Whoa. My jaw dropped when I saw this project in my inbox, and over the past week I’ve kept coming back to admire it and dream about a space where I could do something like this. Brooklyn-based interior designer Jen Chu and her boyfriend recently built out this reclaimed wood bar to act as a gathering…
I love kitchen makeovers that combine raw, minimalist materials with a handful of fun, quirky elements. It’s been a while since I’ve seen wallpaper in a kitchen space, but I have to say, I love it! There are tons of great DIY ideas in this kitchen makeover from painter Lily Martine Baxter. For example, Lily…
Color, color — I need you in my life right now! I’m a neutrals kind of gal, and a fickle one at that, so it’s difficult for me to pull the trigger on anything large and bright because I almost immediately end up hating it. I wish I could show you pictures of my recently…
It’s only May, but lately I’ve been gravitating toward oceany colors in anticipation of the warm summer months when all I want to do is dive into water: pools, lakes, oceans, showers — anything cool and refreshing. I’ve never gone so far as to bedeck a whole room in blue hues, but I’m loving this…
Dip-dyed legs are everywhere! It’s pretty cool to see so many awesome iterations of this super simple furniture treatment, and I have yet to come across a dip-dye job I don’t like. Different proportions, different colors — they all look amazing. I’d like to see a project where the dip-dye is so extreme that only…
I have a soft spot in my heart for cinder blocks — I consider them the closest thing to Legos for adults, and I get really excited when people use them in cool ways. I’ve seen many cinder block planters, which is understandable: The combination of gray cement and green herbs and succulents is lovely….
I love it when people discover a technique and then run with it, pushing themselves and their work to amazing places. Such is the case with Holly Westhoff and her painted rug methods. We shared one of her first painted rug designs last year; it was a lovely geometric pattern that reminded me of Jonathan…
I love patchwork wood projects like this dresser makeover from Jonnie Anderson, whom you may remember from her lovely studio renovation a couple years ago. The weathered wood and pastel tones give the piece a wonderfully beachy, summertime vibe. I’ve never been lucky enough to find salvaged wood in such beautiful colors, but if I…
Raw, open spaces like this can be exciting but also overwhelming, especially if they arrive in this kind of chaotic condition. How do you fill the space and make it welcoming but stay within a modest budget? The answer in Renee’s case was lots of fresh, white paint and cleverly repurposed materials to create storage…
I keep hearing about cool design and small business-related happenings in Detroit, and consequently, the city has rocketed to the top of my must-visit list. It’s a city with many beautiful old buildings, and designers are flocking there to turn neglected, empty spaces into thriving creative communities. This is one such space, and I love…
We’re huge fans of Skinny La Minx — you may remember this lovely new “wildflowers” print from Grace’s post earlier this week. I love fabric, but sometimes I resist buying it because I have no idea how to use it if I’m not doing huge projects like curtains or couches. Luckily, Heather had this awesome…
This bathroom renovation from interior designer Lori Pepe-Lunché is the most dramatic transformation to come our way in a long time. The dark, heavy, cavelike “before” is my idea of a bathroom nightmare. Even if this room were spic n’ span, it would feel unpleasant. Now that doesn’t mean a bathroom needs to be white…
I wasn’t aware the mirrored tile existed, but when I saw Grace’s post last week, I found myself instantly drawn to it, as well. You achieve the shimmery quality of a mirror but so much more texture and interest because of the many angled reflections off the tile edges. I was thrilled to see this…
I have bathrooms on my mind after sharing not one but two awesome renovated bathrooms today. Though they have vastly different styles, both Kim’s bathroom from earlier and this elegant bathroom makeover from Katherine use similarly brilliant techniques, which are worth listing: They both kept things light and airy with a mix of light, neutral…
We have two incredible bathroom makeovers for you today. First up is this pattern-filled guest bathroom renovation from Kim Gray. Kim was working with a very small space, but she managed to bring a lovely sense of airiness and light to this bathroom with some smart design decisions. Swapping out the chunky blinds for a…
After seeing so many awesomely altered cabinets and hutches over the years, I’m convinced that anyone, regardless of his or her craft skills or experience, can transform a piece of furniture to suit their tastes— with a little creativity, of course. I know I suffer from procrastination when it comes to larger pieces of furniture,…
I’ve always loved exposed brick walls inside homes, but it can be difficult to bring warmth and coziness to these industrial spaces. I love so many elements in this apartment renovation from Cassidy Hughes, an interior designer living in London: the open shelving in the kitchen, the minimal new bathroom layout and the eye-catching citron-colored…
Ugly built-in furniture can be a real thorn in one’s side when trying to design a room layout. The attempts I’ve made to open up our living room have been foiled, again and again, by an obtrusively bulky and poorly stained built-in cabinet, which I am not allowed to paint or remove. Argh! If I…
Lately, we’ve been really into metals here at D*S, but there are a few instances where metals can go wrong, and no metal walks that thin line between beautiful and tacky quite like brass. I’m sure we’ve all seen examples of good brass and bad brass. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what throws off the…
Spring is finally here, and with it comes an influx of outdoor renovation projects, which are my favorites. Do I love them best because I have no backyard? Probably, but I see no harm in enjoying the vicarious thrill of watching people weed, plant and build their dream gardens. If the time comes for me…
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