Before and After: The 13 Best Home Makeovers of 2015

It’s not too late to start on that 2015 New Year’s resolution to spice up the kitchen, refresh an old bath, or give your garage a new lease on life. So get going! But first take some inspiration from the top 13 design makeovers of the year, featuring rooms throughout the home.

BEFORE: Boxed In

1/26
Living Room Makeover Before

Cold, monochromatic walls, an unloved love seat, a general lack of storage, and a dearth of decor made this room a bust for the blogger at Hi Sugarplum.

hisugarplumsblog.com

AFTER: Artful and Open

2/26
Blue Living Room

Ceiling-to-floor turquoise shelving and a mahogany secretary add warmth and storage, while a tie-dye-bright floor rug and gold pendant light strike a playful contrast. Guests seated on the vivid blue chaise have a prime view of the room’s focal point: a stunning abstract painting.


Related: Living Room Paint Colors—9 Top Picks from the Pros

hisugarplumsblog.com

BEFORE: Shabby Shed

3/26
Messy Garage

The blogger at Polished Habitat had a garage that was beginning to look like a hoarder’s paradise—complete with cluttered rolling shelves and a barely visible cement floor.


Related: 7 Steps to Make Your Garage More Livable

polishedhabitat.com

AFTER: Utilitarian Chic

4/26
Organized Garage

A clearly defined storage area and workshop maximizes space and cures the clutter. The rolling shelves stand perpendicular to the wall, with tools and supplies neatly grouped and stored, while an inspiring decal above the slick, epoxy-coated floor guarantees style on every surface.


Related: 7 Things Every Great Garage Needs

polishedhabitat.com

BEFORE: Vintage Vice

5/26
Ugly Living Room

This living room and entryway from Vintage Revivals took the shabby-chic mantra far too literally—its barren walls, industrial fan, worn sofas, and homely floral portrait practically cry out with gloom.


Related: Beyond Recognition—10 Rooms Totally Transformed

vintagerevivals.com

AFTER: Loft-Style Luxury

6/26
Exposed Brick Living Room

A luxe leather three-seater, geometric prints, and a statuesque cactus that stands tall against wall-to-wall brick lend an earthy, lived-in feeling to the room. The dark floor and brick veneer are attractively balanced by the ivory-toned rug and a positively luminous pendant light.

vintagerevivals.com

BEFORE: Kitschy Diner

7/26
Off White Kitchen Cabinets

The yellowing cabinets and chintzy tile backsplash in this kitchen left the blogger at And Christina with a bitter taste.


Related: 10 Easy Ways to Update Your Kitchen Cabinets

andchristina.com

AFTER: Light and Airy

8/26
White Kitchen

The walls, ceilings, trim, and cabinets are rejuvenated with crisp milk white paint and a new subway tile backsplash to match. A whitewashed maple floor brings an additional lightness to the space, while a vintage rug adds lived-in style.


Related: I'm Dreaming of a White... Kitchen—10 Bright Beauties to Behold

andchristina.com

BEFORE: Retro Regrets

9/26
Living Room Before

This living room from Old Brand New had its roots in shotgun-style homes of the 1800s, but its dreary walls, nailed-shut window, and lack of color and texture were uninspired and depressing—in any century.

oldbrandnew.com

AFTER: In Living Color

10/26
Colorful Living Room

Wide-open windows and pendant lighting illuminate the airy white walls. An energizing orange entrance, lush greenery, and a rustic coffee table bring jazzed-up New Orleans style to a once colorless room. Photographs and other artwork liven the walls and nestle in the spaces of the shelving unit, while a wool shag carpets the room in comfort.


Related: 9 Color Mistakes Everyone Makes

oldbrandnew.com

BEFORE: Creativity Fizzled

11/26
Cluttered Home Office

The blogger at Craving Some Creativity was weary of her cluttered craft room with its jam-packed filing cabinets, overstuffed boxes, and cramped work surfaces.


Related: Get to Work! 15 DIY Workbenches, Craft Counters, and Potting Tables

cravingsomecreativity.com

AFTER: Fun-Filled Workshop

12/26
Organized Craft Room

In this crafty makeover, a children’s art station with a gallery wall offers shelter for unruly materials, while a nearby grown-up wall organizer puts art and ideas on colorful display. The pegboard above the computer is both hardworking and playful.


Related: 9 Home Organization Secret Weapons

cravingsomecreativity.com

BEFORE: Dining Drudgery

13/26
Empty Dining Room

The blogger at In Honor of Design hungered for a makeover in her dining room. With its bland white walls, unappetizing ceiling fixture, and lack of seating options, it was ripe for a change.

inhonorofdesign.com

AFTER: Sumptuous Sensation

14/26
Blue and Gold Dining Room

Whimsical embroidered wallpaper, a modern chandelier, and a regal, peacock blue rug create a feast for the eyes in this remade dining room. A table-side bench doubles as a lounge for post-meal relaxation.


Related: 10 Alternatives to a Formal Dining Room

inhonorofdesign.com

BEFORE: Case of the Blues

15/26
Boring Kitchen and Dining Room

Snooze-worthy teal wallpaper, a cramped dining table, and an uninspired plate-glass focal point made the blogger at Bigger Than the Three of Us want to dine out rather than contend with her eat-in kitchen.


Related: Your Eat-In Kitchen—10 Space-Smart Design Ideas

biggerthanthethreeofus.com

AFTER: Let There Be White

16/26
Offbeat Banquette Breakfast Nook

Freshly installed plank walls and a wide banquette lengthen the space, allowing diners to stretch out in modern sophistication. The brightened space expresses a whimsical country personality through the Highland cow painting and faux cowhide rug.


Related: 5 Room Makeovers That Only Took Paint

biggerthanthethreeofus.com

BEFORE: Ramshackle Retro

17/26
Cluttered Room

The peeling paint, haphazardly strewn furniture, and '80s-style floral couch in this living room turned guest room weren’t fit for the homeowner and blogger at Home Made By Carmona—let alone guests!


Related: 10 Ways to Welcome a House Guest

homemadebycarmona.com

AFTER: Modern and Multipurpose

18/26
Guest Room Daybed

By day, this living room is wrapped in harmony and order. By night, a linen futon strewn with throw pillows and comforters lets the living room become a dreamy pop-up bedroom with soothing, custom-tinted walls.


Related: 9 Inventive Ways to Build an Extra Bed

homemadebycarmona.com

BEFORE: Dowdy and Dated

19/26
Dated Wood Kitchen Cabinets

With its dark wood cabinets, rusty pendant lighting, and closed-off breakfast bar, this kitchen was just a savorless blast from the past for the determined blogger at Dear Lillie

dearlillieblog.blogspot.com

AFTER: Industrial-Strength Style

20/26
Industrial Style Kitchen

Freshly painted cabinets paired with industrial-style lighting, a new stainless steel stove, and updated cabinet hardware add light, space, and modern function to the kitchen. Plush stools give diners the best seat in the house at the breakfast bar, which is now open to the rest of the space.

dearlillieblog.blogspot.com

BEFORE: A Cold Bath

21/26
White Bathroom

Plain-Jane white walls in this bathroom from Home Polish offer all the warmth and personality of a lackluster hotel room.


Related: Before and After—7 Stunning Bathroom Makeovers

homepolish.com

AFTER: Tropical Paradise

22/26
Green Wallpaper for the Bathroom

Refreshing palm-tree wallpaper transports these homeowners to a lush island getaway. The vanity is revitalized with tropical foliage and outfitted with bath essentials that soak the senses in relaxation.

homepolish.com

BEFORE: Behind Bars

23/26
Tiled Bathroom

Worn floor tiles and a shower stall equipped with a clunky, wraparound metal curtain rod did little to optimize style or function in this diminutive bath from Sweeten.


Related: Bathroom Floor Tile—14 Top Options

blog.sweeten.com

AFTER: A Place in the Sun

24/26
Black and White Bathroom

A new wooden vanity, oversize black floor tiles, and a tile tub surround wrap the bath head-to-toe in style. A climbing vine accentuates the height of the space and injects a touch of nature into the decor.


Related: 17 Bathrooms We Love

blog.sweeten.com

BEFORE: Lonely Artist

25/26
Bare Artist Studio

Between the worn linoleum floor, the empty walls, and the quirky pendant, you could almost feel the desolation and hear the swirling tumbleweed in this abandoned art studio from The Jungalow.

thejungalow.com

AFTER: Elegant and Eclectic

26/26
Eclectic Dining Room

Texture and color dominate in this transformation, evident in both the faux fur- and fabric-draped vintage-style furnishings and the imposing pastel hutch. The studio throbs with vitality, thanks in part to hanging plants arrayed at varying levels for dynamic flair.


Related: 11 Reasons to Reconsider Pastels

thejungalow.com

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