before and after interior painting

A little painting, wallpaper or contact paper can go a long way toward transforming the look and feel of a space, so before you rip down the old wall coverings or toss out your unwanted furniture, consider some before-and-after project examples that show how a change in color or pattern can liven up a dull space or dampen an overly dramatic one.

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Apartment Therapy Before Bathroom Gray
Apartment Therapy After Bathroom Colorful

ApartmentTherapy covers such projects regularly, but individually they are not quite as interesting – after all, a blue, red and white chair may just not be your thing. Taken together, though, they show just how much you can alter character and mood with a change in tone or brightness.

Apartment Therapy bathroom before
Apartment Therapy Bathroom After

This design website has grown into one of the most popular sources of info and inspiration on the internet, and if they’re not already in your bookmarks, you should definitely check them out. The coolest thing about ApartmentTherapy is the many home makeovers it covers exclusively, showing how little money and effort can be required to produce a dramatic result.

Apartment Therapy Before Bathroom Beige
Apartment Therapy After Bathroom Pink
before and after furniture painting

Many of these makeovers stop short of total renovation. All it takes, in some cases, is a couple cans of paint to transform the character, feel and illumination of a space.  Their before & after section is divided up by room, so you can browse exactly what you’re looking for, and they even have a “$32 Design Challenge” that demonstrates what you can achieve on an extreme budget.

before and after home paint gallery

Bland bathrooms are just plain (and) uncomfortable – and too much white (or pastel) can kill an entry or living space. Highlights on the backs of wall bookshelves or free-standing bookcases can also help add dimension to a space by providing creative contrast. As you can see in this before and after gallery of home paint jobs, sometimes that’s all you need to make a huge impact in a room.