i love the idea of color-coding your bookshelf!

This home is lovely but I feel like very little has changed, really…

This home is lovely but it doesn’t really look like terribly much has changed.

I can’t really tell much of a difference. It just looks like they cleared the clutter and re-did some upholstery. Love all the natural though…

nice renovation, but i feel like it could’ve been done for much less than $4,000. would’ve been nice to see a breakdown of the costs…

I know! I would love to see the mural!!!!!

I would have painted the cabinets…it still looks a little dated to me, and not in the good vintage-y sense.

I have to agree with other comments. The home is pretty, but the before and after images are not all that inspiring. From what I can tell, it looks like the bulk of the costs would have come from new appliances in the kitchen, and getting the cushions re-covered. While we’re on the subject of lacking before and afters, this section is what initially drew me to Design Sponge. Thursdays were my favorite day to unwind and be astonished by people’s ingenuity. It even inspired me to try my hand at refurbishing a few items. As of late I feel like this section has taken a back seat and the quality and quantity of posts has diminished. I’m not sure if there is just a lack of submissions, or if there just isn’t the same emphasis placed on this category. I really hope this changes, because I miss my Thursday morning shot of creative inspiration.

I was extremely disappointed when I came across this Before & After. It’s difficult to understand what changes have actually been made. A far cry from the dramatic and beautiful transformations that are typically featured.

Unfortunately, I have to agree. A lot of the B&As are impressive, but there are enough that fall short to make me wonder how those could’ve been accepted. My gf submitted her B&A that was far more involved and definitely on the same level as the better B&As. That’s subjective, but all this makes me wonder who and how many make the decision and with which criteria.

did they just move furniture around? chair from old room is place in a different “new” room. eh, still not that rad…

i kind of actaually like the before better… seems more “lived in”

Nice feel but I agree with most other comments that it’s not really D*S worthy. I also don’t get the living room, the height of the window seat look strange. I think it needed to be a different colour to the couch and move the couch further away so they aren’t trying to be a set.

I like seeing the little changes that make a difference. It’s not dramatic, but it is a big change and it inspires me about little things I can do in my house without spending a ton of time and money and without getting out a toolbelt.

Pretty underwhelming- not at all like the fabulous transformations we are used to being wow!-ed by!

Assuming it’s the same house, I remember Victoria at sfgirlbybay posting photos of the mural a while back:
http://www.sfgirlbybay.com/2010/03/29/mural-mural-on-the-wall/

this might not be the most impressive transformation, but the change seems less dramatic because the before and after pix are of equal quality. seems like most of the before pix are of really low, iphone-ish quality.

Hmmm…..I’ve had before and after submissions to d*s passed over twice and they were way better than this. Some of the sneak peaks have been less than inspiring lately but this is a rare disappointment for before and after. As others have said, lovely home, but not up to par as far as creative transformations.

i like the before living room so much more! i’d toss the giant TV and move the chairs around, add some art and accents, but looks way homier than the after! i can’t BELIEVE this cost $4000!

Yikes. As Beyonce would say, “This is a disastuh!”

The kitchen paint job really makes the place look dated.

Love the blue backsplash on the TV nook.
Call me crazy, but I like the wall color in the kitchen in the Before photo better. The green is a little too neon for the wood color.

Really uninspiring.

I thought that d*online was a bit more selective with its submissions. This house is not very inspired. I had to look twice for the library room- the books were rearranged and the tv put on a shelf? Sorry, but big woop. Also, all that changed in the kitchen seems to be some creepy yellow paint.
I hate to dis you all, but this one was a big dis-appointment.

I disagree with some of the commenters that all before and after posts need to be dramatic. I also enjoy seeing how a few doable changes and editing both visual clutter (decor/books/patterned textiles) and furniture can have an impact on a room. I can take something away from this post, definitely.

They did change a few things other than cushions/painting…. living – new couch, new rug, lighting: kitchen – lighting, hardware, applicances, sink, faucet, stool, decor. The countertops look new too? I could easily see hitting four grand.

I don’t think its that bad a B&A I sometimes (but also inspired!) get a little tired of the ones that are so different and take away everything that is quirky or interesting about the house. I actually loved the look of the place in general… not so much the kitchen paint colour, but the woodwork, shelves and simple windows, really had a nice “come in, relax and enjoy” feel. That to me is the best sort of interior design.

I think this is a huge improvement. Much cleaner and simpler and easier for visiters to spread out their stuff in. Also, I don’t get the whole ‘dated’ comments. Perhaps paying painters to repaint the cabinets wasn’t in the budget plan. The house is of a certain age and not everyone has the bucks to gut, trash or burn. And I love the green in the kitchen! Also, perhaps the owners and renters wanted a large screen TV to watch? Designers need to design for their clients, not just design nerds.

I think it’s a nice, fresh improvement! As a designer myself, I try and keep spaces practical and and really listen to the client’s needs and budget! this sometimes doesn’t allow for over the top rooms, like what we may be used to seeing, this is more ‘the real thing’ guys…. and shows you how far the budget stretches – not that far when you include a rug, new sofa, re-upholstering (window seat cushions are very costly), paint, appliances and I would say a lot more in this house we don’t see! Good job.

I love the green wall at kitchen.. it’s look so ‘passionable’ :)

I actually really love the kitchen – it has a nice friendly feel to it, love the paint colour and the simplicity of it. I also like the fact that they haven’t gone and painted all the wooden architraves and window frames – natural and live-able. Maybe instead of the big blue couch they could have a funky chair instead…?

nice

Funny how I’m trying to find a solution for hanging my tv on my shelf unit, as opposed to having it rest within the cabinet…I’m wondering how she did that, in the before picture…

I dunno. Is it the usual B&A we see on DS? No. But on the other hand, it’s a dramatic improvement over where it was before and I think there’s some value in seeing a home get transformed without a massive and expensive remodel. Sometimes cleaning, decluttering, and rearranging can be all that a home really needs.

I like the changes overall! Looks more clean lined and tidy! I love the bookcase and how it is color coded.. such a neat idea! I think $25 more to buy a gallon of paint would’ve made such a difference on the cabinets!

Huh. Really, really uninspiring. Looks the same as before, nothing original or even interesting.

We rented this house a couple of years ago, as well as the downstairs cottage for our out-of-town friends. Although it was the perfect living arrangement for our two families and very close to the beach, I have to say from a design standpoint it was unimpressive, although now I can see some improvement from what it was. In fact, we believed the kitchen/eating area had been done in the 70s; it was very cold, almost sterile. Still, a great rental in one of the best getaway locations in California!

Hmm. Its true, not every reno is able to look like a miraculous transformation, and it seems that most of the budget indicated here probably went into the new sink and appliances in the kitchen.
From a design perspective though, I am agreeing that the wood of the shelving and particularly kitchen cupboards are just very heavy feeling. Its seems they are probably original to the house (?), so the owners didn’t want to touch the wood, but replacing or painting them in some way would have really lightened up the house as a whole and make it feel like it has more space.
I’m going on these pictures alone though, so not sure of how the actual space feels.
Anyhow, in the living room, I’m getting the same feeling, although it does seem decluttered. But the heavy wood of the shelving and floor, which is a huge part the room, is a bit much with the colour of the couch. The couch blue is terrific is terms of giving it a beach side feel. But I think the room would feel more open and roomy if the couch was a white/or light neutral colour. Then the colour in the bookshelves would really pop out, and any pillows, etc would give it a splash of colour.

This is actually fun to deconstruct what works and doesn’t work here.

I enjoyed this B&A quite a bit. It’s not as dramatic as some others, but I found it inspiring. It reminded me that I can accomplish a lot on a limited budget by cleaning, decluttering, and changing up smaller accents like artwork, lamps or accessories. I’d be delighted to stay there!

Funny. it just looks like the house has been staged for a sale.
not much love or genuine personality.

is it terrible to say that I almost appreciate some of the before pics more than the after?