The year’s most remarkable Before & After renovations run the gamut of typologies and locales—from a bland Oakland bungalow to a dated ’60s flat in Spain and a tiny L.A. garage—yet all of these transformations will make you look twice. Read on to see how these daring remodels gave new life to old structures.

The Most Shocking Before & After Renovations of 2023

10. With a Little Help From Friends, an Architect Couple DIY Their Bilbao Apartment

9. The (Potential) Views Were the Most Promising Part of This Cape Town Home

8. This Reinvented Monterey Bungalow Shows That Sometimes, Smaller Is Better

7. A Couple Turn a Bare-Bones Barn Into an Off-Grid Cabin

6. A Family of Four Gives a Derelict Catskills Farmhouse a Whimsical Revamp

5. A Big Stair Moment Steps Up a ’90s Residence for a Multigenerational Family

Before: Plum Projects helped a Mercer Island family reinvent their ’90s-era home, which was rife with diagonal walls, weird door placements, and a disconnected, half-finished basement (seen here)." layout="" credit="Photo courtesy of Plum Projects" photoUserId=""/>

At the top of the stairs is a new multipurpose office and pantry. “It’s a private space, but it feels open,” says architect Drew Daly. “Traditionally in Japan, the doors are made using rice paper, but we did an architectural play on that using a slatted wall that creates translucency.”
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4. In Singapore, a Historic Shophouse Springs to Life With an Indoor Tree

An existing water feature became a planter for an olive tree that provides privacy from the kitchen below." layout="" credit="Khoo Guo JIe" photoUserId=""/>

3. Old Beams Meet a New Metal Staircase in a 1700s Farmhouse in New Jersey

Before: Clément and Eleonora bought a 1700s-era farmhouse in New Jersey with plans to better fit the upper two floors to their lifestyle. They hired Fuller/Overby Architecture to reconfigure the floor plan and introduce more flow to the existing tight, cluttered layout.
" layout="" credit="Courtesy of Fuller/Overby Architecture" photoUserId=""/>A perforated metal staircase in a 1700s farmhouse—why not? The new design feature allowed Fuller/Overby Architecture to introduce more light into the home, and showcase the timber beams revealed in the remodel. " layout="" credit="Paul Warchol" photoUserId=""/>

2. With a Crisp Addition, a Cookie-Cutter Eichler Breaks Out of Its Shell

Before: Blaine Architects were tasked with adding a 545-square-foot addition to this run-of-the-mill 1959 Eichler in Sunnyvale, California. “The client wanted something that was recognizable and distinct,” says Megan Blaine. “The design challenge there is, how do you do that when every third or fourth house is exactly the same?”
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1. An Old Montreal Apartment Embraces Sharp Contrast—and a Surprise Sauna

Before: Edward Brooke worked with La Firme to reimagine his Old Montreal apartment in a heritage building dating back to 1865.
" layout="" credit="Courtesy of La Firme Architecture" photoUserId=""/>The new design ethos was to deliberately embrace the apartment’s dark and light zones, and create a compression and release effect through starkly contrasting material choices. There’s no slow fade here—but rather, sharp lines between dark and light. Case in point: The primary bedroom has oak accents, while its connecting bathroom is ensconced in dark tile. " layout="wide" credit="Ulysse Lemerise" photoUserId=""/>

The Most Shocking Before & After Renovations of 2022

10. In Buenos Aires, a Crumbling Home Gets a Major Refresh With a Rooftop Pool

9. A Single Door Connects This San Francisco Bungalow’s Past With Its Future

Before: A previous remodel had already reformed the rear of this existing bungalow in San Francisco. The owners needed more space for their family, including out-of-country relatives that stay for longer periods, but didn’t want to change the front exterior or lose any yard. A previous remodel (shown here) had already reshaped the rear of the home." layout="" credit="Courtesy of Edmonds + Lee Architects" photoUserId=""/>

8. A Tumbledown Carriage House Is Revived as a Vibrant Space for Entertaining

Before: Architect Colleen Healey created a colorful and spacious home from a dilapidated carriage house in Bethesda, Maryland. The architect preserved and reimagined the circular portal window. “If you already have those openings and you can work around them, it makes a lot of sense,” Healey says." layout="wide" credit="Courtesy of Colleen Healey" photoUserId=""/>

7. Chunky Terrazzo Sings in a Music Industry Couple’s Midcentury Home

6. Before & After: A Feral Terrace House Becomes a Magical Garden Home for $423K

5. Before & After: A Complete Overhaul Lifts a Jumbled Hilltop Home to Cloud Nine

Before: Fischer Architecture nearly started from scratch in this complete overhaul of a midcentury Oakland residence. They kept the general layout, but just about everything else changed, including the exterior facade, material palette, and glazing. A dark passageway (shown here) once connected the choppy rooms." layout="wide" credit="Add credit" photoUserId=""/>Large openings like this one in the hallway bring in more natural light and views of the beautiful landscaping. “We try to find the straightest line between two points,” explains architect Andrew Fischer. “We always want to edit down, and be efficient with space.”" layout="wide" credit="Joe Fletcher" photoUserId=""/>

4. Before & After: A Toronto Couple Level Up Their Dingy Attic Into a Spa-Like Suite

Before: Nova Tayona Architects converted the third story of a 100-year-old Parkdale home into a soothing retreat with a dramatic, curving wardrobe that also acts as a room divider." layout="" credit="Add credit" photoUserId=""/>

3. Before & After: A Breakthrough Renovation Reveals a Parisian Apartment’s Good Bones

2. Before & After: A Rural Home on the California Coast Exudes Simplicity in Materials and Mindset

Before: Architect Talbot McLanahan transformed this California beach bungalow into a cozy family retreat that better connects with its surroundings." layout="" credit="Add credit" photoUserId=""/>

1. A Berkeley Cottage Grows to Embrace Its Boulder-Studded Site

The Most Shocking Before & After Renovations of 2021

10. A Brooklyn Brownstone’s Dreary Basement Becomes an Urban Oasis

9. A Rower Couple’s London Residence Amplifies Light and Space

8. A Storybook Cottage in L.A. Hits a Much-Needed Growth Spurt

7. An Abandoned Austin Bungalow Springs Back to Life With Five Lush Yards

6. A New Kitchen Celebrates the Curves of a Dome-Shaped Home in New York

5. Confetti-Like Brick and a Secret Passageway Bring Whimsy to a Melbourne Edwardian

4. A Yoga Teacher’s Growing Studio Spurs a Sensational Home Renovation

3. A Radiant Renovation Opens a Portland Midcentury to Its Forested Lot

Boyer removed walls in the main living spaces to connect them together, installed more glazing and skylights, including sliding glass doors that now open to the yard. The exposed rafters were carried into the exterior areas, including the covered patio." layout="wide" credit="Photo by Jeremy Bittermann" photoUserId="6133562520268292096"/>

2. An Airy Loft Opens Up a 1920 Bungalow in Atlanta

1. A Faux Mountain Inspired by Disneyland Caps This Riotous Renovation in London

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Before & After: The (Potential) Views Were the Most Promising Part of This Cape Town Home