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Over the course of 2025, renovations looked to history for inspiration. Mid-century homes from Los Angeles to Minnesota brought back wall panelling and vaulted ceilings; kitchens built in the 1800s in D.C. and Philly took on more traditional character; and Hudson Valley farmhouses stayed true to their simple roots. But that’s not to say they time traveled and got stuck—they brought some modern conveniences with them. Take a look at your favorite transformations from 2025, including a cat-friendly London kitchen and a New Orleans bathroom that got a $1,000 facelift.
The 19th-Century Washington, D.C. Kitchen
It’s hard to believe the before and after photos of this D.C. townhouse are of the same place. After banishing the “Agreeable Gray” color palette, architect Nicholas Potts moved the space’s placement, snuck a powder room into an arched passageway, and swathed everything in Tailor Tack by Farrow & Ball. Now, it feels like the just-right balance between modern and traditional.
The 1954 L.A. Midcentury Modern
There was nothing objectively bad about this mid-century Laurel Canyon home, but there was something off—the fixtures too contemporary, the wood tones too bright. Under their firm Bob Audrey, Lauren Caris Cohan and Matt Jacoby take on what they call “hybrid restorations” and, in this case, balanced the past and present by adding rich wood paneling, covering every inch of the bathrooms in on-trend monochromatic tile, and concealing part of the kitchen but keeping open shelving in the mix.
The Coastal-Cool Long Island Kitchen
Linoleum floors, dated trim, and poor cabinet placement—just a few of the things plaguing this Bellport kitchen pre-renovation. After partnering with Isla Porter, an AI-driven custom cabinetry manufacturer and supplier, Laura Bindloss and her husband Simon settled on a moody blue palette to anchor the whole room. They punched things up with red-veined marble, fiery orange cabinet interiors, and a Monogram range.
The Very-New England Massachusetts Cottage
Designer Kate Daskalakis of KSD Designs leaned into the existing character of this cozy cottage in Ipswich, Massachusetts by making smart layout edits and bold design moves. For one, she added walls while knocking others down, chose deeply-saturated colors like Farrow & Ball’s Hague Blue, plugged in rattan light fixtures, and installed a ceiling-mounted hanging rack in the tiny laundry room.
The Cat-Friendly London Kitchen
Before Catrina Stewart, founding director of Office S&M Architects, stepped in, this London Victorian had a drab kitchen with little light except for a small sunroom. Now, the homeowners, their children, and two beloved cats have a colorful, sun-dappled place to play games, lounge, and read.
The Charming Philadelphia Kitchen
Original details were nowhere to be found in this Philadelphia kitchen by the time Sary Em of (Re)work Architecture & Design got a hold of it. The property, an old stone house from the 1800s, was in need of a cookspace that felt more connected to the rest of the structure. Modern conveniences like a soapstone island and coffee bar were incorporated alongside more traditional touches like penny tiles and scalloped pendants.
The Colorful South London House
It was all high-low in interior designer Lizzie Green’s south London home—but first, she and her husband Sam had to take walls back to brick, strip the floors, update the plumbing, and re-wire the whole thing. Then, the fun stuff: sky blue kitchen cabinets, a charming dining nook, skylights over the sofa, and a salmon-hued bathroom.
The 1960s Minnesota Split-Level Kitchen
Split-level homes were notorious in the ’60s, but all the mid-century charm often gets cast aside when renovations are made. A couple that had relocated from New York City to Edina, Minnesota tasked Minneapolis designer Anne McDonald with saving theirs from the years of Frankensteining. They kept the layout, but reworked entry points, added a breakfast bar, and splashed bold colors and materials across all the surfaces.
The $1,000 New Orleans Bathroom
The last time that Margaret Williamson’s New Orleans bathroom had been touched was sometime in the 1980s. It had all the trappings of that decade: a beige sunken tub, terracotta marble, a mausoleum-esque shower. Since the rest of her circa-1850s home had been subject to a long, drawn-out renovation, she really wanted to save time and money on the last piece of the puzzle. She kept the tile, opted for peel-and-stick wallpaper, updated the sink and lighting, and hung the existing mirror. Just like that, it was $19,000 cheaper than what a contractor had quoted her.
The Abundantly Colorful Hudson Valley Kitchen
You loved cookbook author and creative Dan Pelosi’s Hudson Valley farmhouse, but you particularly gushed over the kitchen (no surprise there). Designed by Nick Spain in the most cheerful color palette, it’s packed with personality, vintage dishes, and family-inflected warmth. Spain shared tons of process materials with Domino, like renderings, moodboards, and color swatches.