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These 10 “Before & After” Renovations Will Have You Doing a Double TakeView 11 Photos

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.
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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. 

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. 

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."

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."

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. 

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. 

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." 

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." 

Malcolm Davis Architecture helps a family roll back years of hodgepodge additions while opening the rear facade to the garden.

Malcolm Davis Architecture helps a family roll back years of hodgepodge additions while opening the rear facade to the garden.

Architect Risa Boyer collaborates with a design-minded couple to revive a 1950s home with colorful plaster and rift-sawn white oak.

Architect Risa Boyer collaborates with a design-minded couple to revive a 1950s home with colorful plaster and rift-sawn white oak.

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.  

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.  

Architect Merritt Amanti Palminteri reinvented her family home to add volume, flow, and infinite charm without changing the footprint. 

Architect Merritt Amanti Palminteri reinvented her family home to add volume, flow, and infinite charm without changing the footprint. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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