we moved in to our Edwardian house there were two bathrooms next to each other. One had a corner bath, toilet and sink and the other a shower, toilet and sink. Both had lowered ceilings, stained carpets and really the most hideous windows I think I have ever seen.

Chip and Jo’s designs are nothing if not, well, a little expected. At least, that’s what I had convinced myself of. Having been an avid watcher of the beloved Texan renovating duo for the first few seasons, I admit that seeing the same white kitchen with the same white subway tile and the same distressed decor got pretty tired pretty fast. So, I tuned out and assumed their style stayed back in 2015—along with my interest.

The biggest issue with this master bathroom appears to be a possible overabundance of beige, but the real problems were smelly and—literally—shocking. Since this website somehow still doesn’t have scratch-n-sniff capability, let’s let reader Lisa Carolla give us a bit more insight into what this bathroom was really like: You had to squint really hard to see the potential in our master bath, but it was there.

Reader Kate refers to the purchase of this apartment as “When the Only Good Thing Is the Layout.” After several months of renovation—and plenty of NYC red tape—this home is now living up to its full potential. This is so glam. I love the glimpses of the bedroom and kitchen through the screens of the balustrading, the deep duo-tone wood railings, the rich wood floors, the boutique hotel feel of the bedroom, and the entire vibe.

This Airstream trailer is 33 years old, and while its exterior is apparently in fantastic shape, its interior needed a lot of love. In less than three months, one power couple was able to take this rolling home from neglected to elegant. The travel trailer’s new owner described exactly what they were up against: We acquired this neglected 1985 Airstream Sovereign (34-foot) back in May 2018. Overall, the exterior was in excellent condition, so we took a chance and brought her home.

When you’re planning a new kitchen, you probably think about the big stuff: the countertops, the cabinets, the appliances, the flooring. But we’re here to remind you that little things can make a big difference, too. Particularly, when it comes to kitchens, that means hardware. Hardware can have a huge impact on the look and feel of your kitchen, which is why we often recommend replacing hardware as a quick upgrade for rental kitchens, or when you aren’t able to remodel.

We love watching home improvement shows, because within one magical hour a “list it” property easily becomes one you would say “love it” to—or even buy or rent for a vacation. But as anyone who’s even undertaken a “small” DIY project can attest, the reality is hardly ever as seamless As Seen on TV.

When Lindi of Love Create Celebrate set out to redo her entryway, she knew she wanted an accent wall. After deciding against wallpaper and painted geometric shapes, she ultimately landed on wood as her medium (one-inch MDF strips, to be exact). With a few power tools and a helpful hubby, she materialized her vision in just one afternoon and the results are impressive. Lindi sketched out several different designs before this one stuck.

I’m sure you’ve seen them—the elegant, modern showers that, with no door to separate them from the rest of the space, seem to meld seamlessly with the rest of the bathroom. This is a very popular setup right now, and one that has lots of advantages—but it also has one big disadvantage. Can you guess what it is? First, some of the pluses.

The “Paint It White” philosophy gets a bad rap sometimes, but it can be a great method for unifying disparate elements while emphasizing texture and form. In this home, white paint was used judiciously to update a living room fireplace, with wonderful results. This fireplace surround involves quite a few textures, including the red brick, and the white paint unites them all.

When Bonnie Christine found this 55-year-old travel trailer for sale, it was already in pretty damn good shape, but it got majorly upgraded into a gorgeous glamper that’s more elegant and luxurious than many stationary homes. She had been looking for one for a decade when they finally found the perfect specimen: A 1962 26-foot Airstream Overlander.

This condo’s new owner loved a lot of things about it—high ceilings, good bones, amazing natural light—but felt that the kitchen and living room were “dreary and grungy.” Nearly a year later, this “standard-grade apartment” could be mistaken for a gallery.

One of the most popular (and also one of the most controversial) kitchen design trends of the past few years has been open shelving. Replacing your upper cabinets with open shelving gives your kitchen a lighter, more open look, and it’s a great way to put beautiful dishware on display. On the flip side, it can look a bit chaotic unless you edit rigorously, and then there’s the issue of dust and grime collecting on your dishes.

Gina and her partner Max remodeled a small San Francisco house, and while every inch of the home got a makeover, one of the most dramatic spots to see a transformation was the kitchen and great room they created when they removed an interior wall. Gina writes: “The combination of kitchen, dining, and living room is the perfect open concept. While it’s not the largest it is comfortable and most importantly, functional.

This month, we celebrate 15 years since we joined Frances (Diane Lane), a writer going through a terrible divorce, in leaving it all behind and living the dream: buying a villa in Tuscany. “Under the Tuscan Sun” is typically categorized as a romantic comedy, which is true—but it’s not really about the hot Italian man Frances has a brief tryst with, nor is it about the handsome American writer who shows up looking for her at the end.

The before version of this bathroom was perfectly functional and updated, but bland. It has great storage, but completely lacked in character. This is the first home I have owned (and lived in) in my adult life. Even as a kid, I grew up in rentals. I’ve always harbored dreams (and vision boards) of how I would customize my future home. None of it was too radical, but they were rarely rental-friendly edits.

This kitchen’s new owner described it as “functional, but an eyesore” and was determined to make it as pleasant as possible. Nine months and a ton of DIYing later, this “midway” renovation is complete and this kitchen is a totally new room. Reader Erin Corbett was kind enough to submit this project and share details about the issues and inspiration behind it: My little condo was built in 1984 and not much in the kitchen had been touched since then.

Love the crisp, clean look of hardwood floors, but know it’s not practical for your space? Or maybe it’s simply out of budget. You could install it anyway (bad idea), you could have a pity party for yourself (no fun), or you could opt for a newly popular style of tile that’s popping up everywhere: porcelain or ceramic “wood” tiles. Why?

This condo had a lot going for it—high ceilings, fireplace, lots of windows, and a spacious feel despite an efficient footprint—but it also bore evidence of its previous life as a generic rental property. Its new owner was determined to give it a bunch of character and a totally personal feel. First, let’s learn a bit about how and why this condo was chosen: When I first bought this condo, It was the cheapest listing in Marietta [Atlanta] that included a fireplace.

The owners of this home have lived with—and loved—this kitchen for years, and considered just doing a few minor upgrades, but when they realized that this might be their forever home, they decided to make some major changes so that they’d love this room even more—for many years to come… This is such a subtle, beautiful upgrade by 17 Apart!

See a bathroom pedestal sink and you can’t help but think things like sleek, streamlined, graceful. And they are undeniably handy in tight quarters when there’s no room for a full-fledged vanity, and they do tend to be much less expensive than a sink and vanity. Also? There’s just something romantic about them.

If you’ve ever looked into tile prices, you probably know that materials can destroy your renovation budget in no time. My jaw hit the floor when I saw the prices on some of the beautiful tiles popping up in Pinterest. Honestly, who is out there paying 50, 75, or 100 bucks and up, per square foot? (And when the manufacturer website doesn’t even tell you the price, you know the old saying is true—if you have to ask, well, you can’t afford it.

When guests walk up to your home, the first thing they see is ususally your front door. If it’s chipped and peeling or dull and drab, trust us: Your guests (or potential buyers) are going to notice. The front door is your opportunity to make a great first impression, so it’s important not to treat it as an afterthought, or worse, forget it altogether.

This cottage had so much going for it—charm, manageable size, outdoor amenities galore—but needed quite a bit of work. The entire retreat has been renovated, but the treatment given to the formerly nondescript floors deserves special attention, and might be the owner’s one regret. Let’s learn a bit more about the challenges—and advantages—this cabin presented: I found this little cottage/cabin in Kerhonkson at the end of 2017.

This yellow and brown cooking area felt outdated and not aesthetically pleasing to tenant Gabrielle Delaney and her boyfriend Dan Scura, who share a one-bedroom apartment in New York. Although they are renters and therefore limited with what changes they can make, this didn’t stop Delaney from transforming the kitchen that made her “unhappy.

If you’re assuming that these early-aughts cherry cabinets are going to be replaced with white ones, you’re correct (but only half correct). This brown-beige-black kitchen now glows with a riot of color and pattern. Reader Jessica Leas’s new kitchen is so amazing. It’s hard for anything to compete with those gloriously ornate Mexican tiles, but for me, the gorgeous green cabinets more than hold their own against them.