Home Projects by Room

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Unless you are an alien who is fascinated by the fact that humans secrete unsavory odors and deposit them onto their clothing, you probably don’t enjoy doing laundry. If you need motivation to get through all those whites and darks, we’ve got nine very affordable ways to spruce up your laundry room and make it an inspiring place you actually want to be in. Laundry rooms rival doctors offices in terms of sterility.

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.

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.

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.

Though this bathroom functioned just fine on paper, it was clearly a bit cramped—that’s the shower stall on the right just inside the door—and, according to its owners, “old, cheap, mismatched, and just plain ugly.” While all the finishes and fixtures look nice enough in the photo, and the palette is cool and understated, photos never tell the whole story. This tiny bathroom is about to get a big upgrade.

This open-plan living and dining room had tons of charm: A graceful chandelier, attractive and comfortable furniture, lush plants, and lots of natural light. Its owner, however, wanted to added a little something extra—that je ne sais quoi that would elevate the space. Reader Kari Hailey looked for ways to add architectural interest and warmth to the room, and finally found something they could do themselves, without spending a ton of money. Kari cleverly added beams!

Margaret lives in a condo in Atlanta’s Garden Hills neighborhood, in a 12-unit building that dates back to 1919. Old buildings sometimes come with unpleasant surprises, like when Margaret learned that the outside wall of her breakfast nook would have to be completely replaced due to water damage. But instead of seeing inconvenience, Margaret saw an opportunity to make her charming old home even more charming. Here’s a closer look at the breakfast nook alone.

This little ’70s bathroom had some serious space limitations, poor ventilation, and failing plumbing. Though its owner admired some of its best features—that teak vanity!—it was time for a functional overhaul and a major makeover.

The fixtures and finishes in this bathroom were, perhaps, a bit builder standard, and its owners were less charmed. They set out to create a bathroom that fit into their 107-year-old home—and one that had a shower, please.

This bathroom was quite cool, but had a lot going on: dark marble, metal scrollwork, a sculpted sink bowl, a divider wall, and lots of tile. Now it’s lighter, brighter, more serene, and far more spa-like. Christina and Robert of New Darlings—@newdarlings on Instagram—have created such a fresh new look. Removing the partial wall truly opened up the space, letting the light flow through beautifully.

In 1976 Julia Child wrote an essay for Architectural Digest about her home in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In it she called her kitchen “the beating heart and social center of the household … both practical and beautiful, a working laboratory as well as a living and dining room.” Sounds so lovely, right? We—as her humble servants, now and forever—can’t get enough of her kitchen either.

An interior designer helped update this San Diego kitchen for her parents, who requested “a fresh, modern yet classic style” with a generally black-and-white palette. To keep the budget under control, the family turned to inexpensive IKEA cabinets, then gave them a boost with Semihandmade doors. Beth of 1111 Light Lane did a fantastic job giving the kitchen an update that definitely feels fresh and classic. The Shaker cabinetry is a great balance between modern and traditional.

This kitchen had a ton of pros—stainless steel appliances, wood flooring, tasteful paint colors, granite countertops, a window—but its cons were difficult to work with. The owner called it, “poorly lit, claustrophobic, and tight.” With the help of some professionals and the removal of a wall, the kitchen is now light, bright, and feels much more roomy. Jenn Hair of Jenn Hair Photography is the proud owner of this jewel of a kitchen.

For everyone who has ever mourned the loss of a colorful retro toilet or sink in a bathroom renovation, this project is for you. The cream and white fixtures were replaced with far more charming versions, leading the installation team to clarify, “So you want to put this IN?” Minty vintage perfection! Marley of Bug & Bean—@bugandbeanstitching on Instagram—took this standard and heavily beige bathroom back in time to create a room full of color and retro delights.

Take this warm-toned kitchen, add one or two gallons of paint and some well-priced accessories then subtract one wall and the textured vinyl floor, and suddenly there’s a brand-new kitchen, full of life, light, and color. And all for only $800. Kelsey Sigars—@kelseylenesigars on Instagram—made smart, thrifty choices that have transformed this kitchen.

This kitchen had tons of storage space, a generously proportioned island with a breakfast bar, plenty of lighting, and a nice-sized window. But as its owner explained, “It’s actually a great space and it could be way worse but it’s definitely not my style.” Time for a budget-friendly upgrade! Bre Bertolini—@brepurposed on Instagram—transformed this kitchen, mostly thanks to paint.

While this floral fabric is definitely fabulous, the table has tons of rustic charm, and the kitchen as a whole has enviable amounts of both storage and daylight, it was ready for a change. Enter honeycomb tiles, a tulip table, and a whole new look. Tiffany Kalloor—@tiff_kalloor on Instagram—breathed life into this kitchen by going back to the classics: a black-and-white palette, subway and honeycomb tiles, a tulip table and shell chairs, and a simplified ceiling and cabinetry.

There’s so much to consider when taking on a big renovation—especially one as crucial as a bathroom or a kitchen. In fact, if someone could figure out a way to ensure a project of that magnitude could be completed on time, on budget, and with no errors, they’d probably win a Nobel Peace Prize.

The Philadelphia row house hadn’t been upgraded much in sixty years, so Kristy knew it would be a fixer upper when she bought it. Kristy loves to cook and wanted to create the perfect workspace, so she put a lot of attention into the kitchen. Because of the nature of the renovation loan Kristy took out, she had to hire approved contractors to do most of the work. But that doesn’t mean it was easy.

When Heather Knight moved into her new home, she had to focus on more urgent repairs and wasn’t able to put as much money into the kitchen as she would’ve liked. While the space was in good shape, it was dark and a little too dated for her tastes. With some pretty clever spending, she pulled off a pretty impactful renovation project.

Ida recently stumbled across images she took the day she closed on her condo. Apart from the fantastic light, which is one of the reasons she and her husband were sold on the place, the kitchen was pretty basic and humdrum. It’s come a very long way in the three years since this photo was taken. What was a beige and boring room now feels warm and welcoming. Ida did a wonderful job reviving this kitchen into something totally new, without changing the layout or moving things around.

Some bathrooms are modern and sleek, others are luxurious and spa-worthy. And then there are those adorable ones that you just want to squeeze. This is one of those bathrooms. If the diminutive size wasn’t enough, it also helps that this bathroom is now blush pink, which ups the cuteness factor by 100 times. (For the color curious, the shade is Sherwin-Williams Intimate White). The shade looks great with the brass accents and black hardware and fixtures.

When reader Chantel Breault decided to give her living room a makeover, her chief incentive was to give it some life. The space before didn’t evoke much at all in terms of feelings or aesthetic. It was “Neutral, lacking personality, not even cozy,” and Chantel wanted to make the space feel more cohesive and classic. With solid bones, there fortunately wasn’t a huge amount to tackle with this project.

Elise’s bathroom was tiny and a hodgepodge of somewhat new, but super generic, finishes and fixtures, and a mismatched paint job. She wanted to both enlarge and update the space for her planned family, and do it on a very tight budget. The bathroom is now an incredibly relaxing, earthy space that Elise loves to be in. The stone countertops, combined with reclaimed wood vanity and black fixtures is a great combination that feels rustic and comfortable.

This kitchen was small and it didn’t help that it had a tiny, barely usable breakfast nook just off to the left. Honestly, I don’t think a bagel, let alone a human, could fit in that space, so it just didn’t make sense to keep it. On top of that, the small kitchen was dark and uninviting.

This 925-square-foot apartment was renovated in about 3.5 months.

Project by: Shauna Location: Naples, Florida Our beach cottage in Naples, Florida was a dated 1960s, 2600 square foot home that was dying for an extreme makeover. In just under three months we gutted the kitchen, master bathroom, guest bathroom, guest bedroom and home exterior. The before and after photos are pretty incredible, especially the kitchen and master bathroom. This is our vacation “getaway” home so we kept that in mind with budget and design choices.

I have to admit, I’ve never really thought of the ceiling as something you can DIY. Christina proves that you not only can, you can do it beautifully. And while this project may not be for the DIY-faint of heart, it can definitely provide some inspiration. Skill Level: Moderate Time Required: Weekend Cost: $100 2x4s Tongue and groove wood planks Wood stain Crown molding Saw Build a frame on the wall out of 2x4s. Stain the wood planks ahead of time.

Project by: Christina Location: Jackson, Mississippi We had a small leak in our guest bathroom that required a hole to be knocked in the wall in order to access the pipe. I had (at that time) a wonderful idea to just go ahead and redo the entire bathroom to something a little more fun and light.

Project by: Phil and Bowha Location: Bakersfield, California This beautiful home is located in the Southern California community of Rosedale, which was historically a country town that was founded as a colony of English farmers back in 1891.

Project by: Nada Location: Doha, Qatar I can finally bring to you a long overdue room tour, my own bedroom! I promised awhile back that I would share before and afters from my own home one room at a time, and I’ve already shared Farida’s nursery, my 15 month old daughter, and this is the second room tour that I want to share. My husband and I started looking at the design of the bedroom before our wedding, more than two years ago.

An easy way to dress up any kitchen is to switch out the dated drawer and cabinet pulls. With so many options out there it can be hard to narrow down the search (and it can be easy to spend much more than initially planned). But have you ever thought of making them yourself? Sarah did just that! After painting her rental’s super basic kitchen cabinets a dark moody color (Behr’s Submarine Grey) she installed her DIY leather pulls and took her bland stock kitchen to a whole new level.

Everyone loves the look of a vintage refrigerator — especially a colorful model. If you’re really lucky, you bring home a brand new Smeg, or Big Chill for your kitchen. But if you’re a purist, or on a slimmer budget, you make your dream of a colorful vintage refrigerator come true for much, much less by rolling up your sleeves and doin’ it yourself.

This week Camille is sharing her real life rental challenge and how she transformed her dingy carpeted entryway stairs (with her landlord’s permission!) into something more welcoming, yet still temporary. If you want to see the first post, check out the before photos here. Removing wallpaper can be a terrible task and it’s the last thing anyone wants to deal when they move. This tutorial uses a temporary adhesive that works well for wallpaper in smaller pieces.

Project by: Rebecca Chan Location: Toronto, Ontario My kitchen used to be a small extension of the main floor, cut off from the rest of the living/dining area. Opening up the wall was our main priority, which would make the whole main floor feel much larger and open concept. We had to move our electrical, main stack and water lines, which ended up taking a whole week to move. This ate up a big chunk of the budget, but it was so worth it to do.

Project by: Émilie Location: Quebec City, Canada We bought our 1970s bungalow almost six years ago and we’ve been renovating it ever since, from the roof to the basement. Our biggest and most challenging project was definitely the kitchen. My husband, who is quite handy but no professional carpenter, decided to make all the hardwood cabinets by hand.

Project by: Meena Location: Ashbury Heights — San Francisco, California This converted bedroom project comes from first-time parents who recently bought a house in San Francisco. After spending nearly 10 years on the East Coast, they returned back home to the Bay Area in January to raise their daughter. The family moved in the home when the baby was just two weeks old, so needless to say it was an exhausting and whirlwind experience.

Name: Nadia Location: London, United Kingdom A few weeks ago I decided to participate in a six week makeover challenge. I chose to do my bedroom and closet, but the funny thing is that I had no idea what I would do when I started. No real plan, I was just obsessed with a gorgeous dark floral wallpaper so I wanted create something dark and moody. Unfortunately, I couldn’t afford to buy that beautiful and pricey wallpaper.

Project by: Nadya Location: Brisbane, Australia Our small home was built in 1959, and when my husband and I bought it, I really thought I could deal with the “charming” old galley kitchen.

Project by: Rochelle Location: Wolverton, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, UK We moved into our Victorian terraced house a few weeks before the birth of our first child. We knew we would need to redo the bathroom as it was in a terrible state, though we didn’t expect to have to wait so long to do it! It was finally finished just before Christmas – almost exactly seven years after we’d moved in.

Wendy is doing Florida her way. After snatching up a beach condo with a view, she set about giving the outdated kitchen some much needed pizzaz. Treating her new digs as a blank slate, she added color and mid-century flair, giving the kitchen updated style. From Wendy: Move over snowbirds, soon the sounds of The Rolling Stones, The Cars and even a little Pink Floyd may be drifting through your condo corridors as your new Baby Boomer neighbors move in.

Melissa and James are just renting this cozy Cape Town apartment, but as avid entertainers (and Melissa a soy candle maker), updating the kitchen was a necessity. Old, dark wood cabinetry was given a crisp coat of white paint. And an eye-catching cut vinyl piece above the stove adds pattern and drama to the room. But while the whole kitchen features lovely elements, there’s one item that stood out the most to me: the hanging copper pipe rack.