Home Projects

This immaculate 1950s pink tile bathroom was completely untouched. Other than a few paint updates over the decades, it had never seen a full renovation. As the only bathroom in a 1,600-square-foot family home, the homeowners lived with the dated look for about four years before they decided to make change. Here’s a slightly larger of a shot, so you can see the space from head to toe: They asked designer Teri Moore of T.

Here we have a perfectly nice entryway console, adaptable to nearly any style with the right knobs. But its owner had something a bit more special and a lot more specific in mind… This is absolutely delightful and I wish it were available in a dress, or perhaps a dress/shoe combo. Pink and green go so well together, and they both pair wonderfully with gold, so the trio is totally fabulous.

This bedroom, pre-makeover, was very relatable: an assortment of cozy fabrics in interesting patterns, a jury-rigged reading light, and a bit of fun thanks to the dartboard. Relatable, but not up to the high standards of its resident, who’s been passionate about interior design since childhood. That’s more like it.

When I think of Anthropologie, I think of fun and riotous color, mixed patterns and lots of layers. A store where more is more and minimalism is a four letter word— and not necessarily a destination for practical items. I do love to occasionally browse all the store’s beautiful things, and ogle their creative store displays, but there’s actually one thing I go there all the time to buy, something that’s useful for everyone.

Like it or not, house flipping is back: Americans flipped more than 200,000 homes in 2017, the most since 2006. But while there’s an understandable appeal to buying a freshly renovated, move-in ready home, there are some things to think about before you buy a flipped house. House flippers do it to make money—enough to make it worth the considerable risk, effort, and upfront investment. The average profit on a flipped house was $66,448 in the third quarter of 2017.

You probably already own this.

A common point of discussion regarding renovations is that what we consider to look classic now will inevitably look dated someday—possibly someday soon. This kitchen, renovated less than two decades ago, is getting a much-needed (according to its owner) update. Let’s learn a bit more about what this kitchen was like, because photos never tell the whole story: We fitted our kitchen 18 years ago and, although it’s a classic design, it was starting to look very dated.

Marie Kondo is famous for her KonMari method and bestselling book, “The Life Changing Art of Tidying Up“—both of which promise to help you wrest control of the stuff in your home. But what about when you have to take some of that stuff on the road? We recently invited Kondo into the Apartment Therapy studios to demo her new drawer organizing boxes. And while she was here, we challenged her to take on a few of life’s trickiest organizing conundrums.

Kai and Julie are the kind of adventurous couple to take a risk. While walking to get coffee in their Berlin neighborhood, they came across this bus for sale—and bought it the next day. According to Kai, these sorts of buses aren’t commonly found in their area. Not to mention the couple didn’t know anything about converting a bus when they made the purchase.

You’re looking at a pretty standard-fare bathroom, one part of a mostly unrenovated 1950s house where Andrea lives with her family. Since she’s a renter, she decided to make one big temporary change—something warm and fun—that works with the pink tile in the bathroom shower. I think we can all agree this is very fun, and very bold.

When Laura Gibson and her husband decided to buy this rental home, they knew a lot of changes would need to be made for it to fit their family’s needs. One of the biggest updates Laura wanted to make was to remodel the dark, closed-in kitchen. To create the open-concept great room that Laura dreamed of, the couple did have to knock down some walls in the home, creating a big open kitchen, dining room and seating area.

When Laura Gibson—who runs the blog Sophisticated Rust—and her husband moved into this rental house, she didn’t see a lot to love. It was small, hadn’t been taken care of, and just wasn’t what she wanted in a home. But her husband fell in love with the property and persuaded her to consider purchasing it. She was finally sold on the idea, but only if they put a lot of work into the house.

A while ago, I wrote a post about how to ventilate a kitchen when you don’t have a range hood or vent. A number of Kitchn readers recommended installing a reversible window fan which, when put on the exhaust setting, can effectively draw smells, steam, and smoke out of your kitchen. I don’t have a hood in my rental kitchen, and for a long time I just ran the ceiling fans in other rooms when I cooked something particularly smelly or smoky. It worked okay, but wasn’t ideal.

There’s often one element in old kitchens that we’re all rooting for, crossing our fingers that it survives the big renovation. For this kitchen makeover, I’m holding my breath that the amazing pink double oven makes the cut. Reader Amanda Schaneman shares some insight into what this kitchen was really like, as photos never tell the whole story: The kitchen before the remodel was dark, dirty, and dated.

This “before” bathroom features vintage tiles, which are beautiful in their own way, but also make the space feel a little dated. To the rescue? Modern wallpaper. The bold print took this outdated 1950s style straight into 2018. The wallpaper has so much tropical flair, and I’m intrigued by the way the green of the palm fronds works with the tile color.

Just because you can improvise something, doesn’t mean that you should. Case in point: this Subreddit thread with quite possibly the most cringe-worthy DIY fails ever—seriously, Pinterest ain’t got nothing on these hacks gone horribly wrong.

This kitchen had a somewhat odd configuration—water heater and washing machine, but not a dryer?—and two of our readers were plumb sick of it. In just over a month, they transformed this slightly confused space into a kitchen that’s as practical as it is elegant. Plus it has a bonus laundry room! This is so different and exvellent.

When reader Erika moved into this house, the living room was musty and dusty. But after four months and a ton of work (and a fair amount of money), this space is transformed and totally fresh. It’s easy to look at that room before and assume the only issue with it is that it might not be someone’s taste. But here’s the truth, from reader Erika Thompson: These are the pictures that were on the listing when we bought the house.

Yes, that’s right: sponge painting! If any of you are old enough to remember when sponge painting (or feather duster painting, ooh-la-la) was the hot new thing, this bathroom is probably bringing back a few flashbacks. While sponge painting is sure to make a comeback any day now, the homeowner was ready for a change—especially from the peeling floors.

When I first saw these dreamy blue tiles, I held my breath that they would survive this bathroom’s makeover. And when I saw the results? Legitimate gasp! This Before & After is so, so fun and incredibly well done. This is glorious! I would never have thought of that wallpaper with these tiles in a million years; fortunately, Carrie Hayward of Disney Travel Babble has a lot more vision than I do.

This ordinary-appearing bathroom was harboring a terrible secret, so a renovation was urgent and 100 percent necessary. And if the finishes just happened to get (majorly) upgraded in the process? So be it… As usual, the Before photo doesn’t tell the whole story—here’s what this bathroom was like before it was gutted: Original floor tiles, missing drawers, and mismatched faucets. This is what our master bathroom looked like when we purchased the home in summer of 2017.

This bathroom was built in the ’30s, redecorated 30 years later… and then used as-is for decades. The new homeowners wanted to give the bathroom a much-needed update without spending a ton, and the results are a delight. First, here’s a tiny bit of backstory: 1931 Craftsman BADLY needed repainting when my then-boyfriend (now husband) purchased the house in 2003… This year we did a “temporary” budget remodel on a TERRIBLE 1960s bathroom remodel.

With so many things that really ought to be done by a professional when it comes to home improvement, the temptation—the need if you don’t have deep pockets—to DIY the simple stuff is totally understandable. And first on that list has got to be painting. All you do is grab a brush and go to work, NBD. Right? Well, it’s true that most anyone can do it. Doing it well, on the other hand? Maybe not so much.

I don’t know about you, but on hot summer nights I don’t want anything remotely close to me, unless it’s the frigid, steady breeze from the AC unit. I’ve been known to draw an invisible boundary line down the center of our bed (not unlike the line that separated my sibling and me in the back of our parents’ car on long trips when we were kids), restricting my husband to “his side” so his body heat stays as far away from me as possible.

This master bedroom was perfectly nice but understandably neglected, having been low on the family’s priority list for years. But it finally got its much-desired makeover, and the hotel-inspired results are totally worth the wait. This is so dreamy and calm! I’ve never stayed at a Four Seasons hotel, but now I want to know if the rooms are anything like this. Stephanie of Olive and Tate is responsible for this excellent bedroom upgrade.

Why are we showing you a photo of a kitchen in a post allegedly about an entryway? Well, because the wall you see is about to disappear, opening up the entryway in a major way. Kimberly Smith of Turning It Home helpfully describes the situation: In our home was a non-load bearing wall that separated the entry way/dining room from the kitchen.

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They aren't just for closets.

This poor old dresser was dated and unwanted, until one intrepid crafter, armed with only a vision and an impressive drawer pull collection, took it in and made it over. The results are fantastically impressive. I actually squealed a bit when I saw this—and I don’t even really like purple! This is a piece that is 100% practical (storage), while somehow also being 100% fun (tassels!).

As a renter, I love this product and think it's easier than the real deal.

This vintage trailer had been sitting neglected for years, but was finally rescued and restored by someone with a dream. It’s now as darling as you could ever hope a vintage trailer would be, with a sassy twist. Here’s a bit more about what the trailer was like before its makeover: The trailer is a vintage Layton travel trailer. This trailer had been sitting on a family member’s property for as long as I can remember. It was a mess but it had “good bones.

The project is super easy to complete.

This guest room had beautiful wooden floors, a cool old radiator, and some pretty delicious blue paint, but it was gradually becoming “kind of a neglected spot.” This renovation-free redo transformed the room from an accidental storage space to basically a boutique hotel, complete with a commissioned mural.

While this bathroom might not have looked bad at all before, its owner described it as “by far the worst bathroom we’d ever owned,” full of safety, sanitary, practical, and aesthetic issues. Two months later, the only issue with the bathroom is that it’s not mine. This is so stunning. I am an absolute sucker for those starburst tiles—and an equal sucker for vanities that look like (or began their lives as) furniture designed for other rooms of the home.

Whether about polka-dot blouses or gold hardware, you know what they say: Trends come and go. You may hate that Pepto-Bismol pink bathroom in your fixer-upper, but we can all but guarantee the original owners installed it because it was in fashion, and not the cheapest tile in the store. So why do tastes change so much over the years? Aqua blue was everywhere—cars, refrigerators, toys, stoves, bathroom tile—in the years following World War II, explains Claire E.

After 20 years, this living room was ready for an update. It didn’t need a gut job, just a refresh, a lightening, and perhaps even a brightening. Now the room still has all of its best elements, plus a few new ones that suit the space—and the times—perfectly. This is so streamlined and sophisticated now. It’s a clear evolution of the aesthetic seen in the image before, which is fascinating to see.

Every home has its trouble spots, and clothing piles are a big one in many bedrooms.

One of the most fun aspects of these makeover posts is getting to see all the ’80s decor, especially 1980s bathrooms. Here we have a wall-to-wall frameless mirror, wood towel bar and light fixture, orange-y wood in general, and, most importantly, a cream marble seashell sink. Perhaps those will come back into fashion, but for now, it’s gone! Let’s explore how else this bathroom was updated.

Lack of counter space is up there on the list of tiny-kitchen frustrations. Even if you’ve KonMari-ed your kitchen and tucked all your usual space-hogging suspects away, it’s possible you’ll still come up short. Still, it’s easier than you might think to increase your work surface area. Here are eight solutions in order of difficulty from super simple to more involved (read: some degree of handiness required).

This family kitchen had a lot going for it—tons of windows, seating, and storage—but its owner described it as “SO dark. Dark counters, dark cabinets, dark lighting.” As magical as dark lighting sounds, the family felt this kitchen was due for a makeover and made it happen in just six weeks.

Read this before you install.

This kitchen is only 6 x 16 feet, but its owner managed to make it as roomy, practical, and inviting as possible. Spoiler alert: They even managed to squeeze in a ultra-cozy sitting area. This “bit of copper with a dash of pink theme” kitchen was completed by Kat of Rock N Roll Bride in four weeks, and I think it’s a major success.

This 34-square-meter (366-square-foot) Moscow apartment might not look like too much right now, but its owner saw potential and had it transformed into a rather roomy—bigger than at least two of my apartments anyway—Airbnb rental apartment. Unsurprisingly, the kitchen is the heart of this (temporary) home. This renovation was created by Anna Kovalchenko of Essenziale, who wisely stuck to a limited palette—black, white, and wood—throughout the small space.

Let’s be honest: Unless our bathroom caulk falls out completely, it doesn’t occur to many of us to replace it—clean it, sure, but replace entirely? Are we gross? Are we going to die tomorrow? Let’s explore. Fresh caulk should last quite a while—in the five year range—but a couple of factors can reduce its lifespan: Using the wrong kind for the job, poor installation, and even house settling can cause it to pull away from the wall and lose efficacy.

The original aesthetic of this 1984 home will look very familiar to all of us that remember the year—you can almost smell the cigarette smoke!—but it recently received a totally DIY makeover and the results are sweet vintage perfection. Introducing Myrtle…. This is so darling. It looks like the mid-century modern home of a family of storybook beavers. It’s just so sweet.

There’s no shortage of places to purchase art prints that you love, but sometimes you’re on the hunt for something a little more unique—and maybe a little more affordable. If so, this may be the incredibly easy art hack for you. While this art hack is a great way to upgrade a wall in your home, it also solves another common problem: What to do with your favorite tea towels you don’t want to use because you don’t want them getting ruined with food stains.

Be forewarned: This disco-fabulous backsplash is not long for the world, so enjoy it while you can. The rest of the kitchen was perhaps not worthy of such sparkle—two words: burnt linoleum. Now it’s fresh, unified, and bright. This kitchen is right at home in a 100-year-old house, and the modern appliances are nicely camouflaged against the white cabinetry and tiles.

What a nice living room, with vaulted ceiling, dramatic beams, nonstop windows, and luxurious couches you could sink into for days. But brace yourself for something entirely different. Here’s a full-length shot of the room that really shows off that impressive ceiling and the amazing wooden beams. I love the concept of a living area arranged around a view, but I also love what they did with the space instead: Wow!

This kitchen was very nice—great cabinets, pretty paint, sleek black countertops, fantastic wood floors—but even very nice can use a little boost now and then. Peel-and-stick tiles to the rescue, for a polished, personal, and renter-friendly update. This looks so great! The mini subway tile from Home Depot is delightful, plus the color works well with the new appliances and looks amazing with the orange sink.

This guest room closet was due for an update—it was originally dark brown—but its owner didn’t want to drop a ton of cash on it. After spending a few weeks and $76.69, this closet is now practical and super cute. The makeover by Jessica and Brett of The Mountain and Moon is darling. The new shelves add a ton of valuable storage, the accordion rack is as pretty as it is helpful, and that dotted wall is eye-catching!

This kitchen is perfectly nice—that huge window!—but its owner was able to pinpoint a few weaknesses that weren’t really working for the family. After a gradual transformation, this kitchen is now totally different, and totally wonderful. Here’s how reader Miriam Rogers described the kitchen pre-renovation: Dark wood cabinets and linoleum floors. The room was enclosed with a pocket door. A huge window meant there was not a lot of cabinet space.

A reader kindly sent in this bathroom, referring to it as “the epitome of ’90s glam.” For a moment there was hope that the After was going to be ’90s glam—think of all the Nagels!—but, instead, this is the story of how quintessentially ’90s elements were smartly incorporated into an updated, understated, and affordable makeover. Here’s a full-length view.

Some IKEA hacks are small. A little paint here, some new hardware there—they get the job done. And then there are the IKEA hacks that are so big and so dramatic, they make the room. If you have a wall to fill, or a problem to solve, check out some of these genius solutions. This movable art display wall from Sinnen Rausch has so much going for it, starting with that dusty rose paint job.

Here we have a pretty standard rental kitchen, with the classic beige-ish cabinets, walls, fridge, and countertops. It looks like everything is in pretty good shape, but one renter saw room for improvement—and a chance to try out allegedly rental-friendly home improvement products. Every surface has been stickered!

Once my friend Chad came to see me. Upon entering the house, the first thing he did was go to the refrigerator, open the door, and stick his head inside to check out the contents. “I want to see how you live,” he said. This may not be the accepted protocol for visiting a friend in their home, but I think Chad was on to something. What’s in our refrigerators says a lot about us. If we are what we eat, then the refrigerator has become a huge part of who we are.

Use Keurig K cups or Nespresso coffee pods? If yours live in one of those bulky carousels on your counter, or take up an entire drawer, they are using precious kitchen real estate. Here’s a great quick (and temporary) way to up your storage game with an affordable, DIY solution that frees up space, and lets you easily see and grab the flavor you want. Best of all, it only takes minutes and just a couple of bucks.

If you’ve ever watched any home makeover show ever, the big wall teardown signifies that Good Change Is Coming. It’s pretty much mandatory these days to knock down at least one interior wall in the quest for a more open floor plan. But, before you grab the sledgehammer (and pose for that obligatory kicking-through-the-wall Instagram photo op), hold up a sec. Here are ten questions you should ask yourself first.

Be forewarned: This makeover is going to involve a lot of white paint, but when you’re attempting to make the most of a spider dungeon (or a dark, cramped space in a basement), you go with whatever works, and in this case, bright white paint worked like a charm. Wow. What a dreamy little art studio!

Because paint isn't the answer to everything.

Does spring cleaning fever also have you itching to update every space in your home, inside and out? Before you jump into that lighting or landscaping project, Weekend Warrior, make sure to take the proper safety precautions: a new study showed that — no matter the skill level — these are the most common DIY injuries, plus tips and precautions for how to avoid them. By analyzing data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS), the team at InsuranceQuotes.

We see a lot of kitchens and bathrooms. We see a lot of marble kitchens and bathrooms. And we see a lot of marble backsplashes in those marble kitchens and bathrooms. But, just when we thought we’d seen every example out there, a clever and beautiful twist started popping up. It’s not a new idea (in fact it’s quite old), but it definitely feels fresh again. If you love marble as a material, but want a unique way to make it your own, check out these examples.

Front doors get all the attention, but what about interiors doors? You see the inside just as much as the outside, so why not show yours some love. Brittni of Paper & Stitch holds no punches with her dramatic entryway makeover. The dark charcoal walls make the mint door a focal point instead of an afterthought. She also lays out the best plan for painting the door without removing it, and provides a complete checklist. Is there anything cheerier than a yellow door?

In this photo, this little French bedroom appears to simply be a blank slate, but according to its new owners, “Everything was old and ugly.” Five months of DIY weekends later, this room is now cozy, dramatic… and double-decked! The bedroom has gone from plain white to an incredible blue. This paint—Farrow & Ball’s Hague Blue—is the perfect blue for a bedroom; it’s deep and inky like the night sky, while perfectly white linens pop against it like stars.

Name: Nikki Norberg and Bryan Frank Location: Minneapolis, MN Size: 1200 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, owned I work at Blu Dot doing a mixture of photo and design, and Bryan is a web developer. Ceramics is something we both find passion in because it is a way to escape the computer screen and create with our hands. Here was our very sad, dingy, asbestos-tile filled basement just a few months ago. We wanted to convert the basement into a usable studio where we felt relaxed and inspired.

Reader Caroline Savard shared the transformation of her Quebec rental—which only took one week! This apartment went from intensely colorful and crowded to calm and cozy, yet still absolutely packed with personality and style. Now the kitchen is so lovely and calm. You might laugh, but I had to look back and forth a few times to confirm that the only major change made was the painting of the cabinets and walls. And, of course, the clutter was cleared, which is incredibly powerful.

A 175-square-foot apartment is a small apartment, but one of our readers has transformed a challenging space overwhelmed by bulky furniture into a serene, seemingly spacious oasis, all for $1,700. Before we move on to the studio as it is now, here’s how reader Emily Barry described it before: The space had a more utilitarian feel before I moved in; it was basically being used only for sleeping, and didn’t feature much more than a bed and a TV.

Hanging up some wall shelves is one of the best things you can do for a room, and even a shelf you don’t adore is a good thing to have. However, if you can take an ordinary, affordable shelving unit and transform it into something remarkable for just $5, why not?

This smart redo preserved everything that was great, and changed everything that wasn't.

This ultra-’90s bathroom was radically transformed into a stunning, smart, and structurally unrecognizable bathroom for less than $3,000. It took vision, elbow grease, and a few (not so) small tasks. You know, like building custom door frames, “casting in place with concrete,” and “construct[ing] a custom wet table saw.” Easy breezy! That marble is simply to die for.

The hall bathroom in Mary Ann and Frank’s Upper West Side apartment was a bit of a Monet: cute from afar, but kind of crumbly and weird up close. The apartment was built in 1929, and all the fixtures in the bathroom were original. This meant that the tiles and tub had both seen better days. After living in their apartment since 1992, Mary Ann and Frank were ready for a bathroom that was a little more ‘wow’ and a little less ‘it’ll do.

Blame it on HGTV or Pinterest, but millennials seem to think they’re pretty handy — even when they’re not. Nearly seven in 10 millennials (69%) consider themselves handy around the house, according to a new survey by Porch — including 79% of millennial men. By comparison, only 61% of baby boomers and 62% of Gen Xers said the same. And to some extent, millennials are walking the walk: Home Depot said that DIY-minded young homeowners are helping to boost sales.

A daring and dramatic 30-day transformation.