Renovating & Remodeling Skills & How Tos

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.

This 1981 kitchen had some plumbing and cleanliness issues, in addition to the overall ’80s vibe that needed updating. Enjoy those turquoise countertops while you can because they are not long for this world. Reader Mike Groner shares some insight into the project: When I purchased the condo in December 2015 not much had been touched since the building was originally built in 1981. The cabinets were all contractor grade from that period.

We’ve seen this kitchen a million times before: aggressively honey paneled cabinetry, dark mottled stone countertops, beige floor, and an above-window wooden flourish—plus a bonus ruffly ceiling fan. Will the cupboards be painted white?

This kitchen had a sweet little eat-in area, but its owners were less-than-thrilled with its aesthetic, so they replaced this intensely brown and beige dining spot with a jazzy breakfast nook. First, a little insight about the kitchen as a whole: My husband and I were excited about the size and footprint of our kitchen in our first home, but were less thrilled about the orange oak-y style. Orangey-oak is my style nemesis, so I can’t wait to see its opposite . . .

Take a look at any new bathroom, and you’ll notice some commonalities: sleek frameless doors rather than curtains or bulky sliding ones, bold statement mirrors in place of traditional medicine cabinets, and even a resurgence of cool colored tiles (think bright blue and emerald green!). But you know what they say: in with the new, out with the old. Just as these design elements fall into favor, others fall out of favor. So what will we see fade into distant memory?

When the new owner of this loft realized that completely renovating the kitchen would be quite expensive and not all that exciting, a “refresh” was undertaken instead—and three big changes made an enormous impact. First things first: The tiled countertops have been replaced. The new quartz countertops are a major upgrade, and I enjoy the fact that both horizontal surfaces are organic, forming a counterpoint to the sleek black cabinetry.

If you’re building or remodeling a home, or even just thinking about it, you’ve probably come across this particular conundrum: Do you pick laminate flooring, or go for real wood? Laminate, which consists of a layer of fiberboard with a photorealistic image of wood (or sometimes stone) applied on top, sometimes gets a bad rap for looking cheap or fake. But many modern laminates are actually quite realistic, and almost indistinguishable from wood.

Most people say the kitchen is the most important room in the home, but I would argue it’s the bathroom. Let’s be honest, some pretty important… business… goes on in there, and most people start and end their day in the shower or at the sink. When I started looking to buy an apartment last year, I couldn’t help but pay attention to the bathroom first.

A couple bought this house on the condition that they’d renovate the kitchen right away, but seven years later, the room was still mocking them, unrenovated. But now they finally have the kitchen they’ve been dreaming of all this time. This amazing renovation is intriguing: The new kitchen isn’t dramatically different from before, and yet it’s so different. Annie Meisel made smart, stylish changes that made a world of difference.

Some of you are going to mourn the loss of these pink ’60s tiles, but after 18 years of living with multiple similarly-hued bathrooms, the owners of this home were ready for anything but pink. Reader Jennifer Anderson has kindly submitted this project—here’s some insight into what led to it: Our 1961 ranch only has two bathrooms, one of which was this sad pink nightmare.

This darling little houseboat brings to mind the Gorton’s fisherman, and perhaps the Belafonte from The Life Aquatic, but none of those associations will prepare one for the elegance—and shocking spaciousness—that lies within. How in the world does this much fabulousness fit into that little boat? If there’s one thing not generally associated with houseboats, it’s luxuriously open spaces.

Full bathroom remodels can run you tens of thousands of dollars. If that amount of money isn’t in your budget right now (or it makes you cringe to spend that much at any stage of the game), take inspiration from these light remodels, all of which cost under $3,000. These reasonable and affordable redos show it’s possible to get a brand-new-to-you bathroom without taking out a huge loan.

For its 40th birthday, this home received the ultimate gift: a completely new kitchen. With the renovation supervised by a toddler, this overhaul was completed in just a month and a half. Here’s a little backstory about the process: We bought this house six weeks before giving birth to our baby. We had really hoped to find a house before he was due and after searching for literally a year, we found this one.

It’s hard to imagine how we did things before Amazon, which brings us anything we need in a very short timeframe. But there’s more to the site than super speedy delivery. For several years now, I’ve been indulging in my champagne taste on a beer budget, thanks to Amazon Warehouse and third-party sellers. See that price right next to the item you must have? That doesn’t have to be the price you pay.

After Millie Donahue’s husband died from Alzheimer’s disease, her health began to decline. She was 80 years old and had congestive heart failure combined with failing kidneys. The doctors told family there was nothing more that could be done. They recommended Millie enter hospice care. Instead, her family took her in. “I brought her into my house for what I thought was the last three months of her life,” says daughter Meg Donahue, founder of MamaSezz.com.

Tiny houses with tiny prices.

This living room project ends in a fresh start—something we could all use at some point in our life. Here is a little backstory on this project from the designer who helped a man in mourning start anew: During our first consultation, the house was in extreme disrepair. My client, a recent widower, was left to clean up the pieces of his wife who was an extreme “collector.

In a studio apartment, every single inch is precious. And while having an upstairs bedroom in a studio is a luxurious division of living area, a stairway seems like a massive waste of space. But fortunately, the designer of this tiny but totally enviable home saw so much more. Maggie Crowley of Maggie Davis Style is responsible for this glorious studio, and everyone who lives or has lived in a studio apartment is probably currently wishing Maggie could have worked this magic on those too.

No matter how much one might love wood paneling and/or brown, this kitchen featured a little too much of both. Between the orangey brown, the above-sink scallop, and the avocado stove, this kitchen was a ’70s triple threat—but not for long. According to the owner, the kitchen was pretty indicative of the house as a whole: [The entire house] had boxed-in living spaces, dark paneled walls, and carpet or linoleum covering up gorgeous original hardwoods.

“If you want to try something like painting your walls a zesty color—just go for it—it’s only paint,” advises blogger and DIY master Pati Robins. She’s been living in this rental home for 13 years, and as seen with these before photos, it’s had quite the transformation. “If you don’t like it you can always repaint it—and if you don’t try it, you will always wonder ‘what if?

This Paris pied-à-terre had been sitting unused for years. It was owned by Laurence Moinet-Saussereau’s father, who bought it in the 1980s for work and kept it even after he moved away from Paris. A few years ago, he donated it to Laurence and her sister, who had been dreaming of remodeling it and renting it out. Though we often focus on full-time homes to tour at Apartment Therapy, every now and then a rental space comes along that’s so delightful it deserves a deep look.

It's a warm, welcome solution to your big blank sterile white wall problem.

This was a pretty standard bathroom—nothing notably terrible, but definitely not to its new owners’ tastes. After just six weeks, there is an unrecognizably fabulous bathroom and a newly minted DIY renovation expert. Let’s here a bit about what this bathroom was really like: When we purchased our home last year, our master bathroom was one of the most unsightly rooms in the house.

Quitting the nine-to-five grind, selling your belongings and hitting the dusty trail—we’ve all dreamt of it. One family of four took the leap and made their dream a reality, and they’re doing it in only 86 square feet. The Rosene family—husband and wife Travis and Lexi, along with their kids Finley and Zealand—are living full-time in a 2017 Mercedes Sprinter 3500 that they transformed into a home on wheels.

When Oriane and Chris Williams walked into this house they knew it was the house. But then Oriane made a list of everything they would want to update to make sure the 115-year-old house was really in the cards—and budget—for them. She budgeted everything from moving walls to door knobs on a spreadsheet and gave both a low- and high-end estimate of what she thought it would cost.

Recently we’ve been following the adventures of the Rosenes as the family of four hits the open road in their 2017 Mercedes Sprinter 3500. Husband and wife Travis and Lexi gave us the nitty gritty details on what it took to convert their van into a comfortable, livable 86-square-foot home for their brood.

This blank empty space was the first thing this family saw when they walked in their home’s entryway, and not only was it underperforming in the looks department, it also just wasn’t as useful as it could be. Over the course of just one week, this space was transformed from a dead zone into a new household favorite. Before we get to the big reveal, here’s a look at the corner again, from head to toe. Not much to see here, other than some beige walls and a dog crate.

Anyone can do this.

Maybe this little bathroom didn’t have spectacular style, but its real issue was a maddening one that many can relate to: “No matter how much I cleaned it was still dirty.” The window is so lovely, but all that daylight probably just helped to highlight the issues reader Amanda Walker was dealing with: When we bought the house the bathroom was dirty and dingy, no matter how hard I scrubbed it never looked clean.

This kitchen had everything: tile countertops, plywood cabinetry, a built-in oven and microwave, square recessed lighting, and so much beige. In six short weeks, it went from dated to wonderfully now. After living with the original kitchen for two years, Studio Plumb was able to do a major upgrade, replacing the floors and countertops, painting the plywood cabinetry, replacing the appliances, painting the walls, and restructuring the fridge/microwave cubby and the island.

With just six weeks of work and $500, this bathroom was transformed from ’80s wonderland—complete with peach tiles, wallpapered outlet cover, tiny triangle sink, stained glass medicine cupboard, and robot curtains—into a bright, modern sanctuary. Thanks to The Handyman’s Daughter, this is like an entirely new bathroom, but in a fun twist, the blue from the old bathroom made it into the new.

Like most laundry/mudrooms in existence, this one was overwhelmed. Serving as a catchall space, it held “swim gear, laundry, and other junk… tons of shoes, the vacuum cleaner, and extra pantry items (since we don’t have a pantry).” That’s enough to overwhelm any space, but one intrepid DIYer spent six weeks turning this one into a lovely, multi-purpose room. While a cheerful pup improves any room by 1200 percent, some other major upgrades are at play as well.

This bedroom was described as “so sad… but there is so much potential,” and one intrepid DIYer brought out all that and so much more. The stars of the new bedroom are a stunning accent wall made from ordinary board and batten, and some seriously cool rustic wood sliding closet doors. This makeover was completed by Angela of Angela Rose Home, and though Angela refers to it as The Boy’s Room (it belongs to a son), it’s beautifully gender neutral.

In just 56 square feet, one experienced DIYer needed to fit a shower, toilet, sink—and, ideally, some beauty. After just six weeks of hard after-work work, this little bathroom has reached its full potential. It’s difficult to take great establishing shots of small spaces, but luckily the owner of this petite bathroom is here to describe its issues in detail: Our bathroom wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t good.

Yes, they are so luxurious, but there's a catch.

This “room” was described by its new owner as “a dungeon of a space underneath the garage that was large and dirt-filled,” but being a designer and, some would say, visionary, she saw a dreamy home gym-to-be. This really is a dream gym. Seriously, that floor! It’s the visual equivalent of an ultimate workout jam, and it practically makes one want to start jumping around.

Bathroom renovations take time and come with a hefty price tag. The national average for a restroom remodel is $9,724, according to Home Advisor’s 2018 True Cost report. And in the upcoming year, homeowners plan on shelling out an average of $2,406 on upgrading their baths, according to the cost analysis. You don’t need to break the bank to upgrade the look of your bathroom.

This kitchen had a lot of problems—the ubiquitous over-sink scallop is just the beginning—so its intrepid but inexperienced new owner decided to DIY an entirely new kitchen by herself, including electrical work.

Hannah Wilson and her husband own a home remodeling/design company called Blank Slate Renovations, and the home they currently live in is a 1,300-square-foot condo in Dallas, Texas. They had to remodel the whole space and they had to stick to a pretty low budget. Now finished, it’s got a minimal/modern/organic/Scandi/boho style.

These classic ’90s honey cabinets are about to get a major makeover, and those tiny backsplash tiles are not long for this world. And while there might be subway tiles involved, this is definitely not one of those wall-to-wall white remodels. Here’s the backstory on this renovation and what the homeowner was going for: Our ’90s kitchen had good bones but dark, dated features and oak cabinets that were begging for some color.

Many makeovers involve transforming dark rooms with white paint and paring things down, but this one is completely the opposite. This room is about to get a lot darker, significantly fuller, and exponentially more fabulous—with one special surprise. This is absolutely stunning. The room has the feel of a 200-year-old study, a magical place to stumble upon in an ancient home. One would never guess it was totally put together from scratch.

This laundry room was pretty nice—lovely daylight, pleasant neutrals, plenty of storage, and a few beautiful accessories. But after a dozen years of basically ignoring it, the room’s owners were more than ready for a makeover. Here’s the scoop on the issues with the laundry room: Our laundry room is central to our house, situated off of our living room and right next to our bedroom.

This “stuck in 1989” bathroom needed a lot more than just aesthetic improvements, as its tile, vanity, and toilet all had issues. Not unexpected after 30 years, but it was time for a makeover. Graphic designer Malcolm Simmons of Mas Means More gave this guest bathroom a fresh, modern look that looks clean and welcoming for guests, and embraces one of the year’s biggest trends.

Although this guest bathroom had a lot going for it—spaciousness, tons of natural light, lots of counter space—it was also, in the words of its owner, “truly a flashback to 1993 in all its bathroom glory.” The scalloped sink and peeled wallpaper had to go, so the entire bathroom got a 21st-century makeover.

While this kitchen was quite tasteful and full of quality finishes, it didn’t fit in at all in the rest of the colorful, relaxed, free-spirited home. With just $80—and plenty of hard work—its owner gave it a fresh, fun new look. Here’s a little more information about the kitchen and the home, and what led to this undertaking: My kitchen was very dark and traditional before. Our cabinets were a dark cherry wood.

This totally ’80s bathroom was “a beige nightmare” with a few issues beyond the aesthetic, but two stalwart DIYers managed to remedy all that and create a fabulously inviting space, all with just two weekends’ of work and $2,000.

This kitchen was very cramped, what with all the intense wood paneling, small size, and free-range dishwasher. Over eight years, this 40-year-old kitchen in a 140-year-old home has been updated, and the fabulous results suit the house much better then all this ever could. Reader Chrissie Brackett is here to share a bit more about this kitchen and its challenges: Our kitchen and porch in our 1870s Victorian hadn’t been updated in about 40 years.

While you’re thinking about resolutions, your mind may wander to your home: how will you make your house a better place this year? While a big project isn’t always feasible, you can still work within the existing framework of your space to transform your home into a better, more functional place. How? We asked the pros—from realtors, to contractors, to interior designers—to dish on the easiest and cheapest home upgrades.

This little shed was lurking in its new owners’ backyard, too large for their storage needs and far too large and unsightly to ignore. After a year of sneaking in DIY work in the evenings and on weekends after their day jobs, the couple now has a charming tiny house for beloved—and paying—guests.

There are a lot of fabulous tiny houses out there, but very few of them started life as a car dealership office before serving as a beloved taco stand for two decades. This is no ordinary tiny house, and after 50 busy, bustling years, it now provides a peaceful retreat for visitors in rural Texas.

This kitchen had a lovely window, but thanks to dark, abundant cabinetry and a peekaboo wall, not much daylight flowed through the space. After living with the less-than-ideal arrangement, its owner was finally able to renovate—and the results are sunny and fun. The kitchen is now so nice and open, awash in natural light reflected off the white, yellow, green, and silvery finishes.

When you picture a bathroom, what do you see? I envision a fairly standard space—lots of white tile and a vanity with a few drawers and a cabinet. If it’s clean, modern, and functional, I’m largely satisfied. But according to the pros, the bathrooms of the future have much more to offer. Here, the biggest, most surprising bathroom trends you’ll see in 2019. “Color, color, color,” says Nancy Epstein, founder and CEO of Artistic Tile.

This home on Chicago’s Gold Coast was originally built in 1892, but was transformed into condominiums in 1978. This particularl unit—a two-bedroom space with one and a half baths—hadn’t been touched since. Covered in old carpet (even in the kitchen, shudder) and in need of a lot of work, Kira Cole wasn’t deterred by the design task at hand when she purchased the space.

Welcome to one of the most mysterious kitchens in Before & After history: A kitchen trapped in an octagonal pen, with a built-in fryer and an oppressively low ceiling that spits in the face of the home’s gloriously high ceilings. After a major investment of time, money, and effort, this kitchen is less… unique, but still full of personality. This full-length shot reveals how incredibly high the ceiling is and showcases the odd, church-like feel of this kitchen nook.

One of the best things about tile is its sheer variety: You can find an option to suit any taste, including the taste that doesn’t like tile much at all (in that case, go for those ceramic planks that look like wood, complete with graining). And in the past few years, tile companies have been seriously upping their game, expanding beyond the rectangles we know and love to unexpected shapes, colors, and finishes.