It seems contradictory that painting walls black could brighten a room, but that’s certainly the result in this lovely dining and living room makeover from painter Adriane Duckworth. The contrast of dark and light, echoed in the furniture as well as the walls, works wonders to modernize and freshen up this space. I also love that…
I love the thrill of completely changing a room — not just its decor and layout, but its very function. Part of the beauty of simple rooms with four walls and not much else is that when you feel like switching things up, you can make a living room a bedroom, a bedroom a den…
Today’s second and third Before & After projects celebrate pattern and color — they are both maximalist in the very best way. This first colorful home renovation comes from Aimee Daniels. Aimee is a lover of bold, brilliant textiles and all things vintage. Looking through her newly redecorated home, it’s clear that she had a…
I keep hearing about cool design and small business-related happenings in Detroit, and consequently, the city has rocketed to the top of my must-visit list. It’s a city with many beautiful old buildings, and designers are flocking there to turn neglected, empty spaces into thriving creative communities. This is one such space, and I love…
I’ve always loved exposed brick walls inside homes, but it can be difficult to bring warmth and coziness to these industrial spaces. I love so many elements in this apartment renovation from Cassidy Hughes, an interior designer living in London: the open shelving in the kitchen, the minimal new bathroom layout and the eye-catching citron-colored…
I’ve seen walls of artfully arranged mirrors before, but they’re usually in public spaces as a form of pure display. Seeing such a dramatic presentation of mirrors in a home bathroom is unexpected, but stunning. I love it! California-based designer Faith Blakeney also had the brilliant idea to attach some of the mirrors with velcro…
Dark walls have been quite popular lately, and I think this bedroom makeover from Molly Molina Crawford provides a perfect example of why this trend is here to stay. The patterned rugs, the gold accents, the colorful artwork — everything just pops against those rich, sultry walls. Colors seem more vivid, whites feel super crisp…
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,…
I haven’t spent time in an official dining room since I was a kid, so I’ve become fairly accustomed to living without it. However, I would love to have a dining table, and ideally, I could tuck it into a little nook for gathering and entertaining when friends come over. I love how Kelly has…
It’s really fun to receive projects from people who are redoing the whole house one room at a time. You can often see the person’s signature style carried through the entire home, plus you get to enjoy a bit of vicarious redecorating :) This is the second room Sibylle has shared with us. Sure enough,…
We have two opposite before & after bedrooms today. One lightens, the other one darkens, but both successfully transform rooms from drab to lovely. Mallory wanted a fresh, bright bedroom with touches of vintage charm, and I think she achieved just that. The pops of yellow are dispersed perfectly throughout so as not to overwhelm…
Whenever I’m in a color rut, I can always turn to the Before & After submissions for a jolt of inspiration. It’s awesome to see the color palettes people come up with, especially when others are much more daring than I am. This cheerful credenza makeover from graphic designer and all-around maker Jessica Decker is…
Some people can work in a cluttered space, and I’ve always looked on them with awe, for I am certainly not one of them. The minute the papers start to pile up and the tools scatter themselves on the floor — okay, that’s a lie; I scatter the tools on the floor — my productivity…
today’s first makeovers are all about an easy upgrade. normally we think of paint for a simple makeover, but these clever ladies both turned to something even simpler (but just as fun) to change their furniture: fuzzy throws. karen bertelsen of the art of doing stuff mastered the art of recovering a chair in 5…
today’s first before & afters are all about ikea hacks- that popular pastime of changing inexpensive and basic ikea furniture into something customized and completely different. first up is eric teng, creative director at dmd insight. eric decided to turn his ikea bedside tables into chic mid-century nightstands using a little bit of paint, a…
anastasia of faiella design has shared two beautiful interior ideas with us before, and today she’s sharing a bold wall mural before & after. inspired by an osborne and little pattern, she decided to create this wall mural for a client’s loft bedroom. talk about a transformation! thanks to anastasia for sharing! [have a before…
d*s reader barb of may december home sent in this simple, but lovely, before & after. i know some people have a real issue with painting wood but i think barb’s facelift gives a really clean, fresh feeling to her rundown dresser. another great idea? barb bought a long handle from ikea and used it…
this quick-fix before & after makeover comes from d*s reader and diy contest finalist, susannah becket (her diy project instructions are coming next week). susannah explains, “i found this sad little door-less, divider-less MCM record cabinet at my favorite thrift store. i refinished the exterior, stained the interior and made doors and interior dividers using…
today’s second before and after is a great example of what a little paint and fabric can do. natalie hansen of steamed artichoke studio sent in this great lamp makeover project that cost her only $12! she found the lamp base and lampshade at a thrift store in san francisco and then spray-painted the base…
to kick off before and after day, i wanted to share a few great reader submitted chair projects that have been sitting in my inbox. it’s amazing what a little paint and some new fabric can do… [imagine above: chair makeover by caroline at jcaroline creative] [image above: chair makeover by d*s reader teresa] [image…
