If there’s one room in the house that I am dying to tear down and start over, it’s my bathroom. To have a light, airy, clean feeling bathroom? Pure bliss. As a fellow Oaklander, I was particularly excited to see how freelance designer Erin Owes chose to update the bathroom in her 1911 bungalow. Erin…
One thing I miss most about living on the East Coast is seeing brick interiors. If I were opening a place in Oakland, I would follow the brilliant example set by the Flirty Cupcakes shop in Chicago and expose as much brick as possible. Renovated by architect Matt Nardella of Moss Design, this new space has…
I love my rental apartment, but if there’s a room that makes me wish for the chance to own my home, it’s the bathroom. In my mind, it’s one of the spaces that benefit most from even minor renovations. I love gathering inspiration from great submissions like this crisp, sunny makeover from Julie of Belle…
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…
If you’re suffering from the winter blues, then this Before & After should immediately cheer you up with its fresh, springy palette. Ashley Hubbard and Robert Ludlow are the couple behind Fleurir Chocolates. Last April, they decided to plant some roots and open a retail shop, and they set their sights on this charming little…
If I had a long, narrow kitchen like the “before” here, I would opt for a galley-style floor plan almost identical to this one. Designed by architect Cindy Black for her clients Laura and Blake, this new kitchen boasts an ingenious use of space. What was once a cramped kitchen — with minimal counter space…
I’ve seen a lot of beautiful, modern kitchen projects lately, and I have to be honest — they’re making me quite envious. I understand how major an undertaking like this can be, even when the owner is also a talented architect, as is the case with this amazing kitchen from Suzanne and Greg Damant. Suzanne…
This Before & After from Andrea of RE:Style Studio in Toronto is an example of my dream space: a big, open, completely bare-bones warehouse with nothing but potential. As much as I want a space like this to play around with, I can imagine the task is also quite daunting. Having to deal with plumbing,…
This Before & After is a great example of how an interior with very little in it can be incredibly stylish — as long as the space and items within it are well designed. The Hier war Goethe nie “Design Aparment” was designed by Mark Pohl and a group of fellow graduates from the Bauhaus…
I remember watching my friend’s baby as she was starting to observe the world, and it was awesome to see her eyes travel over everything with utter fascination, particularly prints. It’s not as easy as some might think to successfully mix prints and patterns. What I like most about this charming nursery makeover from Tim…
This ground floor renovation of a client’s home by architect Marianne Amodio is one of my favorite large-scale Before & After projects of recent months. It reminded me that sometimes taking away some of the layers that have been added to an old home can be the best way to help an interior realize its…
This kitchen renovation from Lauren Zerbey of Chezerbey proves a very valuable design lesson in my mind: “All-white” does not always necessarily mean “all-light.” The decision to vault these ceilings and add a sky light must have been a huge commitment, even for a couple of architects, but it completely opened up and lightened this…
I like to consider myself a big-picture thinker, and if I had the chance to makeover a room, I’d like to think I would consider all possibilities and think creatively about the space. But I can honestly say that I usually just assume the ceilings are non-negotiable. Whoops. Projects like this living room redesign by…
I’m pleased with the balance of aspirational and everyday design we choose to share on the site, and though the scope of renovations like that in this amazing kitchen/dining room makeover are out of reach for many of us, I appreciate seeing dreamy, high-end projects every once in a while. While I could never afford…
I’ve always wanted a room with wall-to-wall bookshelves, and for some insane reason, I always imagined I would have to stumble upon a home with this feature already present. Why had it never occurred to me that I could build something like this? I have no idea. I can be very dense sometimes :) Luckily,…
This lovely dining room makeover has made the blog rounds a bit — you may have seen it on Poppytalk last week — but it was too beautiful a transformation not to share. Abbey and her husband purchased this 1800s farmhouse in upstate NY a mere four weeks ago, and already they are hard at…
As someone who lives in an apartment with a lack-of-light problem, I feel particularly appreciative of this modern and bright renovation by Canadian-based design consultant Kirsten Marshall. Kirsten achieved an incredible level of light in each room; blended black, white and color beautifully; and brought in some great unexpected details, like that amazing light bulb…
My friends tease me for this, but I will go on record as saying that I think the bathroom should definitely receive the most love and consideration when renovating a home. I’ve seen scores of inspirational bathrooms, but this extensive renovation by graphic designer and illustrator Anile Prakash comes close to my vision of a…
Has anyone noticed how many beautiful independent flower shops are popping up around the country? There was this gorgeous NYC studio renovation by Poppies & Posies; this beautiful floral studio that Sarah shared with us just a couple weeks ago; and now another lovely rustic flower boutique from Kristen and Katherine of Root 75. The…
This may be one of the most dramatic kitchen makeovers we’ve seen in a long time and not just because of all the white paint. Apparently, Jodi Mockabee and her family had to design and execute this renovation in just three weeks, and in all that craziness, I can’t believe she managed to pull off…
