These 10 “Before & After” Renovations Will Have You Doing a Double Take
Step inside our favorite spaces that drive home the message of working with what you’ve got.
A true design transformation doesn’t just consider the structure; it’s about crafting a space that resonates with and responds to the unique needs of the people that live there.
From a bustling, kid-friendly midcentury to a tranquil off-grid escape, these 10 homes showcase what it means to beautifully adapt to new ways of living.
A Designer Peels Back Layers of Linoleum and Shag Carpet to Rescue a ’60s A-Frame
Holly Hollenbeck spent about a year giving her A-frame home near Lake Tahoe a gut renovation with swervy furniture, clever built-ins, and terrazzo galore.
Photo: Stephanie Russo
This 1969 summer house needed a gut remodel—so Carisa Salerno and Aaron Levin rebuilt it piece by piece to make it a year-round seaside retreat: "In the end, we feel like we built a sculpture, not a house."
Photo: Carley Rudd
Best Practice Architecture livens up a tired midcentury with brilliant color, a moody library, and a folding glass door that opens to a new deck with views for days.
Photo by Dain Susman
Stewart-Schafer founders Christine Stucker and James Veal revamp a custom, architect-designed 1984 home on 18 acres in Connecticut—and then turn a decrepit nearby shed into a "Scandinavian dream cabin."
Photo by Alice Gao
Malcolm Davis Architecture helps a family roll back years of hodgepodge additions while opening the rear facade to the garden.
Photo: Matthew Millman
Architect Risa Boyer collaborates with a design-minded couple to revive a 1950s home with colorful plaster and rift-sawn white oak.
Photo: Jeremy Bittermann
Barlis Wedlick Architects blend old and new to convert a barn into a solar-powered getaway for friends, family—and the homeowners themselves, when the power goes out.
Photo: Joshua McHugh
Architect Merritt Amanti Palminteri reinvented her family home to add volume, flow, and infinite charm without changing the footprint.
Photo: suzanna scott photography
Natalie Officer, principal and founder of Natalie O. Design in downtown Louisville, fashions a 1910 farmhouse for her family with a custom mural, an experimental backsplash, and cozy living areas that welcome friends and loved ones. The renovation reconfigured the layout, appropriated the garage to add 900 square feet, and raised the roofline to gain more height and livable space on the second floor.
Photo by Luke Metzinger
Leah and Jakeh Bradley’s refreshed California midcentury is a love letter to the beach, with counterculture heirlooms, sandy colors, and plants that create a paradise for their three young kids.
Photo by Amanda Sanford
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