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Melissa Dalton is a freelance writer in Portland, Oregon, who has been writing for Dwell since 2017. Read more of her work about design and architecture at melissadalton.net.

Before & After: Here’s What It Took to Warm Up a Drafty ’90s Home in Seattle
A couple say goodbye to glass bricks as they tap SHED Architecture for an energy-efficient remodel with fresh insulation, ash...
Budget Breakdown: $24K and a Ton of Broken Tile Refresh a Flat in an Oscar Niemeyer Landmark
A couple tasked São Paulo firm Arkitito with spicing up a lackluster 452-square-foot apartment in the iconic Copan building using...
Before & After: It Started as a Remodel. Now Their Rebuilt Home “Feels Like You’re in a Terrarium”
“I was doing so much DIY that it became a lifestyle,” says San Francisco architect Kevin Short.
Before & After: In Mumbai, an Architect Gives His Childhood Home a Renovation Guided by Memory
Architect Vineet Vora and his partner, Prachi, pull up four inches of flooring and knock down walls to connect a cherished home...
Before & After: Two Foodies Give a Top-Floor Apartment a Top-Shelf Revamp in São Paulo
Gurgel D’Alfonso Arquitetura combines stainless steel, Brazilian stone, polished brass, and an heirloom table to create a kitchen...
Before & After: They Saved Their Quirky Texas Midcentury—and Its Surprising Rear Addition
“My heart hurts when houses get torn down,” says homeowner and designer Chanel Tarlo.
Eight Years and Four Plots Later, a Crumbling Ruin in the Italian Alps Becomes a Hillside Haven
An outdoors-loving couple rehabbed a tumbledown stable into side-by-side homes perfect for hosting friends and family.
Before & After: It Cost $180K to Fix Up This Philly Row House—But the “Army of Cats” Was Free
Designer Eric Ashleigh rehabbed the sagging structure from top to bottom to create an urban retreat for himself, his partner, and...
Before & After: First-Time Homebuyers Prioritize Fun in a $514K Brooklyn Brownstone Rehab
Guided by intuition, a couple revive a fire-damaged 1899 home with hand-painted murals, a Dolly Parton bathroom, and a decor...
This Riverside Retirement Home in Ontario Doubles as a Family Compound
Ben Homes principal Todd McMillan puts nature in focus as he designs a budget-friendly forever home for his parents—complete with...
Before & After: They Found the Plans for Their Family Farmhouse—and Made a Surprising Discovery
After locating the blueprints in a drawer, two siblings learn that their Ontario home was updated by a famed British architect...
Before & After: A Sneaker Designer Kicks Up the ’70s Vibes in His Toronto Row House
Richard Kuchinsky leaned into terrazzo, smoked glass, and unlacquered brass to keep the spirit of the era alive in his revamped...
Before & After: They Saved One of the Last Midcentury Homes in Their Lakefront Neighborhood
Husband-and-wife studio Ben Homes revived a 1969 residence in Burlington, Ontario, without knocking down a single wall.
Before & After: A Surprising Home Springs Up in a Basic Barcelona Storefront
Architect Paula Herrero transformed the run-down space with a pop-out bedroom and a sculptural staircase for a designer who turns...
Before & After: How an Ugly Den Became an Enviable Sunken Living Room in a Family’s Texas Midcentury
The ’70s add-on was a blight against the O’Neil Ford–designed residence.
Before & After: In Spain, an Architect Restores an Iconic Home Built by His Grandparents
Set in Cadaqués, the ’60s residence has a traditional stone facade and a surprising, hexagonal plan—with no right angles in sight.
Before & After: You’d Never Guess This Tiny Oasis Is in the Middle of São Paulo
Architect Orlando Denardi uses adobe brick, tropical plants, and giant sliders to give an ’80s penthouse a bright, new outlook.
Before & After: A Gut Remodel Corrects a Century of Quick Fixes in This Brooklyn Row House
Office of Architecture addresses sagging joists, crooked stairs, missing bricks, and exposed pipes to create a richly textured...
Before & After: Color Runs Wild in This Once-Beige Clinton Hill Apartment
The Brooklyn home now relishes in a range of blues, greens, and orangey-reds, with terrazzo and tile to spare.
Before & After: Ann Edgerton Takes the ’80s Out of Her Texas Ranch House
The Dwell 24 alumnus jumps into Hill Country life with a holistic remodel that pairs vintage finds with new works from her...
Budget Breakdown: This Edwardian Got An Overhaul—and a Salmon-Pink Addition—for $1M
“Basically everything had asbestos in it,” says architect Aleksandra Popovska—but that was the first of many pricey surprises as...
Before & After: Vintage Tile Rules in This Remodeled Fisherman’s Flat in Spain
“Everything is kind of shiny here,” says David the homeowner. “I think these funky patterns grew on us.”
Before & After: Copious Cabinetry Makes a Compact Flat Work for a Family of Four
Sugarhouse Design & Architecture sought to “pack in storage at every opportunity” as they revised this 1,171-square-foot...
Budget Breakdown: An $838K Brooklyn Townhouse Renovation Keeps Two Families Connected
An unlocked door between levels, a shared backyard, and opened-up spaces make it easy for the adults to share in the day-to-day...
Before & After: Here’s What It Took to Give a Historic Palazzo a Royal Revamp
Living in an Italian villa might sound like a dream—but restoring this property involved rebuilding the structure, updating the...
Before & After: Touring Midcentury Homes Was an Obsession. Then They Got to Revive One by Saul Zaik
Removing a mezzanine level shrouding a skylight in the 1963 Portland residence was just the first step.
Budget Breakdown: For $213K, a Creative Couple Remodel a Cozy California Cabin—Without Drywall
Color and vintage furnishings make this 1977 gem “feel like a hug.”
Budget Breakdown: A Designer Embraces the Hippie Vibes in Her Portland Kitchen for $45K
Stephanie Dyer and her husband, Samuel, celebrate the quirks, handicraft, and patchwork of wood in their 1898 home.
Before & After: In Merida, a Remodeled Concrete Bungalow Honors Tradition
FMT Estudio refashions a 1928 home with custom wooden windows, modern ironwork, and a serene courtyard pool.
Before & After: Trees Grow Right Through the Roof of This Revived Farmhouse in India
The founders of the firm D’Well turn a crumbling dwelling into a serene architecture studio where nature takes center stage.
Before & After: They Gave Their Portland Ranch House a “Midsommar Modern” Revamp
Moody florals meet custom millwork and gleaming brass in this Pacific Northwest midcentury reno by Bright Designlab.
Before & After: This 1881 Schoolhouse Conversion Is a Master Class in Adaptive Reuse
Bowerbird Architects preserved the building’s windows, wainscot, and chalk rail while converting it into a three-bedroom getaway...
Before & After: They Brought Their Buff and Hensman Midcentury Back to Its Original Glory
A couple tap Cover Architecture and EEK Studio to install custom casework, ribbed glass, and a grand fireplace while staying true...
Before & After: Rich Color and Millwork Revive a Historic New Orleans Shotgun Home for $198K
A designer couple collaborate on a breakneck, six-month remodel to ready their 1910 home for their new baby.
Budget Breakdown: One of the Oldest A-Frames In Arrowbear Lake, CA, Gets A Moody Makeover for $177K
“Think old Hollywood speakeasy rather than your grandfather’s cabin,” says designer and owner Jacqueline Blum.
This Tiny Seattle Houseboat Is Just What the Doctor Ordered
Charmed by the life aquatic, a physician tasks GO'C to create a 618-square-foot floating home with three decks, a full kitchen,...
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