Home Projects by Room

Becky sent in before and after shots of her master bath makeover. She writes: Our house was beautifully renovated about 15 years ago, long before it was ours. All the important stuff was done perfectly, but a few aesthetics left something to be desired. Like our master bathroom. BOOOR-ING. Square tile on the walls, pinkish-peach square tiles on the floor, builder grade sink top and vanity. Cheap, boring fixtures. And GIANT wall-encompassing mirror.

Renovation by: Takbir Fatima from DesignAware Location: Hyderabad, India This kitchen had been through a lot of wear: the original construction was faulty, causing leakage in the floor, the original design allowed for almost no natural light to enter the kitchen, and previous tenants’ lack of maintenance had made an entire wall stubbornly greasy. Before moving in, I brought down the wall separating the kitchen and dining areas, opening up the space.

When Andi, Dean and their building neighbors decided to re-paint the faded exterior of their Victorian home, it quickly became apparent that the process was not for amateurs. Located in the Alamo Square neighborhood of San Francisco, not far from the famous painted ladies, their building is over a century old.

Project by: Sabina Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania We moved into our house three years ago and it was love at first sight. We loved everything about it—except the fact that it was incredibly outdated. So, after putting up with our dated, depressing kitchen for three years, in June of 2015 we finally started our dream kitchen renovation. We had replaced a few of the appliances with our own when we moved in, so we didn’t opt to get all new appliances during this renovation.

Project by: Christina of andchristina Location: Philadelphia, PA Last year my boyfriend (now fiance 🙂 and I bought our first house (a rowhome in the Fishtown neighborhood of Philadelphia) and we’ve spent the last few months transforming the first floor, mainly the kitchen (check it out here!), and also building this breakfast nook in the main living area.

Every so often, someone sends in a project that 100% reaffirms my belief in the power of paint along with good diy and decorating skills. This is one of them. Take it away (and OMG, amazing job!

Project by: June Location: Hertfordshire, UK Our hallway was dark and dull, looking grubby and tired.

Project by: Ana Location: Seattle, WA The one thing I love and appreciate most in life, besides my baby son Magnus and awesome husband Jordan, is working with my hands. The process of creation amazes me every time, and I look down at my hands and thank them for being healthy and strong, then I realize I should thank my eyes, brain and heart for caring on an artistic drive in me year after year.

Project by: Katherine Location: Wichita, KS When we moved into our almost century-old house five years ago we were in the throes of planning a wedding (in the backyard of that house) and so a lot of things got the quick and dirty treatment. The dining room was one of those things. A coat of paint on the walls, a craigslist table and chairs, and a CB2 light fixture and call it good! This past fall, my father-in-law gave us a massive amount of books and along with them, several shelves.

Project by: Karen We just moved into a 1929 Tudor bungalow. The kitchen is small and has only one window. The upper cabinets made the room seem darker. In addition, they were hard for me to reach (I’m 5’2″). So I took them out and replaced them with open shelving in gloss white. The room was instantly brighter. I added storage in the pantry to make up for the lost cabinet space. So I took out the upper cabinets and replaced them with open shelving in gloss white.

Project by: Taylor Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Just days before my scheduled c-section, we were finally finishing our daughter’s nursery. We wanted a room with lots of contrast, personality and DIY touches. We also knew we were working with a small space and so we wanted our choices to be high-impact and make a smart use of our limited floor space.

Project by: Molly of Awfully Big Adventure Location: Austin, TX This project focused on taking my tiny, boring, popcorn-ceilinged living room and turning it into a cheery, comfortable place to come home to- all on a serious budget. Using mainly Ikea, Craigslist, hand-me-downs, and tchotchkes galore, the living room came together and is now a colorful, eclectic space far from the oatmeal box it once was.

Renovation by: Wendy Location: Nevada City We wanted the look of a stacked stone accent wall in our bathroom. However, we were unable to find a stone veneer that would fit behind our toilet. We decided to use reclaimed pine which we got from used pallets. We cut approximately 350 pieces of wood into different lengths and depths all with the same height (2.5 inches). We used a very strong floor glue to adhere the pieces of wood to the wall. After the wall was complete, we painted it a light gray.

Project by: Kate Location: Des Moines, Iowa My husband and I moved into our little house in Des Moines (in a historic area called Beaverdale, full of houses from the ’30s) in July, and were very excited to start bringing some personality into the place! We liked the olive green walls of the living room and dining room, but realized shortly after hanging stuff up that we needed more color in the space.

Alison Dahl Kelly shared photos and the story of her amazing kitchen and dining room makeover with us. Take it away, Alison: Purchased in 2009, our artfully restored 1880’s townhouse has been taken apart and put back together again, restoring some old and adding some new. What attracted us to buy this house were the still-intact original details—parquet flooring, tin ceilings, marble fireplaces, built-in cabinetry, his and hers vanities.

Renovation by: Sofia Location: Toronto, Ontario When we purchased our house 4.5 years ago, our basement had a lot of potential with large windows and a beautiful backyard view. The operative word here is “potential” as the space was completely unlivable at the time. The primary objective of the entire basement renovation — and especially this bathroom — was to do it stylishly on a budget.

Renovation by: Alicia Location: Orem, Utah This project was such a drastic change and so much fun! This was months in the making – between backorders and busy summers, we were finally able to finish my friend’s master bedroom! From basic and drab to classy and chic, it was a fun and drastic reveal! When I did the first initial consult, my friend said she never really thought to decorate her master. It’s a HUGE master bedroom and had so much potential!

Makeover by: Wendi Location: Seattle, Washington The room had looked the same (horrible) for 18 years. After my divorce, I decided it was time for a change. The project was done over the course of the summer this year, with the main costs being paint and trim. Though I did not set a budget or keep track of the total, the project was relatively inexpensive.

Project by: Louise Location: Utica, New York We live in a 1930’s Dutch Colonial house in Central NY. The second-floor bathroom (the only one with a bathtub) was a disaster when we bought the house and stayed that way for several years. The room is extremely narrow. And to make things worse, the previous owner installed a vanity so large that there was no space to move around in there. The renovation had to be affordable, so the toilet, tub and sink had to remain in the same spots.

Project by: Kara and Matt Location: Charlotte, NC This past spring we purchased a 1960’s style brick ranch that aesthetically was still stuck in that decade. The home had great bones, but like most houses built at that time, contained lots of tiny “living” spaces, like a small L shaped kitchen, a super dark paneled den and a long, narrow living room.

Makeover by: Paige Location: Naperville, Illinois My husband and I just finished our latest project: updating our main bathroom for under $250. We went back and forth about doing a larger renovation in here, but in the end we decided to work with what we had first. If we could get it to look great with minimal labor for us, then why not try it? We replaced the counter top (which was veined with purple!

Project by: Sarah & Chad Location: Montreal, Canada We thought we were going to take a break from renovating our 1950s attached house in Montreal after completely gutting the kitchen and updating the whole main level but a leaky toilet derailed our plans.

Justin sent us before, during and after photos of his recent bathroom makeover: I bought my condo 2.5 years ago and the upstairs half bath was pretty awful. My girlfriend and I did a ton of research on materials since we wanted to go with a more modern renovation. No timeframe, but we needed it done sooner than later considering we’re talking about cohabitation.

When faced with an outdated kitchen, it’s a natural reaction to want to go for the gut and simply start with a clean slate. It takes a a good eye and plenty of design confidence to recognize a situation where not everything has to go and instead, successfully build on the old, seen-better-days bones of the room.

As renters, we take what we can get, and what we often get are miniscule (or non-existent) entryways and a lack of built-in storage. This multi-faceted organizer has a variety of ways to hang your stuff — coats, bags, and umbrellas — so they are at your fingertips as you head out the door, and stay tidy when you come back in. As a neat bonus, it also has a magnetized area for keys. You can learn how to make one yourself, right after the jump!

I get obsessed with things I see on Pinterest, and this padded headboard (okay, the whole place) is one of my recent fixations. I like the modern, streamlined look of it— but that it’s also more relaxed than a lot of the tufted, nailhead DIY headboards I see all the time.

When remodeling a bathroom, consider adding a recessed shower shelf into your design. It’s a practical and streamlined way to add storage space for shampoos and soaps, without taking away elbow room. Built-in shower niches are also a great alternative to gunky corner shelves and rusty shower caddies. For all of you DIY renovators, read on to learn how to build a shower shelf of your own.

Applying grout is always exciting. It’s the final touch to all of your hard tiling work, and much less tedious and time consuming. (If you missed it, see my earlier tutorial on how to tile your shower.) Yet, there are still some steps to ensure the longevity of your grout lines and the lifespan of your tiles.

Unlike painting, tiling isn’t as quick and easy as it looks. Tiling is for those who enjoy tedious, repetitive perfectionism. And I can’t say that I do, but in the end, the three days that turned into three weeks (seriously) was all worth it. Clean white subway tile transforms spaces — all in such a timeless way. So, before you start mixing the thin-set, check out the lessons I learned about how to tile your bathroom.

Earlier this week, I showed you my newly renovated sink and backsplash area in my kitchen. If you’re interested in learning how to remove and install your own sink, follow these steps to complete the process yourself! A new kitchen sink that fits both width, length and depth of the existing space Plumber’s putty Your brand new sink!

Looking to cook up some style in your own home? Get inspired by our favorite kitchen redos of the year.

These aren't going anywhere.

These ideas will take your kitchen to the next level.

These are the biggest faux pas you can make.

How I got what I wanted, for a whole lot less.

In the market for new granite countertops—or just looking to take care of the ones you have? We have the low-down.

This instant style boost takes up no floor space.

The total budget for the renovation was a lot less than you might think, too.

This is a very welcome twist.

In an hour or less, your kitchen can look totally fresh. Seriously!

Hosting more guests than you know what to do with? Here, our tips for making it work in the smallest of spaces.

If you have to go, you might as well make it fun.

It's a lot of bang for less than a Benjamin.

These will knock your socks off, despite the teeniest tiniest price tags imaginable.

Creating your own countertops may seem intimidating — but we’ve rounded up 10 stylish DIYs that demystify the process. Your kitchen will look brand-new in no time! 1. Above: DIY Concrete Coated Countertops by Little Green Notebook 2. Faux Marble Countertops by Batchelors Way for Remodelaholic 3. DIY Butcher Block Countertops by This and That 4. DIY Live Edge Wood Countertops by Modfrugal (This is obviously a bathroom, but the concept could be adapted to a kitchen.) 5.

This easy project adds both style and function, with very little effort.

Weekends are precious. Use them wisely.

Six smart tips for what you should know before you invite a new sofa into your home.

Your tiny kitchen is about to feel a whole lot bigger.

If you can't add a window, try one of these low-cost tricks instead.

We see a lot of kitchen makeovers, and these are our editors' favorites of the year... so far!

Old cabinets and wall-to-wall carpet in much of the rooms, the interiors were pretty outdated before the renovation.

Up the style of this often-overlooked area with these clever, budget-friendly ideas.

Brick veneer plus DIY art makes for one fresh hangout space.

With twenty years of accumulated items, one New York City apartment dweller was ready for a change, starting with some major decluttering.

Got marble counters? You'll want to read this to avoid future repair costs.

You don't have to spend a fortune to make a big impact in your living space. Here, our favorite ideas for brining lots of charm and character for not a lot of money.

It's hard to believe they're the same room!

Got a rental in need of a kitchen facelift? No problem!

Depending on where you live, your entryway may be as large as an entire room or as small as the patch of wall next to your front door. But don’t confuse a lack of space with a lack of potential.

Name: Lorna Ziller Type of Project: Open plan kitchen, dining, and sitting room remodel Location: Moonah, Hobart, Tasmania Type of building: Brick cottage After planning, dreaming, destroying and shopping, Lorna’s new kitchen and living space is here! Take the full tour now. Afterwards, she crunches the numbers and offers some hard earned DIY wisdom — as well as shares her favorite things about her sleek new space.

Name: Graeme & Rebekah Molloy Type of Project: Kitchen Remodel Location: Chautauqua Park, Des Moines, Iowa Type of building: 1920 Tudor Graeme and Rebekah’s kitchen was seriously outdated, and had a crazy layout to boot. Join them on their renovation journey to a new dishwasher, complete with old-house problems, scheduling snafus and charming Pinterest finds. We’re sharing all their photos, budget, lessons learned, and the final reveal!

Why have a room serve only one purpose when it can have a few?

It took about three weeks and cost around $6,400 to complete this bold black and white bathroom renovation.

Welcome to Apartment Therapy’s $32 Design Challenge. Finding the perfect piece of furniture is hard enough… but then it can be surprisingly tricky—and expensive—to style it just right for your home. We challenged five staffers to style five different areas of the home, from the entryway to a desk, with a budget of just $32. Follow along with the whole series here.

Bye bye, golden wood cabinets!

Every entryway needs these three things: a mirror, a dish for keys, and something pretty to motivate you on the way out the door (or welcome you home). See how they all come together!

Yes, it's totally possible!

A dark and dated back room is now an airy and bright master bedroom with gorgeous exposed ceiling joists.

Cali Gabrielle must be a magician, because she made an ugly old house turn into an absolutely stunning home.

Sarah Robertson has made a career out of designing kitchens—and she finally made one of her dreams.

When it comes to kitchen design, there have really only been two options: cookie cutter IKEA or cost prohibitive custom—and not much in between. While the former is getting a lot nicer with the recent crop of third-party sellers creating design-forward cabinet fronts and various other elevated touches, the latter hasn’t seen much in the way of innovation or accessibility.