Renovator's Notebook

In Renovator’s Notebook, homeowners open up about the nitty-gritty of their remodels: How long it really took; how much it actually cost; what went horribly wrong; and what went wonderfully, serendipitously, it’s-all-worth-it-in-the-end right.

Latest in Renovator's Notebook

Bathroom Renovation

An IKEA Vanity and Floor Stencil Kept My Powder Room Budget Under $4K An IKEA Vanity and Floor Stencil Kept My Powder Room Budget Under $4K

By Lydia Geisel, Photography by Shannon Tate-Giordano

Bedrooms

The Final Cost of Our Kitchen-Turned-Bedroom Reno Was a Mere $63 The Final Cost of Our Kitchen-Turned-Bedroom Reno Was a Mere $63

By Lydia Geisel, Photography by Hayley Ellen Day

Before & After

With a $6,500 Budget, I Was Determined to Fall in Love With My Galley Kitchen With a $6,500 Budget, I Was Determined to Fall in Love With My Galley Kitchen

By Lydia Geisel

Bedrooms

For $500, My Rental Bedroom Went From Plain White to Cottage-Worthy For $500, My Rental Bedroom Went From Plain White to Cottage-Worthy

By Lydia Geisel, Photography by Anna Wright, Styling by Schoolhouse

Before & After

We Saved $650K on Our Farmhouse Reno by Turning It Into a Family Affair We Saved $650K on Our Farmhouse Reno by Turning It Into a Family Affair

By Lydia Geisel, Photography by Grace Wilcox

Before & After

Our Wedding Registry Helped Pay for Our 670-Square-Foot Renovation Our Wedding Registry Helped Pay for Our 670-Square-Foot Renovation

By Lauren Jones, Photography by Richard Chivers

Before & After

What Went Wrong (and Right) When I DIYed My Entire Kitchen Reno at 35 Weeks Pregnant What Went Wrong (and Right) When I DIYed My Entire Kitchen Reno at 35 Weeks Pregnant

By Raven McMillan

Before & After

All the Mistakes We Made During Our $2.5K DIY Kitchen Remodel All the Mistakes We Made During Our $2.5K DIY Kitchen Remodel

By Esmé Stern

Before & After

I Chose Materials for My $4K Kitchen Reno That I Can Reuse When I Eventually Do a Big Gut I Chose Materials for My $4K Kitchen Reno That I Can Reuse When I Eventually Do a Big Gut

By Lydia Geisel, Photography by Marynn Udvarhelyi

Bathroom Renovation

I Spent $2,500 of My $3,000 Bathroom Reno Budget on This Etsy Purchase I Spent $2,500 of My $3,000 Bathroom Reno Budget on This Etsy Purchase

By Lauren Jones, Photography by Kate Pearce

Bathroom Renovation

Becoming the General Contractors of Our Portland Bathroom Reno Saved Us $30K Becoming the General Contractors of Our Portland Bathroom Reno Saved Us $30K

By Lydia Geisel, Photography by Fabian Molina

Bedrooms

4 Pax Wardrobes, Lots of Molding, and $5K Later, My Bedroom Became a Grown-Up Sanctuary 4 Pax Wardrobes, Lots of Molding, and $5K Later, My Bedroom Became a Grown-Up Sanctuary

By Lydia Geisel, Photography by Kayla Nelson

Before & After

We Put a Plywood Spin on $950 IKEA Cabinet Frames for Our Cali Cabin Kitchen Reno We Put a Plywood Spin on $950 IKEA Cabinet Frames for Our Cali Cabin Kitchen Reno

By Lydia Geisel, Photography Courtesy of Canopy Cabin

Before & After

Thanks to IKEA Sektion Cabinets and an Etsy Island, My Guest Room Is Now a Partial Kitchen Thanks to IKEA Sektion Cabinets and an Etsy Island, My Guest Room Is Now a Partial Kitchen

By Lydia Geisel, Photography by Michelle Nash

Before & After

Finding Out My New Counters Would Cost $1,800 Was the Good Kind of Sticker Shock Finding Out My New Counters Would Cost $1,800 Was the Good Kind of Sticker Shock

By Lydia Geisel, Photography by Amanda Archibald, Styling by Julia Stevens, Styling by Jen Levy

Before & After

A $40 Kitchen Countertop DIY Cost Me My Security Deposit—But I Have Zero Reno Regrets A $40 Kitchen Countertop DIY Cost Me My Security Deposit—But I Have Zero Reno Regrets

By Lydia Geisel, Photography by Tomas Espinoza

Renovator's Notebook

Latest in Renovator's Notebook

An IKEA Vanity and Floor Stencil Kept My Powder Room Budget Under $4K An IKEA Vanity and Floor Stencil Kept My Powder Room Budget Under $4K

The Final Cost of Our Kitchen-Turned-Bedroom Reno Was a Mere $63 The Final Cost of Our Kitchen-Turned-Bedroom Reno Was a Mere $63

With a $6,500 Budget, I Was Determined to Fall in Love With My Galley Kitchen With a $6,500 Budget, I Was Determined to Fall in Love With My Galley Kitchen

For $500, My Rental Bedroom Went From Plain White to Cottage-Worthy For $500, My Rental Bedroom Went From Plain White to Cottage-Worthy

We Saved $650K on Our Farmhouse Reno by Turning It Into a Family Affair We Saved $650K on Our Farmhouse Reno by Turning It Into a Family Affair

Our Wedding Registry Helped Pay for Our 670-Square-Foot Renovation Our Wedding Registry Helped Pay for Our 670-Square-Foot Renovation

What Went Wrong (and Right) When I DIYed My Entire Kitchen Reno at 35 Weeks Pregnant What Went Wrong (and Right) When I DIYed My Entire Kitchen Reno at 35 Weeks Pregnant

All the Mistakes We Made During Our $2.5K DIY Kitchen Remodel All the Mistakes We Made During Our $2.5K DIY Kitchen Remodel

I Chose Materials for My $4K Kitchen Reno That I Can Reuse When I Eventually Do a Big Gut I Chose Materials for My $4K Kitchen Reno That I Can Reuse When I Eventually Do a Big Gut

I Spent $2,500 of My $3,000 Bathroom Reno Budget on This Etsy Purchase I Spent $2,500 of My $3,000 Bathroom Reno Budget on This Etsy Purchase

Becoming the General Contractors of Our Portland Bathroom Reno Saved Us $30K Becoming the General Contractors of Our Portland Bathroom Reno Saved Us $30K

4 Pax Wardrobes, Lots of Molding, and $5K Later, My Bedroom Became a Grown-Up Sanctuary 4 Pax Wardrobes, Lots of Molding, and $5K Later, My Bedroom Became a Grown-Up Sanctuary

We Put a Plywood Spin on $950 IKEA Cabinet Frames for Our Cali Cabin Kitchen Reno We Put a Plywood Spin on $950 IKEA Cabinet Frames for Our Cali Cabin Kitchen Reno

Thanks to IKEA Sektion Cabinets and an Etsy Island, My Guest Room Is Now a Partial Kitchen Thanks to IKEA Sektion Cabinets and an Etsy Island, My Guest Room Is Now a Partial Kitchen

Finding Out My New Counters Would Cost $1,800 Was the Good Kind of Sticker Shock Finding Out My New Counters Would Cost $1,800 Was the Good Kind of Sticker Shock

A $40 Kitchen Countertop DIY Cost Me My Security Deposit—But I Have Zero Reno Regrets A $40 Kitchen Countertop DIY Cost Me My Security Deposit—But I Have Zero Reno Regrets

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