Design*Sponge

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before and after

Thursday February 16th, 2012

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before & after: garage studio

Our final Before & After today is a cleverly renovated garage space from photographer Natalie Wright. To create a space with plenty of light and room, as well as a healthy dose of personality, Natalie coated the walls in a crisp, reflective coat of white paint and turned salvaged materials like chicken wire, old doors and…

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before & after: two clever cabinet makeovers

For today’s second Before & After project, we’ve got a pair of modified wood furniture pieces: One has been given an aesthetic facelift, and the other has received a functional makeover. When it comes to wood furniture, I’m still a little sheepish about grabbing the paint bucket, mainly because I hate the laborious process of…

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Thursday February 9th, 2012

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before & after: embroidered wardrobe

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I recently re-watched the film Objectified, and this time around, I found myself inspired by Dutch designer Hella Jongerius, particularly when she said that what interests her most as a designer is how to bring identity and character to something that is produced industrially. You can see this vision so clearly in her work; she…

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before & after: painted pattern floor

When floors are in bad condition and refinishing or renovating seems out of the question, people often try to downplay their floors by painting them a neutral color or hiding them under various rugs. However, I’m becoming increasingly convinced that if you can find a pattern or color you really love, the best cure for…

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Thursday February 2nd, 2012

Thursday January 26th, 2012

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before & after: woven-back chair makeover

I’ve tackled a few chair renovations, but I’ll be honest: caning intimidates me. I’m eagerly awaiting the day that Amanda covers caning in Upholstery Basics, but until then, I’m steering clear. I love this chair renovation from Haley Beham; she’s found an inventive way to mimic the original caning back by weaving strips of cotton…

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Thursday January 19th, 2012

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before & after: corner studio makeover

After seeing Dana’s 3D diamond wall pattern last week, I’ve been brainstorming all the ways to add cool sculptural elements to my walls. I love wood paneled walls, but this awesome studio renovation from Cheryl Andrey is making me seriously appreciate the look of wood alone. I can imagine this looking nice as an all-wood…

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before & after: modern, graphic nursery

I’m not a parent yet, but I’ve spent enough time around babies to know that even at an extremely young age, they love to look at patterns — particularly high-contrast, big patterns. Honestly, with all that exciting repetition and play between positive and negative space, who can blame them? This gorgeous nursery makeover from Summer…

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Thursday January 12th, 2012

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before & after: dining nook diamond wall design

I’m super excited to share today’s first Before & After project for two reasons. One, I’ve been a bit preoccupied lately with three-dimensional wallpaper ideas and other sculptural wall treatments, so this fits perfectly into my current obsession. And two, I think it’s awesome that the creator of this amazing diamond wall pattern, Dana Frieling,…

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Thursday January 5th, 2012

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before & after: photo studio makeover

Today’s second transformation provides another jolt of spring color, this time in the form of a gorgeous original 1930s turquoise wood ceiling and a well-chosen palette of plum, white and yellow with complementary gold touches. Monika Merchant designed the space to be a studio and office for her friend, photographer Apryl Ann. Despite its tiny 120 square feet,…

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before & after: children’s dresser refresh

Yellow is rarely my color of choice, but with all the cold, dark dreariness that winter unloads on my apartment, I’m really appreciating the energy of this beautiful, sunny chevron dresser. Courtney and her husband originally scored this dresser off Craigslist and painted it solid, but when they moved to California, Courtney decided to jazz…

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Thursday December 22nd, 2011

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before & after: minimalist bathroom makeover

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This Before & After features one of the dreamiest spa-like bathrooms I’ve seen, and to think it all started in this little 125-square-foot room. According to Branka Knezevic, the architect behind this beautiful renovation, the couple that commissioned it loves art, design and the sleek, modern aesthetic of mid-century architecture. The finished space not only…

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