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23 Beautiful & Shocking Before And After Room Makeover Photos

Some of these rooms are almost unrecognizable! Here’s 23 before and after room makeover photos packed with DIY remodeling & decorating ideas.

Budget-Friendly Home Decorating Ideas And Inspiration

Hi, guys! I’ve been remodeling our home for about 10 years now. So, a lot of big changes have happened around here! And, most of those changes were money-saving DIY projects that I’ve blogged about.

Most of those DIY tutorials also include a short YouTube video to help other DIYers save money on their own home remodeling projects.

Todays post is packed full of my 23 favorite before and after room makeover photos with tons of links to the DIY projects that turned those rooms from outdated or boring to updated traditional style.

Before photo of a kitchen for a post with 23 best before and after room makeover photos and design ideas from our 1990's home.

Let’s get started!

My Best Before And After Room Makeovers

Two Story Living Room Makeover (1-3)

Let’s start with my once boring Living Room. There was just a bit too much beige happening, right?!

Before photo of a DIY Living Room Makeover.
Tour our cozy Modern Farmhouse, Traditional Living Room with this look at our fun & colorful Living Room Christmas Decorations, this year. Full of pops of Red, Blue, and Green! #AbbottsAtHome #ChristmasIdeas #ChristmasDecorations #ChristmasDecor #ChristmasLivingRoom
Woodworkers can find the build plans for that DIY Console Table With Drawers in a previous post.

So, I lightened up the walls and added shiplap above the fireplace. Then I layered in tons of color and switched up the furniture layout.

All of these changes ended up making the room feel lighter, brighter, and BIGGER. You can find the rest of the Living Room Makeover photos here.

These ORC Living Room Makeover Plans are so fresh and light. Includes bright Blues and light Cream Walls with accents of pale pinks and green. #AbbottsAtHome #LivingRoom #BlueFurniture #MakeoverPlans
This house has great bones, right? I love all of the millwork and traditional molding. But, it needed a style upgrade.

If you want some budget-friendly ways to update a Living Room, check out 14 Best Ways to Renovate A Living Room on a Budget.

A colorful Modern Farmhouse Living Room Makeover, I love! It's fun, beautiful, and stylish. Full of living room decor and design ideas JoAnna Gaines would approve. :) #AbbottsAtHome #ModernFarmhouse #TraditionalHome #LivingRoom #Farmhouse

The pops of color against that light paint color is such a HUGE improvement!

These ORC Living Room Makeover Plans are so fresh and light. Includes bright Blues and light Cream Walls with accents of pale pinks and green. #AbbottsAtHome #LivingRoom #BlueFurniture #MakeoverPlans
The light from the 10 HUGE windows in this room reflecting off of that TV made it hard to see. Coming up, you’ll see the huge changes I made to that office too.

Moving the TV above the fireplace made room for 2 couches and a chair in our large Living Room. Orienting our seating towards the fireplace also meant we were finally enjoying the views in our backyard.

Image of a Living Room from a post with 23 before and after makeover photos and design ideas.
You can find the build plans for that Beautiful DIY Christmas Tree Box Stand and that Beautiful DIY Upholstered Ottoman from Scratch in previous posts.

You might also like 16 Great Ways to Repurpose an Unused Formal Living Room, if you’re tired of looking at a Formal Living Room that sits empty all of the time.

Our 90’s Kitchen Room Remodel (4-6)

This 90’s-style kitchen was at the top of my list of room remodels, when we moved in.

Image of a 1990's kitchen with orange tile floor and tile counters.
Here’s a look at our kitchen when we bought this house. It was a bit…Orange and so 90’s.

That tile counter, the poorly designed cabinet and kitchen appliance layout, and that fluorescent box light were just a few of the things I hated in this room.

We completely gutted this kitchen; installing new cabinets, new flooring, quartz counters, a larger back door, larger island, and modern appliances. I also had the light fixtures changed.

Shiplap ceiling over a traditional white kitchen with lots of finish carpentry. crown molding cabinets, and trim.
Removing the stove from the island, made it a safe seating area for our kiddos. Check out my tips for Where To Put A Kitchen Sink And Appliances, if you’re planning a new kitchen.

I recently installed shiplap over a textured ceiling in here and replaced that single crown molding with this DIY 2 piece crown molding.

Image of a 90's style breakfast nook in a large kitchen.
Switching from orange and wood tones to white walls and light flooring has made this space feel lighter, brighter, and more modern.

The chandelier over the breakfast table really limited where I could put our table. So, I had that light fixture removed and changed the layout to improve the flow.

Removing the blinds on the huge windows in our kitchen makes the whole room feel brighter. And, we LOVE the unobscured view of our backyard landscaping and pool.

White cabinets in a kitchen with a stained wood island and white quartz counter tops. With a shiplap ceiling.

In the original kitchen layout the oven and microwave were on the outside edge of the kitchen layout. Having those deep, large appliances there made the kitchen area feel smaller and closed off.

Before picture of a kitchen remodel.
During the kitchen remodel, I moved the stove, oven, microwave and dishwasher to improve the flow. The trash compactor was removed completely.

The oven and microwave were so far away from the sink and fridge. The “kitchen triangle” was blocked by the kitchen island. That made cooking in this kitchen kind of a pain.

We also removed the pantry closet on the far left, replacing it with pantry cabinets instead.

White kitchen cabinets in a 10' high ceiling kitchen with an island and shiplap kitchen ceiling.
We have SO MUCH storage with this new layout. You can see some of my favorite kitchen rugs in the 20 Best Area Rugs On A Budget For Your Floor – From Amazon.

Switching everything around made room for a great beverage station on the left of the oven.

Check out the 3 Easy And Best Ways To Clean White Kitchen Cabinets – Plus, 3 To Avoid! if you want to see how I keep my cabinets clean.

Dining Room Makeover (7)

Let’s move on to this crazy 90’s Dining Room. I’m sure it was on-trend back then, but it was time for a big change in here.

These two-tone hardwood floors aren’t working anymore.

In the Dining Room, I had the same tile floor installed that I used in the kitchen. I also lightened up the walls with a neutral color.

After picture from a post with ways to make your ugly house look good.

And, I also installed this Easy DIY Coffered Ceiling Idea on the ceiling in there. The Dining Room is the first room you see when you enter my home. So, I wanted a beautiful ceiling feature to add a Wow Factor.

Image of a Dining Room seen through a large white kitchen.
You can see more of my Dining Room in this SUPER EASY DIY Acrylic Paint Pouring Wall Art tutorial or in this Beautiful DIY Distressed Gray Chalk Paint Furniture Makeover post.

In the photo above, you can also see how I had the small door leading to the Dining Room replaced with a large arched opening. That design matches my home and makes the rooms more connected.

RECOMMENDED: 14 Best Ways To Make Your Ugly House Look Good On A Budget!

My Latest Before And After Room Makeover (8-9)

Alright, let’s move on to our home office makeover. In this room I wanted to extend those built ins to add more storage. I also really wanted those cabinets to look like built in furniture.

Before photo from a home office remodel. This home office has white built in cabinets for storage.
These built ins were pretty good, but I knew they could be so much more! Check out the before photo on that chair I found in someone’s trash in this DIY Office Chair Makeover.

I added cabinets to the ceiling and cabinets between the uppers and lowers to turn these built ins into a full wall to wall, floor to ceiling set of built ins. Painting them a fun color was a huge improvement too.

Adding more trim and molding to those built ins amped up the style. I also installed a beautiful 3 piece crown molding in this room, new tile flooring, a large area rug, and colorful curtains.

Here's a peek at the rooms I've never really shown you. And, the story behind why I haven't done their room reveals yet. A couple just need a few finishing touches. Like our home office. But, they're all full of Traditional Home Room Makeover Ideas. #AbbottsAtHome #OfficeDesign #Shelfie #BookshelfIdeas #FarmhouseStyle #TraditionalHome #OfficeIdeas
Having carpet in this office made moving that roller chair around a huge pain and the carpet was taking some damage.

You can find that large, budget-friendly rug on Amazon. Those long, colorful curtains are also pretty cheap on Amazon too. I LOVE those curtains so much, I’m using them in my bedroom now too.

Traditional home office with tons of design inspiration and DIY office remodeling projects.
See my favorite tips for How to Reupholster a Wingback Chair in a previous post.

This home office is SO GOOD now, I keep the doors open when we have guests. In the past, I always tried to hide it behind the doors.

My Longest Before And After Room Makeover (10-12)

Right across the hall from our Home Office is the room that has gotten the most updating over the years. That’s because I couldn’t really figure out how to use this room that was originally a Formal Living Room.

Check out 16 Great Ways to Repurpose an Unused Formal Living Room if you have an unused room too.

Before photo of a DIY Family Room Remodel.
Check out how to Remove an Arched Doorway in a Wall in a previous post.

In the last 10 years, this room has been a kids play room, a pool table room, and now it’s a much needed, and used, Family Room.

Closing off the opening to the foyer created privacy and a sound-barrier. It also gave me a great place to install a full wall of built ins. That added TONS of storage for all of the toys, books, and games we have.

Magnolia Homes by Kilz paint color Duke Grey on Bookshelves. I am LOVING this Before and After Family Room Makeover Transformation! Check out the amazing pictures and budget friendly DIY projects.
Check out my 30 favorite picks for Unique Drawer Pulls, Knobs and Hardware if you’re searching for new hardware.

The built ins in this room got an eye-catching color too. See my tips to Paint Built In Bookshelves And Cabinets in a previous post.

Like in so many other rooms, lightening up the walls really made the whole room feel lighter and brighter.

Another look at toys creeping into this room when we still had the pool table.

And, instead of adding on to the already nice tray ceiling, I amped the style up with Eggshell Sheen paint instead.

Check out the Best Ceiling Paint Finish: Flat vs Eggshell Sheen to see more ceilings with this sheen update.

I am LOVING this Before and After Family Room Makeover Transformation! Check out the amazing pictures and budget friendly DIY projects.
You can find build steps for that Easy DIY Cat Tree and that Easy DIY Coffee Table Build Plans with Turned Legs in previous posts. Can you tell I build a lot of the furniture and cabinets around here?

Here’s one last look at a before and after room makeover photo from this Family Room Makeover. You can see in this before photo how the room was once used as a pool table room.

This room was home to a hardly used Pool Table for many years.

I filled up that large wall over the couch with 3 oversized travel posters. Framed poster art is a pretty cheap way to add color and art to any room.

Check out 7 Helpful Tips for Decorating a Large Wall in a Living Room for more options.

Image of an after picture of a before and after family room makeover post. Image shows a family room with a couch on a large rug with 3 vintage style posters above.
You can find the build steps for that DIY Round Side Table in a previous post too.

The Huge Foyer Before And After Room Makeover (13-14)

Alright, let’s move onto what the two story foyer looks like after I closed off that arched opening to the Family Room. The opening was SO BIG that there was no room for furniture in that large foyer.

I had no idea how to decorate this large foyer because it was TOO OPEN.

Once that opening was closed off, I installed more trim to match the original stairway trim. And, I was able to add a BIG entry table and artwork to make the foyer seem more formal and stylish.

In my opinion, going bigger than you’d think on furniture, art, and light fixture always makes rooms feel bigger. My sweet cat decided she needed to be involved in this photo shoot.

White 2 story foyer makeover after picture.
If we used this front door as an entry, that new space would be perfect for a large hall tree with shoe storage.

The changes I made in our Foyer also gave us a new, beautiful view from our Dining Room table.

View of the foyer 5 years. ago.
This picture from the Dining Room was taken about 6 years ago. You can see the stairway baby gate and old pool table really weren’t a great view at that time.

Again, lightening up the paint in these rooms was a HUGE improvement. White just makes colors POP while also making the rooms feel lighter and brighter.

View through an archway of a white foyer with board and batten walls.
The new view from our Dining Room table is just SO GOOD!

Laundry Room Makeover (15-16)

This Laundry Room was another one of the first rooms I changed. That’s because it is the main entry we use. So, I have to look at it all of the time! And, I was tired of that laminate counter and backsplash.

Before photo on my white and grey Boho & Farmhouse Style Laundry Room Makeover. This post is full of Before & After Makeover Photos, budget-friendly DIY ideas, and Laundry Room decor. #LaundryRoom #BeforeandAfter #AbbottsAtHome
This was another room that just wasn’t functional for our family.

I ended up painting the cabinets, having new counters and flooring installed, adding an extra shelf, and I installed a wood paneling backsplash that looks so much better.

This Colorful Laundry Room Makeover is full of easy DIY updates you can easily do in your own home. This colorful laundry room makeover looks great with boho, farmhouse, and traditional homes. Combine light upper cabinets and colorful green lowers for a fresh, open, light, and bright space.
You can see all of the Laundry Room Makeover photos and how I clean my area rugs in previous posts.

I also hated the huge gap that was behind the washer and dryer. So, I ended up building a DIY Laundry Table that goes over the washer and dryer. That worked great for hiding the gap and the machines.

Love this DIY! Here are the cheap and doable DIY projects I used when I Added a Mudroom to our Laundry Room. #LaundryRoom #Mudroom #HomeRemodel #MudroomBench #AbbottsAtHome
This half of the Laundry Room had extra storage we didn’t need.

And, aside from the looks of the room, we also needed coat and shoe storage. To solve that problem, I cut into the cabinets next to the garage door. I turned a base cabinet into a mudroom bench.

I also cut the bottom of the upper cabinet off to create head room for anyone sitting on the bench. Then I installed the same wood paneling I used on the backsplash to make those cabinets look like a hall tree.

Love this DIY! Here are the cheap and doable DIY projects I used when I Added a Mudroom to our Laundry Room. #LaundryRoom #Mudroom #HomeRemodel #MudroomBench #AbbottsAtHome
You can see that Laundry Room Folding Table better in this picture.

Check out the steps for those simple DIY Wood Storage Bins I made for shoe storage. Or, see the story behind how this room was featured in Better Homes and Gardens here.

Boys’ Bedroom Makeover (17-18)

Moving on, here’s a look at the bedroom our boys share. It took me a few years to figure out how to decorate their room in a way that wasn’t too boring or “out-of-the-box”.

This room looks so boring compared to the fun little guys that share it.

BUT, I finally figured it out! I went with a DIY Board And Batten With Lattice on the back wall. And, a Beautiful Two Piece Crown Molding around the whole room. And, once again, I went with white walls.

White walls kids bedroom for boys with blue velvet curtains, dark blue space themed bedroom quilts and NASA and cool outer space decor and wall art.
This Easy DIY Space Themed Bedroom Makeover turned out perfectly! Check out how I made those DIY Upholstered Twin Headboards in a previous post.

I added some fun space themed décor, new bedding, curtains, and wall art. The Star Wars Blue Prints above the beds are my favorite.

It's time for the boys bedroom makeover reveal, guys! And I'm so excited to share it with you. The whole room is full of awesome DIY projects, affordable decor, and fun boys bedroom ideas. I'm loving it and so are my boy's! This is a blue, white, and grey bedroom full of pops of fun colors. I think it's a bit Farmhouse, a bit traditional, and a bit Land of Nod. I designed this for my boys, but most of the ideas would work for all kids, boys and girls. #kidsbedroom #kidsroom #boysbedroom #bedroomideas
That DIY Kids PVC Pipe Tent was fun when they were toddlers, but they were ready for a big boys room.

I also went for a full DIY Outer Space Bedroom Wall Idea that is basically just blue wall paint with vinyl stickers on top. Easy!

Outer Space Wall Mural in a kids space themed room.
This wall looks SO AMAZING when I turn off the lights at night and all of those little stars start to glow.

Before And After Room Makeover On Our Master Bathroom (19-20)

Now, let’s talk about our Master Bathroom. That orange and black tile was a problem to decorate around in here too. So, a few years ago, I spent a couple months on a full Master Bathroom Remodel.

Here's a look at our Master Bathroom before the big makeover. It has 2 vanities, a big roman tub in front of a bay window and a walk in shower.
I removed all of the tile, the shower liner, old lights, counters, tub, sinks, and shower door.

I went with a huge chandelier over the new extra big soaking tub, faux shiplap planks on the ceiling, light walls and marble tile. And, I also used a dark blue chalk paint and dark wax on the vanities.

Tips and tricks to help do it yourself tilers get the job done faster. See before, during, and after photos for my DIY bathroom tile floor tutorial. #AbbottsAtHome #TileFloor #Tiling #BathroomTile #Bathrooms #BathroomRemodel #BathroomDesign #MasterBathroom
The new flooring is actually a durable porcelain that looks like marble.

The DIY tutorials I have from this room include this DIY Shower Niche post, my 10 Beginner DIY Tips for Installing Floor Tile, and this post on Marble Mosaic Tile Bathroom Installation Tips.

Here's a look at our Master Bathroom before the big makeover. It has 2 vanities, a big roman tub in front of a bay window and a walk in shower.
I also hated that old jetted tub (those jets always get moldy) and how far it stuck out into the room.

The old tub was dated and way too wide. So, I picked a tub that could be installed flush with the wall. But, that tub is super deep. It’s perfect for even big adults that love a soak.

White marble master bathroom with blue cabinets and light walls.
My kids think this tub is basically an indoor pool.
White Marble tile and floor in a Master Bathroom with dark blue vanities after a Before and After Master Bathroom Remodel.
The new shower has a handy shower niche, new glass doors, marble tile, and a great rain head shower.

I also took the new shower tile and door a foot higher so it didn’t look so small in this vaulted bathroom.

Before And After Master Bedroom Makeover (21)

Moving on to the Master Bedroom, here’s the drab, boring version of this room. That green wall color just did nothing good in this lighting. So, guess what? Yep, we’re switching to a light wall color.

Do you love looking at Before and After Room Makeovers? I've got 6 rooms to show you today. #AbbottsAtHome #TraditionalHome #HomeIdeas #BeforeandAfter #RoomMakeover #RoomReveals
Drab and mismatch-y everything. I finally got around to adding some style to this room.

Let’s start with a look at the updates in 2019. It was a pretty good change, but still not quite right.

Here's a peek at the rooms I've never really shown you. And, the story behind why I haven't done their room reveals yet. A couple just need a few finishing touches. Like our master bedroom. But, they're all full of Traditional Home Room Makeover Ideas. #AbbottsAtHome #MasterBedroom #BedroomIdeas #FarmhouseStyle #TraditionalHome #MasterBedroomIdeas #VaultedCeiling

You can find the tutorials for the Easy DIY Chevron Wood Wall Art and the DIY Modern Farmhouse Bench I use as an end of bed bench, in previous posts.

And, here’s how this room looks today. I added a DIY Vaulted Ceiling Paneling, DIY Picture Frame Trim on every wall, a DIY Framed Wall Mural, new curtains, changed the bedding, and switched out the chairs.

Before and after room makeover on a master bedroom with white trim walls and a vaulted ceiling.
All of the changes I made in this room have been a HUGE improvement.

Porch Ceiling Makeover (22)

Now, let’s quickly move outside for our last 2 before and after room makeovers. Do these really count as rooms? Maybe the porch does, but the last one…not really. But, let’s do them anyway.

A DIY Pine Tongue and Groove Ceiling Tutorial that will turn your porch into that beautiful, charming spot you've always wanted. For most porches, you can have these wood planks installed in a weekend, guys! #AbbottsAtHome #PlankCeiling #PorchCeiling #TongueAndGroove
The before picture is pretty rough, guys. How did I live with those old fans for so long. I’m totally embarrassed. 😉

Here’s a look at our horrible porch ceiling. I hated how the edges of every piece of plywood on the ceiling were so obvious and cheap looking. So, I had to get my nail gun out to fix this one!

Modern Farmhouse DIY Pine Tongue and Groove Ceiling Tutorial that will turn your porch into that beautiful, charming spot you've always wanted. For most porches, you can have these wood planks installed in a weekend, guys! #AbbottsAtHome #PlankCeiling #PorchCeiling #TongueAndGroove
That white tongue and groove plank is BEAUTIFUL, guys! The new fans are great too.

You can see the steps for the low-budget planks I installed in this DIY Tongue and Groove Porch Ceiling post. I LOVE these light, easy to use Pine planks.

Brick House Before And After Makeover (23)

And, last but not least, is my whole house, brick makeover. That’s right, I did the most controversial thing when it comes to brick, I painted it! Or rather, I paid someone else to paint it.

Before picture of a 2-story brick house with 2 story columns in front.
The original brick wasn’t bad. But it was MEH.

I wasn’t a fan of the way those 2-story high columns stood out as the “feature” on this house. Again, it had an 80’s/90’s vibe. Painting the house white helped the whole house work together.

Here's the easy to follow DIY Steps for the Best Way to Paint Vinyl Shutters. Including tips for what paint to use to get the best result! How to Paint Exterior Vinyl Shutters.
Switching to white made our landscaping pop. That was a nice surprise. Check out the 18 BIG Pros & Cons: Should You Paint a Brick House White to see more of my thoughts about this brick paint.

When I had the brick painted, I also bought and painted new vinyl shutters, changed up the landscaping, and I had the door painted blue.

That door had some issues with paint bubbling that stressed me out. But, we finally got that fixed. Check out How to Repaint a Door without Removing It if you need to paint your door.

Before photo of a kitchen for a post with 23 best before and after room makeover photos and design ideas from our 1990's home.
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That’s it for my big list of 23 before and after room makeover photos. Now, here’s a few more popular posts you might like.

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