How are the before-and-after room makeovers created and photographed?

Every makeover is completed in a real home by a real person — typically a reader or our in-house designers — and the finished room is photographed in our signature 4:5 editorial portrait style. We never publish render-only inspiration.

What does the average room makeover budget look like?

Our published makeovers average $487 per room, with a full transparent budget breakdown in every guide showing exactly what was spent on furniture, textiles, paint and styling.

Are the makeover tips renter-friendly?

Yes — each guide flags whether the changes are non-permanent (no-drill, removable adhesive, freestanding furniture) so renters can follow along safely.

How often are new room makeovers published?

We publish 18 to 22 new room makeovers and decor guides every month, and our free Decor Idea Weekly newsletter sends one featured makeover, one budget breakdown and one shopping list every Friday.

Do the shopping lists link to specific retailers?

Yes — every guide links to the exact retailers where items were purchased, including the 14 national furniture brands we partner with such as IKEA, West Elm and CB2. We do not sell products directly.

Room Makeover · Week 47

1,400+ before‑and‑after room makeovers — in real homes, on real budgets.

Browse the gallery by room, budget or style. Every makeover was photographed before and after, broken down to the dollar, and finished in an average of 11 days by a real reader — not a render.

Maren Holloway, founder of HomeDecorTips

Curated by Maren Holloway

Founder & former Better Homes & Gardens stylist

A finished Brooklyn living room makeover by reader Lena Park

$462 total Before ↦

Living Room · 11 days

Reader makeover · Lena Park, Bed-Stuy duplex

Filter the gallery

Find a makeover that fits your room — and your budget.

By room

By budget

By style

Fern & Linen living room makeover by reader Priya Mehta

Living Room $387

Fern & Linen — a quiet green reading nook

11 days · 1 room · reader Priya M.

See the full budget breakdown →

Soft September bedroom makeover by reader Dania O.

Bedroom $248

Soft September — a bedroom that finally feels like a weekend

9 days · 1 room · reader Dania O.

See the full budget breakdown →

Maker's Kitchen makeover by reader Jules R.

Kitchen $612

The Maker's Kitchen — open shelves, brass, and lemons on the counter

14 days · 1 room · reader Jules R.

See the full budget breakdown →

Slow Morning dining room makeover by reader Aisha T.

Dining Room $529

Slow Morning — a round table, four chairs, and a Sunday habit

10 days · 1 room · reader Aisha T.

See the full budget breakdown →

Browse all 1,400+ makeovers

Why readers trust us

1,400+

before-and-after makeovers photographed since 2017

certified interior designers on the review team

$487

average reader budget per room makeover

11 days

average time from unboxing to styled room

A note from our design team

“The room photos on this site were never assembled in a studio. Every ‘after’ is the same apartment, the same lighting, the same morning — just rearranged by a reader who followed our five-step method. That's why the numbers hold up, and that's why you can trust them in your own home.”

A reader's bedroom after an 8-day makeover — “I bought the linen duvet and the thrifted nightstand on a Saturday and by the next weekend the room felt like the magazine photo. I'd been staring at it for two years.”

**Renée K.** · Tulsa, OK · finished in 8 days

A reader's living room after a 12-day makeover — “The budget breakdown saved me. I knew exactly what to skip and what to splurge on — the rug was the splurge, the pillows were the IKEA trick. Twelve days, done.”

**Marisol P.** · Phoenix, AZ · finished in 12 days

A reader's home office after a 9-day makeover — “I'd been working from the kitchen table for eighteen months. The Room Refresh Method got me a real desk, a real chair, and a lamp that doesn't hum — in nine days.”

**Devon W.** · Atlanta, GA · finished in 9 days

Every story links back to the original makeover guide with the full budget and shopping list.

Read the 5-step Room Refresh Method

1,400+ before‑and‑after room makeovers — in real homes, on real budgets.

Find a makeover that fits your room — and your budget.

Four fresh rooms — fully budgeted, fully shoppable.

Fern & Linen — a quiet green reading nook

Soft September — a bedroom that finally feels like a weekend

The Maker's Kitchen — open shelves, brass, and lemons on the counter

Slow Morning — a round table, four chairs, and a Sunday habit

Real bedrooms, real kitchens, real Saturdays — finished by readers like you.