Melissa Dalton is a freelance writer in Portland, Oregon, who has been writing for Dwell since 2017. Read more of her work about design and architecture at melissadalton.net.

Before & After: They Gave Their Fussy Hill Country Cabin a “Subtractive” Makeover
In Texas, where everything is bigger, a couple bring a 1908 home back to basics by paring away the decorative excess of past...
Budget Breakdown: They Gave a Bland ’70s Cabin a Psychedelic Glow-Up for $120K
For their first DIY renovation, Whimsy Soul cofounders Kara Harms and Robin Berenson infuse a woodsy getaway with vintage vibes,...
Before & After: Savvy Storage Makes This Mumbai Flat Work for Three Generations
Kaviar Collaborative livens up a blank-slate three-bedroom apartment with a pastel palette and custom built-in furniture.
Construction Diary: It Took a Decade, But Their Experimental, DIY Home Was Worth the Wait
Using an abandoned Portland house as their personal design lab, the couple behind JHL Design craft a sustainable, cost-effective...
Before & After: The Brownstone Boys Overhaul a Brooklyn Garage Into a Family Home
Barry Bordelon and Jordan Slocum convert an 1894 carriage house into a bright dwelling with a central courtyard, two rooftop...
Before & After: Old Beams Meet a New Metal Staircase in a 1700s Farmhouse in New Jersey
Fuller/Overby Architecture inserts treads and railing in perforated steel, a colorful bathroom, and sleek millwork that...
Before & After: In Austin, a New Life Out West Starts With a First Remodel for $176K
“When you have a beginner’s mind, you don’t know what you don’t know.”
Before & After: With a Crisp Addition, a Cookie-Cutter Eichler Breaks Out of Its Shell
In Sunnyvale, Blaine Architects expands a run-of-the-mill midcentury with a serene courtyard and a subtle yet stylish studio.
Before & After: An Old Montreal Apartment Embraces Sharp Contrast—and a Surprise Sauna
La Firme designs a strikingly unconventional pied-à-terre to feel like “a tunnel transporting us to a new dimension.”
Before & After: With a Little Help From Friends, an Architect Couple DIY Their Bilbao Apartment
First, they tore down the walls of the former boarding house.
Before & After: The (Potential) Views Were the Most Promising Part of This Cape Town Home
Architect Werner Lotz and interior designer Jenine Bruce reworked the midcentury’s convoluted, split-level plan to connect it...
Before & After: Their Brooklyn Limestone Was Trapped in the ’90s, so They Set It Free
A couple call on architect Sonya Lee to polish up the historic home’s flooring, fretwork, and built-ins, overhaul its...
Before & After: A Series of Unfortunate Updates Are Reversed at This Brooklyn Brownstone
A couple turns back the clock on the Williamsburg townhome, mixing time appropriate touches with a few funky—but fitting—finds of...
Before & After: Their Job Is Discovering Hidden Gems. Their Brooklyn Townhouse Is One of Them
Charmed by a historic home’s ornate details—but wary of its run-down state—the couple behind Untapped New York save what they can...
NYC Is Old News for This Surf-Crazy Couple Who Moved to Montauk and Built a Beach House
A long vacation in Ditch Plains turned into a permanent one for Kristi and her husband, who built a gable-sided wood-and-glass...
The Pool Was a Priority. So They Dove Into the Details
Tricked out with a green rooftop deck, underwater windows, and a DJ station, this Vancouver family home knows how to have a good...
Before & After: A Couple Crack Open a Cramped Brick House on a Washington Oyster Farm
SHED Architecture + Design refreshes a Kitsap Peninsula home by taking down walls, doubling down on dormers, and polishing up its...
Before & After: A Couple Turn a Bare-Bones Barn Into an Off-Grid Cabin
Barlis Wedlick Architects blend old and new to create a solar-powered getaway for friends, family—and the homeowners themselves,...
Before & After: A Kandinsky Print Inspires a Seattle Rambler’s Radiant Remodel
Best Practice Architecture livens up a tired midcentury with brilliant color, a moody library, and a new deck with views for days.
Before & After: A Designer Fixes Up a Collapsing House on a Kentucky Horse Farm
Natalie Officer refashions her country home with a custom mural, an experimental backsplash, and cozy living areas that welcome...
Before & After: A Next-Level Revamp Elevates a Three-Story Hillside “Cabin”
35th Collective stitches up the plan of a Bay Area midcentury while sticking to its palette of wood, cork, and stone.
Before & After: Just-Right Furnishings and a Few Shades of Paint Punch Up a Brooklyn Brownstone
A young family’s furniture didn’t fit in their new home, so Studio Nato designed custom cabinetry and sourced sofas, lighting,...
Before & After: A Philly Couple Dig Deep to Unearth the Beauty of a Brick Row House
Marina Barnes and Thomas Pittlik peel away wallpaper, wood paneling, fake masonry, and popcorn ceilings to reveal the bones of...
Before & After: A 1989 Airstream Is Reimagined With Marble, a Movie Screen, and Room to Move
Glickman Schlesinger Architects tore out bulky overhead cabinets, exchanged drab finishes for lighter ones, and created a modular...
Before & After: New Homeowners Join the Eichler Fan Club With Their First Remodel
A couple enlist Oakland interior design firm Decorotation to revitalize a 1956 East Bay classic by the renowned developer.
Before & After: An Olympic Gold Medalist Gives His B.C. Cottage a Triumphant Revamp
Drawing design inspiration from Denmark, rower Jake Wetzel assembles a team to take his home’s renovation over the finish line.
Before & After: A Designer Turns Her Tiny Guest Cottage Into a Lab for Big Ideas
Ginger Curtis shows that good things do come in small packages—even in Texas.
10 Modern Chicken Coops That Rule the Roost
From a sculptural hutch in Sweden to a solar-powered caravan, these henhouses are eggstraordinary.
Before & After: A Beloved Family Camper Gets a Minty Fresh Makeover
Lauren Garcia used to have sleepovers in the RV as a kid.
Before & After: A Serene Renovation Saves a Portland Midcentury From Shag Carpet and Pink Linoleum
Architect Risa Boyer collaborates with a design-minded couple to revive a 1950s home with colorful plaster and rift-sawn white...
Before & After: A Wood-Laden Lake Tahoe Cabin Gets a Dose of Scandi Cool
Innen Studio and Gallois Interiors freshen up a fusty retreat with subtle texture, Nordic furniture, and a color palette that...
Before & After: A Couple Fix Up a Dated Townhouse From 450 Miles Away
Bowerbird Architects connects remotely with clients to update a Brooklyn home at the start of the pandemic.
Budget Breakdown: A Designer Polishes Up a Lackluster Guesthouse for $54K
Avalon Rossi uses reclaimed wood, plaster built-ins, and four sets of French doors—a lucky score—to recast an 800-square-foot San...
Before & After: A Bland Brooklyn Loft Is Reborn With Savvy Millwork
Architect Leah Solk reworks every bit of ad-hoc storage to tame clutter and streamline the space.
Before & After: Post Remodel, a Creole Cottage In New Orleans Is Filled With Fresh Local Finds
A jaguar mural, bold yellow butterfly wallpaper, and a spirited collection of artwork and furnishings by local makers complete...
Before & After: A Refreshed Courtyard Helps a Townhouse in London See the Light
The home had little connection to the outdoors, so Simon Knight Architects turned the basement level’s disused yard into a...