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

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

By Raven McMillan, Photography by Amanda Walker

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

Renovation

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

Renovation

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

Renovation

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

Renovation

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

Renovation

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

Renovation

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

Renovation

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

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

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

Renovation

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

Renovation

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

Renovation

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

Renovation

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

Renovation

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

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

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

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

Sign Up for Domino’s Newsletter