When a home is so beautiful to begin with, such as this large-scale period house in Cognac, France, it can be hard to envision the right way to renovate. Deterioration and decay can be quite beautiful, especially in photographs, and we often wonder why anyone would want to remove them, but living in a decrepit…
I think a lot of us share a dream of buying and fixing up a little cabin in the woods, but I’m sure that if that dream became a reality, the process of renovating a full home would not be without its stresses or struggles. Long before I pursue such an undertaking, I want plenty…
As a relatively indecisive person, gut renovations terrify me. It takes me so long to settle on one throw pillow or floor lamp that I doubt I would make it past the first stage of planning an intensive project like this full-home renovation from designer Jayme Guokas. From top to bottom, Jayme scraped down and…
When I browsed through the images of this New Milford, CT home renovation from architect and designer Donald Billinkoff, I was very pleased to see how he redesigned the space to integrate into the natural surroundings. Built in 1968, the original home was a bit stuffy, with small windows and heavy carpeting, but Donald’s decision to…
I’m sure a lot of us go through favorite color phases. Right now, Grace is loving olive green, and I can’t disagree — it’s a rich, warm, earthy color that’s perfect for fall. Even though we’re interested in dark tones right now, I can still appreciate a pale palette, like in Kristine’s kitchen makeover. I…
Our apartment was built in the twenties, and we’re constantly reminded of this fact when we uncover quirky little details, big and small: a phone niche, a crazy looking (and terrifying) old fuse box, antique glass knobs and a hidden opening in our living room wall where a murphy bed once lived. I boarded up…
Anyone who has rented a place by a lake or in a ski town knows that the mountain-lodge style can be kind of, well, terrible. Somewhere along the line, many a charming country cabin fell victim to the worst of country style: thick, dark carpets; ruffled curtains; chintzy furniture and more. I think it’s partially…
The creator of this beautiful kitchen makeover, Kate Priestman, has some excellent advice: Design for the way you live. I couldn’t agree more, and yet I know how easy it is to suffer passively in your home environment. It’s easy to fall into patterns, and our lives at home are no exception. But I love…
This one-bedroom apartment renovation from Claire Leger proves one thing: good paint colors can go a LONG way toward transforming the feel of a space. I’ve always been kind of terrible at choosing paint colors — no matter how many test swatches I try, I always make the wrong choice, which causes me to suffer…
I tend to stay away from yellow — in clothing, home decor and life in general. It’s a shame, really, because I do think yellow is an extremely energetic and joyous color. Bright, bold yellows can be really hard to work with, which is why I doubly admire this kitchen makeover from Christine Soccio. You…
This kitchen makeover comes from Jaime Derringer, an all-around awesome woman and creator of the site Design Milk. When her site spills, you grab our site. (Sorry, lame joke! I don’t know what came over me.) Jaime’s style tends toward minimal and sleek, with clean lines, crisp whites and beautiful raw materials. I’m glad to see…
I’m thrilled to end the day with another amazing kitchen renovation, one with an entirely different approach than Casey’s all-white interior from earlier, but similarly successful in creating warmth, energy and a super-efficient flow throughout the space. This kitchen was created by Portland-based architect Michael Howells, a man not afraid of a little wood grain….
I know that all-white interiors are a bit polarizing — some people find them calming, peaceful or energizing, while others feel oppressed or bored by the lack of color and contrast. I can see both sides of the coin, but there’s just no denying that white brings in the light, and that’s a good thing….
I’ve been watching a string of renovation shows lately. I don’t know what it says about me, but my favorite scenes are definitely the demolitions. I think I’m itching to break down some walls and remove bulky old cabinets in my own apartment, and even though I can’t actually take hammer in hand, I find…
Honestly, the idea of building one’s dream home seems daunting, expensive and impossible to start. However, after seeing this full home renovation project, I am filled with inspiration and hope. Textile and interior designer Vicki Simon decided to completely transform her small home in Portland, Oregon, replacing synthetic surfaces with all salvaged and eco-friendly materials. The results…
Oh, lofts. Lovely, light-filled lofts. I will always be envious of people who live in big, airy spaces like these, but after watching Grace and Amy setting up the D*S office, I now have a better understanding of how hard it can be to make huge industrial spaces feel comforting. I think Margot has done…
Whoa. My jaw dropped when I saw this project in my inbox, and over the past week I’ve kept coming back to admire it and dream about a space where I could do something like this. Brooklyn-based interior designer Jen Chu and her boyfriend recently built out this reclaimed wood bar to act as a gathering…
I love kitchen makeovers that combine raw, minimalist materials with a handful of fun, quirky elements. It’s been a while since I’ve seen wallpaper in a kitchen space, but I have to say, I love it! There are tons of great DIY ideas in this kitchen makeover from painter Lily Martine Baxter. For example, Lily…
This bathroom renovation from interior designer Lori Pepe-Lunché is the most dramatic transformation to come our way in a long time. The dark, heavy, cavelike “before” is my idea of a bathroom nightmare. Even if this room were spic n’ span, it would feel unpleasant. Now that doesn’t mean a bathroom needs to be white…
I wasn’t aware the mirrored tile existed, but when I saw Grace’s post last week, I found myself instantly drawn to it, as well. You achieve the shimmery quality of a mirror but so much more texture and interest because of the many angled reflections off the tile edges. I was thrilled to see this…
