I don’t have nurseries on the brain just yet, but I can already see myself gravitating toward a subdued, sophisticated and clean nursery style. I like the occasional crazy, colorful toy-filled nursery, too, but sometimes it feels a bit overstimulating. Lindsay’s nursery room strikes just the right balance for me. The gray walls and black…
Bathroom renovations can be tough; while other rooms usually see huge improvements from a new coat of paint, a few accessories or small furniture swaps, replacing an ugly pink toilet or bad eighties sink fixture can set you back quite a bit. However, as Becky’s beautiful new bathroom clearly illustrates, the investment can be well…
When warmer weather rolls around, I start to crave airy, open rooms like the “after” of this bedroom in Kim’s home. The clean minimalism mixed with homey accents, patterned textiles and lots of light neutral tones immediately put me at ease and make me think of summer breezes. The decision to rip up the carpet and…
I’m a huge admirer of the quilts of Gee’s Bend, and I think part of the reason I love this reupholstered chair from Amy is that the seat has the same kind of modern looking, graphic-collage quality as the Gee’s Bend quilt designs. It provides a great contrast for the warm wood and curved lines…
We get a ton of dresser makeovers in our inbox, but I thought it was interesting to receive such similar styles all around the same time. And since they were all so nicely done, I figured why not share them all? The unifying trend to the success of these pieces seems to be patient and…
I love the look of old zinc-topped dining tables and often imagine myself hosting large dinners outdoors were I to own one, but the price tag on those antique beasts can be a bit intimidating. I’m so excited to see that Gina has taken matters into her own hands and created her very own version…
It’s hard to imagine a more drastic change for this home addition than the one shown here. It may have taken many months, but Toni’s transformation of this room from a dark, almost windowless storage space to the relaxing haven shown below seems well worth the time. I absolutely love that the window treatments are…
This is such a clever, chic display of old bus passes that I’m tempted to traipse over to San Francisco to amass my own collection — bravo to SF Muni for making such awesome-looking tickets and for using great color combos! There are many ways to mount these, but Megan made the smart decision to…
I really love old-school supplies, especially wooden rulers (I once used them en masse for a store display and had to collect several hundred . . . that’s how much I like them), so I was delighted to see this ruler lampshade project from Blair in my inbox the other day. After coveting a much…
With the exception of chairs, side tables are probably the best piece of furniture for a Before & After newcomer. They are lightweight and easy to toss into the car or carry home; they are also small and manageable, and if you mess up one, you usually have an identical one waiting for a second…
Kara and her husband make one amazing crafting team, and I’m excited to share two of their recent collaborations. First up is this charming coat rack and key holder made from old doorknobs. Kara’s husband Tim made it for her as way to keep track of her keys. I can’t get over how clever this…
Small tables are dangerous territory for me. As with chairs, I have a hard time letting unique and promising ones pass me by, and my apartment has a serious lack-of-space issue because of it. Alyson’s console table is a piece I’d have difficulty passing up, for example. I really love seeing the decorative wood details…
These two bedrooms were definitely in need of some TLC, and I’m glad to say that they both received a large amount of it. For this master bedroom, Alison cleverly decided to add decorative molding to the walls, and I love the mix of gray tones, high-contrast black and white and the small pop of…
Sarah’s beach cottage has had its fair share of chic salvaged furniture over the years: we featured Sarah’s chalkboard fridge last fall and her polka dot desk makeover a little over a month ago. Today she tackles a simple old wooden crate and gives it her signature laid-back beachy style. Great work, Sarah! — Kate Time:…
It’s always a treat to see complete kitchen makeovers, the kind where everything gets gutted and the “after” is a total surprise. Luckily, we have two of those today, so get ready for some fun reveals. Julie’s new kitchen is dreamy in so many ways. I particularly love the tile, but the floating shelving, modern…
I must admit that I’m a little jealous of this project; I’d love to have an entryway for storing shoes, coats and all the random objects that otherwise pile up in our living room, especially one as pleasant and lovely as this. The darker, larger tiles are much more appropriate for the space and complement…
I’m not in the market for a new headboard, but sometimes I see projects that make me wish otherwise. This door-turned-headboard by Angela is so simple, and yet it creates such an amazing result. The character of the wood seems far better than any modular, mass-produced headboard of a similar style, and I love the…
New lighting can be a great way to a freshen up a room, and there are always so many options available at thrift stores and flea markets; occasionally, a gem can even be found on the side of the road. Amy snagged this lamp-and-shade combo for only $6, and using just a little fabric and…
Whole-room makeovers can be so intimidating. I’ve been meaning to tackle my own living room, but I just can’t seem to take the leap and make big changes. As these two living room makeovers show, the first — and probably most important — step is changing the paint. To fix up her living room and mantel,…
I’ve attempted to age furniture before but never achieved the results Amanda did with this table. The piece had potential, with its interesting shape, long legs and oval top, but Amanda’s restrained paint job and new knobs gave the table a new charm and elegance. Great work, Amanda! — Kate Time: Two days (spread out over…
