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Make the most with the home you have. Modern renovations are one of the most popular design stories on Dwell. Renovation presents challenges, and smart design delivers solutions. Modern design and architecture allow old construction to meet new ideas and materials. Hire an architect or interior designer whenever possible, because professional training helps mitigate issues and yield truly beautiful spaces.

A Pink Corridor Connects the Past With the Present in a Victorian Cottage
A brick and fuchsia tunnel creates a time warp in this semi-detached Victorian in a Melbourne suburb.
18 Brilliant Barn Conversions That Merge Past and Present
Despite their humble origins, these converted barns are anything but ordinary.
7 Brooklyn Row Houses Renovations
The dream of owning a Brooklyn brownstone is just one of many reasons why people make the move to the popular outer borough.
A Renovated Tiny Victorian with 21st-Century Interiors
Tragedy begets opportunity in San Francisco when a fire-scorched Victorian is rebuilt from within.
Victorian Secrets
Have you ever walked past a house on your way to work and thought, Wouldn’t it be nice to live there. Artist Judith Brenner did.
Light Floods This Dazzling Renovated Victorian in Australia
Templeton Architecture integrates steel-framed apertures throughout an 1890 home in Victoria to stunning effect.
A Miami Renovation That Blends Concrete and Rich Wooden Interiors
Designed with Floridian sensibilities, this bright loft gives an otherwise industrial space some warmth.
This Renovated Victorian in Melbourne Literally Says “Hello” to Passersby
Revamped and expanded to accommodate a home and artist’s studio, Hello House is a true conversation starter.
A Historic Victorian in San Francisco Is Meticulously Transformed Into a Modern Family Home
In San Francisco’s Alamo Square, Jensen Architects turns to the past to boldly reinterpret a storied historic home.
A Perfume Magnate Renovates a House With a Murky Past Outside Paris
The 1960s building is a concrete masterpiece—but who really designed it?
At Lasvit’s New Czech Headquarters, the Past and Present Are in Conversation at Every Turn
Prague architects OV-A won the competition for the glass manufacturer’s unconventional, four-building work hub situated in a...
7 Bathroom Renovation Ideas to Rejuvenate Your Space
Gone are the days of bathrooms simply being utilitarian spaces.
A Two-Story Skylight Illuminates a Gracefully Renovated Victorian in London
Architect Neil Dusheiko turns a narrow terrace house into a bright, wood-wrapped sanctuary for himself and his growing family.
A Melbourne Victorian Is Lovingly Renovated to Extend its Life Story
The owners of a historic property in Melbourne see it as having a past, present, and future.
A 1904 Melbourne Victorian Freshens Up With a Curvaceous Mullet Renovation
In Melbourne, a rear addition with bold curved elements turns an ornate Victorian into a heritage-worthy family home.
A Renovated Pagan House in the Swiss Alps Puts Guests in Touch With the Past
A sprinkling of modernity resurrects an exquisite medieval alpine home.
This May Be the Most Ecologically Ambitious Home Renovation on the Planet
On Bainbridge Island, off the Washington coast, Charlie Hellstern Interior Design and The Miller Hull Partnership create the...
A 1957 Midcentury in Seattle Receives a Striking Makeover
By removing walls, inserting new windows, and using a lighter color palette, Mowery Marsh Architects give this historic home a...
An 11-Year Renovation Helps a Couple Grow Simpatico With the Original Homeowner’s Quirky Vision
An inspired, if poorly constructed, Los Angeles home gets a proper retrofit that preserves its many idiosyncrasies.
In Berlin, an Auto Repair Shop Becomes a High-Performance Home for a Painter and Her Family
Playing into the building’s raw, industrial character, Studio Karhard converts a space to be fit for children—without losing its...
A Major Restoration Updated This Midcentury Landmark in Belgium
A Belgian couple abide by strict preservation rules to breathe new life into an International Style villa by architect Lucien...
Before & After: A Country Home Blossoms in the Ruins of an Old Stone Barn
Type rehabs a rundown stone structure into an elegant dwelling—and then sets about rewilding its site in the English countryside.
A Minimalist Bungalow in Miami Welcomes a Sleek New Addition
In South Miami, a thoughtful revamp and extension embraces the outdoors on an intimate scale.
Outside Paris, a 19th-Century House Conceals a Minimalist Tableau Rich With Color
In a nature preserve, two creative directors design a colorful country home.
Before & After: An L.A. Loft in a Former Nabisco Factory Gets a Japanese-Inspired Makeover
Amanda Gunawan of OWIU Design turns a cookie-cutter space into an Asian-inflected haven with an industrial edge.
To Update a Midcentury With a Striking Open-Truss Ceiling, They Tracked Down Its Original Architect
Designed in 1949 by Donald Edwin Pedersen—a lesser-known member of Southern California’s roster of midcentury architects, the now...
An Antwerp Apartment Captures the Spirit of the Belle Époque
In Antwerp, Belgium, a historic flat is transformed into a bright and airy, dreamy oasis.
Fashion Designer Lezanne Viviers’s Johannesburg Digs Double as a Studio and Concept Store
The glass-fronted, 1960s gem acts as a display case for her eponymous label, vibrant artworks, and modernist furniture.
A Grand Victorian Glows Like a Lantern After a Luminous Retrofit
Timmins + Whyte carves out a sun-soaked haven in a heritage-listed Melbourne home.
A Midcentury Relic in Perth Gets a Gut Renovation—and the Results Are Stunning
With its modernist, ’60s flair preserved, the coastal family home now features flowing living spaces that combine bespoke...
A Victorian Home Takes Over the Ruins of an Old Parchment Factory in England
Will Gamble Architects revives a crumbling, 17th-century structure with a svelte addition of steel, brick, and glass.
Before & After: A Faux Mountain Inspired by Disneyland Caps This Riotous Renovation in London
Architect Mat Barnes transforms his Edwardian home into a postmodern playground of pattern and color.
Before & After: Curving Glass Walls Give This Traditional Beijing Home an Otherworldly Appeal
A derelict courtyard residence gets revitalized with a sinuous, glass-walled pathway.
A 17th-Century Building in the Swiss Alps Is Reimagined as a Residence, Rental, and Wine Bar
Designer Jonathan Tuckey rescues a stone-and-timber structure from demolition and reconfigures it as a site for contemporary...
A Former Vegemite Warehouse in Sydney Is Transformed Into a Colorful Family Home
This warehouse conversion by Ian Moore Architects also features an equine genetics laboratory and an enormous garage filled with...
Before & After: This Historic Midcentury With a Slinky Roofline Debuts at Modernism Week 2020
Once destined for destruction, the Miles Bates House—better known as the Wave House for its curvy roof—will finally open to the...

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