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30 Times People’s Renovations Made Their Homes Much Cozier, Shared In This Online Group
In the past couple years, we all spent an unprecedented amount of time in our homes. So no wonder so many people rolled up their sleeves and decided to either fix things that had been bugging them for too long to remember, or just go into full DIY renovation mode. And truth to be told, not everyone seems to have succeeded, as this previous article we published recently suggests.
But this time, we are taking a look at the incredible examples of renovation projects that completely transformed people’s homes. Whether it’s brightening up a blank room by repainting walls, redecorating an entire apartment, remodeling a living room, or creating something entirely new from scratch, like a bookcase that perfectly blends into the wall, there’s no limit to people’s persistence and creativity.
And thanks to this great online group on Reddit that’s devoted to sharing original content of “real people and their real rooms,” we have a lot of wonderful inspiration to scroll through. Upvote your favorite home renewal projects and ideas, and if you’re also working on something like this, be sure to share it in the comment section!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
The After And Before Of My Teeny Tiny Studio Apartment In NYC
GoddessOdd 4 years ago
A place for everything, and everything in it's place. Very comfy looking.
RELATED:
#2
The Before And The After
GoddessOdd 4 years ago
GREAT desk. I had a giant L shaped desk, but I gave it away because it was so huge and heavy... now I wish I still had it.
#3
Small Bathroom Remodel. Before&after
GoddessOdd 4 years ago
I saved the 'after' photo to show my designer... it's definitely my style.
In order to find out more about common home improvement and renovation mistakes to avoid, Bored Panda reached out to Philippa Main, the professional realtor from Tampa Bay who went viral for her brilliant and insanely funny listing description about “the worst house on the street” a while back. Philippa happily shared some very useful advice with our readers, so if you have a project on your mind, be sure to see what she had to say.
The realtor explained that there are so many errors people make when doing home renovations, but they can be summed up by the idea that it is more expensive to try to do something cheaply. “Because it will inevitably cost you more in the long run when it has to be redone in order to make it right,” she added.
#4
Before And After Renovation Of My Tiny Scottish Apartment Bathroom
#5
Bathroom DIY Upgrade. Before And After
#6
Before And After Of My Small Apartment Kitchen. I Don't Miss The Orange! (Louth, Ireland)
MyOpinionHasBeenServed 4 years ago
My theory why apartments are often brown, beige, yellow-ish orange is to hide the nicotine so when a smoker moves out the landlord won't feel they have to clean and paint everything. I had to wash all my walls and every fixture was splattered in orange nicotine in my suite.
Another common mistake to avoid when renovating a home is hiring unlicensed professionals to do the work, and that’s very common practice among people. “I had a client go under contract on a home recently that was in the process of having a covered patio installed,” Philippa recounted.
“During inspections (before the covered roof was even complete) the home inspector discovered none of it was up to code and it could have potentially been a hazard in high wind situations. In order for it to pass county inspections and for the buyer to feel comfortable moving forward with buying the home, the sellers had to replace the entire structure. So they paid once for it to be done poorly, then paid to have the materials removed, and then paid for new materials and for a professional to properly install it.”
Philippa continued: “On top of that, the unqualified person they first hired to do the job actually ruined the main roof of the home during the installation, so they had to hire a roofer to repair their roof as well.” The realtor assured that all that could have been avoided if they had hired a professional who was licensed and insured to do that kind of job from the start.
#7
Living Room After/Before, Nova Scotia
#8
Before And After Of My Patio
#9
I Remodeled My Parent’s Upstate NY Kitchen During Covid. I Did A Lot Of This By Hand, Myself And This Is My First Time Ever Doing Anything Like It. I Had A Blast. Would Love To Hear Your Thoughts! Before And After(S) Below!
Another useful tip from the realtor is knowing what to save on and what not to. “People may try to save $200 by not pulling a permit, but when a buyer discovers that when the owner goes to sell, it could cost the seller a lost sale or thousands of dollars to get it properly permitted after the fact,” she said.
“One of my biggest pet peeves is when people replace flooring but only some of it, especially when the areas are adjoining (like replacing the carpet in the living room with wood plank, but leaving the kitchen that connects to it with original 1980s ceramic tile). It makes it difficult for the new owner to properly match it (even if you leave them materials) because of the way the floor is installed, so they either have to live with the ugly tile, or pay to replace the whole floor,” Philippa explained.
#10
A Before And After Ft. A Poor Man's Backsplash - Done While Being Stuck At Home. Detroit, Mi
#11
Living Room Before & After
#12
Above Pic Is Before We Moved Into Our New House In Ohio.... Bottom Pic Is After A Solid Paint Job!! Feels So Much More Open And Airy Now And I Love It
GoddessOdd 4 years ago
It does brighten the place up. I am always torn about painting wood trim. I've spent a lot of time stripping bad paint jobs off beautiful old millwork, but as you've shown so well, it really changes the feel of the room.
#13
Bedroom Makeover For My 9 Year Old Son. Denver, Co. After vs. Before
Samantha Lomb 4 years ago
This doesn't really look like a child's bedroom. More like a 30 year olds.
#14
Dull Stairway, Before And After. Scotland, UK
GoddessOdd 4 years ago
That really brightened things up, didn't it? Going upstairs looks like a good thing now!
#15
Tiny Bathroom Update (Virginia)
#16
Under $100 Bathroom Overhaul In My Jellybean Rowhouse; St. John’s, Newfoundland
ispeak catanese 4 years ago (edited)
Jellybean row houses are row homes with adorable exterior paint jobs. Had to look it up.
#17
Before And After Of Lake Side Cottage In Ontario, Canada.
Laura Jackson 4 years ago
Really captured that coastal vibe with the white and blue. Perfect for lakeside living!
#18
Hexagons Are The Bestagons. Bathroom Remodel In San José, Ca.
#19
Before And After Of My Renovated Bathroom - Nj
#20
Before & After, Rennovated Hallway. 1890's Victorian Terraced, UK
#21
My Parents’ Family Home They Bought In 2007 And Renovated Themselves! So Proud Of Their Vision And Work
#22
Our Kitchen Renovation In Bath, England, Before & After
#23
Our Bathroom Is Complete. Total Gut, New Subfloor, Added Window, Moved Plumbing From The Floor Into The Wall
#24
Our Living Room, Brooklyn, NY (After / Before)
GoddessOdd 4 years ago
You are so lucky to have such high ceilings, and the new couch makes the place look bigger.
#25
Our Bathroom Remodel In Austin, Tx. Before And After
#26
Feb 2020 To July 2020. I Wanted To Make My 650sq Ft Apartment A Place I Can Actually Feel Comfortable During The Quarantine! (Excuse The Laundry On The Floor) - Astoria, NY
#27
Living Room Before-And-After. Had To Work With The Existing Dining Table And Chairs, And Media Cabinet. Feels More Home-Y Now!
#28
Redid My Bathroom During Quarantine (Aurora, Co)
#29
Before & After Of Bedroom Office Space (Atlanta,ga)
#30
Ensuite Redesign Incl Before & After Pics, Norwich, UK
#31
Seattle Retro-Renovation! I Turned My Ugly Powder Room Into An Atomic Half Bath
#32
Pretty Proud Of This Project That I Completed By Myself Here In New Jersey!
#33
Dining Room - Edmonton, Ab
#34
Covid Delayed Our Couch Delivery By Almost 12 Weeks But It Was Absolutely Worth The Wait! [lakeville, Mn]
![Covid Delayed Our Couch Delivery By Almost 12 Weeks But It Was Absolutely Worth The Wait! [lakeville, Mn]](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/clipimage-61f13c145aba9__700.jpg "Covid Delayed Our Couch Delivery By Almost 12 Weeks But It Was Absolutely Worth The Wait! [lakeville, Mn]")
#35
Kitchen Update - Bristol, UK
#36
Before And After Of My Kitchen Update
#37
Finally Finishing Out Our 4 Month Kitchen Reno [reston, Va]
![Finally Finishing Out Our 4 Month Kitchen Reno [reston, Va]](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/61f123ff30e65_7gqd0j5u19g61__700.jpg "Finally Finishing Out Our 4 Month Kitchen Reno [reston, Va]")
#38
We Bought A Fixer Upper. Here’s The Before And After Of Our Living Room! Tulsa, Ok
#39
My Bedroom Two Days Apart, Did Everything Myself
#40
Bright Bathroom Update In Nashville, Tn!
#41
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia - I Just Finished My Bathroom Reno!!! It Took A Month And I Had To Shower In My Backyard Through The Whole Thing
#42
Guest Bedroom Before And After | Austin, Tx
#43
Before And After Of Our Kitchen Upgrade / Sydney, Australia
#44
After 5 Years, We Finally Updated Our Ugly Master Bathroom!
#45
Just Wanted To Share My (Mostly) DIY Bathroom Reno. I'm Proud Of Myself And I Hope You Guys Dig It! :)
#46
Makeover Of Our Tiny Kitchen. Still Small But Now Cleaner And More Functional - Manila, Phl
#47
Master Bath Remodel - Colorado Springs, Co (Before/After)
#48
Completed The Guest Room Just In Time For Our Guests Tomorrow! [guest Room In Small Town South Carolina]
![Completed The Guest Room Just In Time For Our Guests Tomorrow! [guest Room In Small Town South Carolina]](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/clipimage-61f168d1c0bea__700.jpg "Completed The Guest Room Just In Time For Our Guests Tomorrow! [guest Room In Small Town South Carolina]")
#49
Before & After! We Renovated An 1800s Cabin In Upstate New York
#50
Five Years Ago I Used The First Time Home Buyer's Credit To Install New Cabinets. Thanks, Obama. (Before And After)
#51
Before And After If Our Dining Room
#52
Our Kitchen Remodel Is Finally Done!
#53
Before And After Of My Renovated Kitchen - Nj
GoddessOdd 4 years ago
The enclosure for the fridge is a great idea. Very streamlined, and much better lighting!
#54
A Before & After Transformation Of My (Now) Favorite Room In The House! Dallas, Tx.
#55
Before/After Kitchen Remodel (Bay Area, Ca)
GoddessOdd 4 years ago
Wow... that was a lot of work. I am cottagecore, so I thought the before was cute, but the new one looks great with the glass front cabinets.
#56
Kitchen Remodel In Our 1920s California Bungalow (After/Before)
Laura Jackson 4 years ago
I'm trying to figure out the angles of the pics with the windows, stove hood, etc and I can't get it straight in my noggin. Is it just me or was this a major, major overhaul?
#57
It’s Crazy What A Little Elbow Grease And Paint Can Do. My Kitchen Before/After (Kansas City, Mo)
#59
Before And After - East Machias, Maine
#60
So Proud - I Did This All By Myself! Kcmo
#61
New Kitchen Before And After. UK.
#62
(After/Before) Our Living Room, Beaverton
GoddessOdd 4 years ago
I want to bring the dog to my house for a play date with my two girl Bostons.
#63
My Bedroom Before (From The Listing) And After I Got My Hands On It. Portland, Or
#64
Before And After Of My New Wfh Space! Northern California
#65
Before And After Of My First Interior Decorating Project As A Sole Proprietor! Downingtown, Pa
Cold Contagious 4 years ago
Needs a nice dark or medium warm toned color on at least one wall to give it a more cozy feel. I feel the old white-ish color is a little cold.
#66
Philly Suburbs Living Room: Before (Previous Homeowners) & After
#67
1 Year Transformation Of My Small Bedroom!
#68
Finally Done With Our Bright Living Room In Our New Home In Orange County, Ca! Before Photo Included
#69
Before And After Of My Son's Room. I Didn't Have Any Real Before Pics.
Final score:
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What do you think ?
Nena Rosebud 4 years ago
This is giving me some much needed inspiration. I bought my first house in Feb of 2020 just before Covid got really crazy. I worked through lockdown and now I'm really ready to really make it my own!
Jette Wang Wahnon 4 years ago
bedroom now...the full orientalist Monty !! image3-61f...6-jpeg.jpg 
Incitatus 4 years ago
Loved the before and the after! This is by FAR more interesting and creative than ANYTHING posted above. All that was largely a snooze fest.
Load More Replies... Jette Wang Wahnon 4 years ago
bedroom before....wallpaper seemed like a good idea 6 years ago... fotografia...4d820c.jpg 
Nena Rosebud 4 years ago
This is giving me some much needed inspiration. I bought my first house in Feb of 2020 just before Covid got really crazy. I worked through lockdown and now I'm really ready to really make it my own!
Jette Wang Wahnon 4 years ago
bedroom now...the full orientalist Monty !! image3-61f...6-jpeg.jpg
Incitatus 4 years ago
Loved the before and the after! This is by FAR more interesting and creative than ANYTHING posted above. All that was largely a snooze fest.
Load More Replies... Jette Wang Wahnon 4 years ago
bedroom before....wallpaper seemed like a good idea 6 years ago... fotografia...4d820c.jpg
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