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I LOVE OUR 1918 CRAFTSMAN HOME AND ALL OF THE STORIES IT TELLS. I wish I could meet the carpenters who took so much care crafting the wood wainscoting and coffered ceilings, as well as the masons that built the living room’s fireplace brick by brick. But even though we appreciate the character that comes with our Craftsman, we still want it to feel fresh—not an homage to the start of the last century. When we moved in, we immediately stripped away the living room’s horrid floral wallpaper (the previous owner’s taste) and painted the walls a soft white. In a testament to the power of paint, our room instantly looked so much brighter! Next we switched out bland light fixtures throughout the house and swapped out yucky blinds for…

IS A FIREPLACE REALLY A FIREPLACE IF IT DOESN’T HAVE A MANTEL? Karen Locke asked herself this question for years whenever her gaze fell on her uninviting fireplace. “Fireplaces are supposed to be a beautiful focal point of the room, not something you can’t stand to look at,” Karen says. It was with relief that Karen finally tore off the awkward drywall pop-out surrounding the firebox to make way for a more practical solution created by interior designers Susanna Samaniego and Elaina Myers. A framework of boldly patterned, handmade tile now adds a touch of Mediterranean flair and provides the perfect perch for a rustic wood beam mantel that’s wide enough to hold art objects—and the eye. Inside the fireplace, fire glass twinkles where faux logs once looked dark and…

TRY WHITE White paint is magic in a can—it brightens and modernizes. A little white makes everything look clean and fresh. One of Ili’s favorites is Sherwin-Williams Pure White SW7005. GO GLOSSY Ili used high-gloss white on her walls and trim. “It changes a room from mundane to glamorous,” she says. But use caution: Glossy paint shows imperfections, so walls need to be smooth and near perfect to pull it off. If they’re not, save the gloss for trim only. Another caveat: Consider the color. “If you were painting walls red, high gloss can go from sophisticated to cheap,” Ili says. Check out “Liquid Luster” on page 8 for more high-gloss paint tips. DARE TO PAINT WOOD It may seem taboo to paint stained wood trim or cabinets, but if…

FOR RESOURCES, SEE PAGE 92. MAKE A PALLET WALL! Get step-by-step directions at BHG.com/PlankWall.…

A. TRY TILE Instead of limiting tile to a backsplash, follow Jenna’s lead and cover an entire kitchen wall with affordable ceramic subway tile. Look for sheets of tile to speed up the installation process. B. SAY HELLO TO WOOD PLANKS Tongue-and-groove pine planks give ceilings and walls a farmhouse look. Use a nail gun to attach the boards. Stagger them to make seams blend, or line them up on a ceiling and later cover seams with beams. Prime the boards with stain-blocking primer before painting.…

STEP ONE Using a pencil, trace the outline of each piece of art on a large piece of paper. If you’re feeling artistic, sketch a version of each artwork within its outlined shape. Cut out each tracing so you have one template for each art piece. STEP TWO Turn art facedown to measure and mark the placement of each piece’s hanger. For D-ring hooks or sawtooth hangers, measure side to side and top to bottom before marking the front side of the paper template. For frames with hanging wire (shown), stretch the wire toward the top of the frame and measure from the top edge to the wire. STEP THREE Mark the paper’s front-side center at the depth of each hanger. STEP FOUR Use painters tape to try the templates…

1. NO-SHED ROLLER Large surface areas like walls and ceilings require a roller or paint sprayer for the smoothest application. Avoid fuzz with a high-quality foam roller or a no-shed microfiber cover with a 3/8-inch nap. 2. ERGONOMIC GRIP For smaller areas such as doors and trim, a brush works fine when used with care. Use a short-handle brush in tight spaces to boost control and comfort. 3. SYNTHETIC RULES Choose a synthetic-bristle brush with exploded tips for streak-free smoothness. Opt for a long handle when covering large surface areas.…

1. CERAMIC ART Echo exotic locales with a Spanish-style tile design. Romana Ceramic Field Tile, $6 per square foot; wayfair.com 2. VINTAGE SWEEP Tend to your fire with these fireproof essentials in an antique copper finish. Hammered Crook Fire Set, $104; bedbathandbeyond.com 3. RUSTIC RATTAN Keep firewood at the ready in a wicker basket. Tapered Log Basket, $111; us.amara.com 4. MODERN FUSION Warm your toes with a Moroccan-motif rug woven from pastels. Ashik Wool Rug, $890; westelm.com 5. NATURAL CHARM Hang a real wood beam for authentic character. Dogberry Collections Rustic Mantel Shelf, $114; hayneedle.com…

FOR RESOURCES, SEE PAGE 92.…

TODAY WE SHOP FOR JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING ONLINE, SO WHY NOT HOME DECOR, TOO? We set out to transform a lackluster living room and challenged ourselves to use only web retailers. The result: a fresh, fun, feels-like-it-evolved-over-time aesthetic that belies being pulled together in a single weekend! That’s right, in a mere two days we hunted down tables, a chair, curtains, artwork, and a slew of accessories to reimagine the space. Part of the beauty of virtual shopping is that you can pin down all your items before you hit “Buy.” But we didn’t limit ourselves to one or two retailers. Our room features more than a dozen vendors. To better visualize how the space would look, we uploaded a picture of our room to Photoshop and layered product picks…

1. MEET JENNA With one budget remodel under her belt, Jenna Sue was ready to take things up a notch in her next California home. She blogs about her DIY adventures and travels at jennasuedesign.com. 2. FURNITURE FINESSE This Craigslist cabinet reflects Jenna’s passion for giving old things new life. Preferring the look of bare wood, she sanded off a shiny finish, then replaced the glass doors with chicken wire and added vintage pulls from eBay. 3. STRETCH FOR IT Squat and dark, the living room’s original fireplace was an eyesore. Jenna turned it into an asset by surrounding the firebox with light-colored stacked stone carried to the ceiling to highlight the room’s lofty height. She then installed tongue-and-groove planks on the ceiling, accentuating the texture with beams made from…

DON’T BE COLOR-SHY Neutral colors can make a small space seem even smaller. Colorful hues on walls, floors, or ceilings add interest and can make rooms look expansive. PLAY WITH SCALE Vary the proportion of furniture. Try using a few large pieces instead of packing a room with a plethora of small-scale items, which can crowd a space. LAYER UP Show off your personality with accessories. Stacked books, throws, pillows, vases, and collections neatly contained on trays, tabletops, and shelves lend soul to a space. “Don’t go to extremes, but if a room is too bare, the space feels smaller,” Murray says. PICK PIECES THAT CAN DO DOUBLE DUTY Murray tucked a narrow console table into the living room to work as a desk. Side tables with drawers store linens,…

1. BEACHY KEEN Grooves and ridges add interest to this teardrop-shape lamp. Kayley Blue Ceramic Table Lamp, $100; lampsplus.com 2. WOVEN WONDER Snuggle up with a light blanket that channels the colors of the sea. Aqua and White Woven Throw, $30; worldmarket.com 3. OCEAN INSPIRED Rich in color and big on performance, these pillows can accent indoors or out. Callista Medallion Blue Pillow, $30; Embroidered Button Crab Pillow, $40; pier1.com 4. MODERN TAKE Handcarved wood gives this Louis XIV-style mirror a rustic look. Nouveau Sunburst Mirror, $400; wisteria.com 5. POLISHED PULLS Try high-shine, low-profile hardware for flair without fuss. Duluth Pulls, $15–$21; restorationhardware.com 6. STRIPED SCHEME Let floors in on the pattern play. Dash and Albert Lighthouse Denim/ White Indoor/Outdoor Rug, $96–$574; annieselke.com…

POWER UP Amanda and Ben Bowe of Billings, Montana, could see their new bath: a space where happy hues perked up the morning routine and containers displayed daily gear in a pretty way. The couple, who write the DIY blog Our Humble Abode, sold their old vanity on Craigslist and built a modern console from simple cuts of wood painted a cheery royal blue. They topped the piece with a quartz countertop—a cost-saving remnant from a local stone supplier. The smaller vanity left space for the couple to build a nook with open shelves that serve as a slim linen closet.…

“When you use high-gloss paint, you can go dark and saturated and still feel bright.”—INTERIOR DESIGNER ANNIE LOWENGART LACQUER LENDS A DURABLE, GLOSSY FINISH TO WALLS, WOOD, AND FURNITURE, but the finish is pricey and time-consuming. Enter: high-gloss paint. This safe, DIY-friendly alternative allows you to create the same sophisticated sheen without the expense of hiring a paint pro. Advances in technology have allowed paint companies to introduce water-base options with low VOCs that are easy to use—and clean up. Self-leveling agents in the paint are forgiving. The paint dries with a hard shell and nary a brushstroke in sight. But why opt for high-gloss in the first place? Designers love the finish for its dynamic energy and out-of-the-ordinary texture—it looks like liquid on walls and ceiling, opposite. “Walking into a…

AMY HOWARD HIGH PERFORMANCE FURNITURE LACQUER Use this spray-on product for small projects like a chair. $14 each; amyhowardhome.com BEHR PREMIUM PLUS ULTRA INTERIOR HI-GLOSS ENAMEL This acrylic paint-and-primer combo forms a protective shell resistant to moisture, stains, and scuffs. $37 for 1 gallon; homedepot.com BENJAMIN MOORE ADVANCE HIGH GLOSS This low-VOC, waterborne alkyd formula has a durable, shiny finish. $53 for 1 gallon; benjaminmoore.com…

“MOM, THIS IS THE PLACE!” Isabela, just 12 at the time, told interior designer Ili Hidalgo-Nilsson when they walked into this Atlanta-area townhouse. Yes, the rooms were builder bland, but they boasted great volume and light—and potential. Ili and Isabela quickly started a to-do list. Some projects were big, like gutting the kitchen and master bath—both dated and lacking the pizzazz Ili loves. Others were small, such as swapping out nondescript light fixtures for fun ones. But the biggest game changer was a simple palette cleanse achieved by adding crisp white paint to walls and a dark stain to the hardwood floors. The result: a modernized look that brought the home’s millwork to the foreground. Patterns, colors, and items that nod to Ili’s Puerto Rican upbringing now dance within the…

1 BE CONSISTENT. Interior designer Hillary Rondero converted the chopped-up floor plan in her 1940s Charlotte home into a free-flowing one. She then rolled out a cohesive palette—using the same shade of white on all walls, the same light oak on floors, the same style of cabinetry, and even the same style of brass fixtures—allowing her vintage furnishings to shine. 2 GROUND SPACES WITH A FEW TOUCHES OF BLACK. Hillary loves getting her black fix by painting window and door frames. “When you have your windows black, your eye flows right through to the outdoors,” she says. “It seems like a bold move, but it’s actually less visually intrusive. The windows almost disappear, and it gives the room more of an open feeling.” She used flat black paint to mimic…

STEP ONE Plan beam placement, finding joists and working around lights and other obstructions. Screw a 1×4 to the ceiling, attaching at the joists using 4-inch screws. Construct a simple box from one 1×4 and two 1×6 whiteboards using wood glue and a nail gun. STEP TWO Distress the wood for the boxes with hammers and chains, then stain the box for a rustic look. Place the box to fit around the 1×4 ceiling board, and nail in place. STEP THREE Cover the box seams with beam straps made from pliable metal strips found at a home improvement store. Spray-paint the straps oil-rubbed bronze to coordinate with the beam’s stain color.…

PARTY ON THE GO Blogger Jen O’Brien of City Farmhouse transformed this plain pine IKEA chest into a bar cart—complete with caster wheels so it can roll wherever the party is happening. She kicked up the chest’s style with gray paint and decorative overlays attached with liquid nails. Vintage-style library pulls speak to the chest’s newfound function as a host for linens and party supplies. And to prove that creativity pays, Jen crafted her own towel bar for less than $2 from a riveted rod, two large eye hooks, and washers—all spray-painted gold. The knobs are made from peach-painted model car wheels and carriage bolts, which Jen also spray-painted. The bottom 4 inches of the legs are painted white, achieving a dipped look. “This project is classic, functional, and easy.…

ART MATTERS Pages 6-7 Interior design: Rachel Shingleton, Pencil Shavings Studio; pencilshavingsstudio.com. Sofa—Pottery Barn; potterybarn.com. Artwork above sofa, top row, far left Wisteria by Grace Kreinbrink, artwork top row, second from left Rise No. 2 in mint by Kelly Ventura, artwork bottom left Connection No. 3 by Kelly Ventura, artwork bottom right Come Together by Grace Kreinbrink, artwork ampersand foil print on shelf to right of sofa Botanical & by Grace Kreinbrink—Minted, LLC; minted.com. Artwork top center right by Rachel Shingleton. Other artwork—homeowners’ collection. Matching blue-and-white pillows on the sofa Trellis in Cobalt Blue—Lacefield Designs; lacefielddesigns.etsy.com. Large blue pillow in Moroccan tile design, rug Threshold Chenille Area Rug in Radiant Gray—Target; target.com. White pillow with gold dots—Caitlin Wilson; caitlinwilson.com. Blue velvet ottoman— Safavieh; safavieh.com. Lucite tray, gold-striped glass vase handmade…