Make the most with the home you have. Modern renovations are one of the most popular design stories on Dwell. Renovation presents challenges, and smart design delivers solutions. Modern design and architecture allow old construction to meet new ideas and materials. Hire an architect or interior designer whenever possible, because professional training helps mitigate issues and yield truly beautiful spaces.

9 Modern Beach Bungalows
Humble in size but big on seaside views and low-key vibes, the beach bungalow is a classic staple of beachside culture across the...
Bringing Light Into a Modest 1940s Bungalow in Austin
Plagued by dim rooms and low ceilings, a typical midcentury bungalow in Austin, Texas, is remodeled into a contemporary,...
Renovation: A Sunny Berkeley Bungalow Invites the Outdoors In
A couple renovate a 1930s bungalow in Berkeley, California, adding 500 square feet and plenty of natural light.
A New Hip Roof Rejuvenates a California-Style Bungalow in Melbourne
This Melbourne house inspired by California bungalows was renovated and extended without neglecting its original form or...
Grids and Colors Inspire the Renovation of a Graphic Designer's Pink L.A. Bungalow
On a sloped plot in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, an almost 100-year-old anonymous bungalow was rendered in pink,...
9 Stellar San Francisco Renovations
If you've ever embarked on a renovation in California, you know how challenging the historic preservation laws can be.
This Renovated Phoenix Bungalow Is Bursting With Color and Geometric Details
A growing family enhances the original features of their historic home with playful, inventive touches—including an underground...
A Renovated Melbourne Bungalow Keeps its Clapboard Character
Outside cladding continues inside this updated and extended bungalow, which now enjoys a breezy garden connection.
This Bungalow is Anything but Basic
A 1940s bungalow literally raised the roof in Vancouver.
A Family’s Cramped Bungalow Is Replaced With an Accessible and Affordable Prefab
In Santa Monica, a couple go all in on a prefab home that’s flexible and accessible and unabashedly part of their neighborhood.
This May Be the Most Ecologically Ambitious Home Renovation on the Planet
On Bainbridge Island, off the Washington coast, Charlie Hellstern Interior Design and The Miller Hull Partnership create the...
A 1957 Midcentury in Seattle Receives a Striking Makeover
By removing walls, inserting new windows, and using a lighter color palette, Mowery Marsh Architects give this historic home a...
An 11-Year Renovation Helps a Couple Grow Simpatico With the Original Homeowner’s Quirky Vision
An inspired, if poorly constructed, Los Angeles home gets a proper retrofit that preserves its many idiosyncrasies.
9 Beautiful Bathtubs
Never underestimate the healing powers of a long bath – especially when you get to wear a Waffle Robe and Slippers afterward!...
In Berlin, an Auto Repair Shop Becomes a High-Performance Home for a Painter and Her Family
Playing into the space’s raw, industrial character, Studio Karhard creates a loftlike dwelling with bohemian flair.
A Major Restoration Updated This Midcentury Landmark in Belgium
A Belgian couple abide by strict preservation rules to breathe new life into an International Style villa by architect Lucien...
Before & After: A Country Home Blossoms in the Ruins of an Old Stone Barn
Type rehabs a rundown stone structure into an elegant dwelling—and then sets about rewilding its site in the English countryside.
A Minimalist Bungalow in Miami Welcomes a Sleek New Addition
In South Miami, a thoughtful revamp and extension embraces the outdoors on an intimate scale.
Outside Paris, a 19th-Century House Conceals a Minimalist Tableau Rich With Color
In a nature preserve, two creative directors design a colorful country home.
Before & After: An L.A. Loft in a Former Nabisco Factory Gets a Japanese-Inspired Makeover
Amanda Gunawan of OWIU Design turns a cookie-cutter space into an Asian-inflected haven with an industrial edge.
A Midcentury Home Renovation Celebrates Its Striking, Open-Truss Ceiling
Designed by a little-known architect in 1949, the now streamlined home honors its original bones.
An Antwerp Apartment Captures the Spirit of the Belle Époque
In Antwerp, Belgium, a historic flat is transformed into a bright and airy, dreamy oasis.
Fashion Designer Lezanne Viviers’s Johannesburg Digs Double as a Studio and Concept Store
The glass-fronted, 1960s gem acts as a display case for her eponymous label, vibrant artworks, and modernist furniture.
A Grand Victorian Glows Like a Lantern After a Luminous Retrofit
Timmins + Whyte carves out a sun-soaked haven in a heritage-listed Melbourne home.
A Midcentury Relic in Perth Gets a Gut Renovation—and the Results Are Stunning
With its modernist, ’60s flair preserved, the coastal family home now features flowing living spaces that combine bespoke...
A Victorian Home Takes Over the Ruins of an Old Parchment Factory in England
Will Gamble Architects revives a crumbling, 17th-century structure with a svelte addition of steel, brick, and glass.
Before & After: A Faux Mountain Inspired by Disneyland Caps This Riotous Renovation in London
Architect Mat Barnes transforms his Edwardian home into a postmodern playground of pattern and color.
Before & After: Curving Glass Walls Give This Traditional Beijing Home an Otherworldly Appeal
A derelict courtyard residence gets revitalized with a sinuous, glass-walled pathway.
A 17th-Century Building in the Swiss Alps Is Reimagined as a Residence, Rental, and Wine Bar
Designer Jonathan Tuckey reconfigures a stone-and-timber structure for contemporary living.
A Former Vegemite Warehouse in Sydney Is Transformed Into a Colorful Family Home
This warehouse conversion by Ian Moore Architects also features an equine genetics laboratory and an enormous garage filled with...
Before & After: This Historic Midcentury With a Slinky Roofline Debuts at Modernism Week 2020
Once destined for destruction, the Miles Bates House—better known as the Wave House for its curvy roof—will finally open to the...
A Dilapidated Workshop Becomes an Eclectic, Live/Work Haven for Artists Nick Cave and Bob Faust
Artist couple Nick Cave and Bob Faust work with Carlo Parente Architecture to craft a creative space in a 1920s industrial...
A Giant Ribbon of Wood Wraps This Mind-Bending Parisian Apartment
Sculptural plywood walls weave new life into a 19th-century Parisian apartment while preserving its historic Haussmannien...
A Melbourne Bungalow’s Courtyard Extension Creates a Window to the Sky
Inspired by the home of Australian architect Sir Roy Grounds, the extension artfully blurs the boundaries between interior and...
Chef Scott Pickett’s Renovated Bungalow Stars a Dreamy Kitchen
Reworked for an outdoor connection, this Melbourne residence now centers around a bright, spacious kitchen.
A Modern Bungalow in Venice Beach
A house designed to be part of the landscape is at home among the trees in Venice, California.

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