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When we had our granite countertops installed, there was just enough left over to add a full-height backsplash, an idea we thought up (and measured), not the fabricator. The cost was minimal, the results were dramatic, and the splash inspires more comments than the countertop. —George Mahe, dining editor
A friend had some travertine floor tile that she’d decided not to use but couldn’t return. We bought it from her at an attractive discount. It became the starting point for a bathroom remodeling project that set us on a path to selecting high-end materials throughout the room, which was a great decision. It really transformed our modest bathroom into something special. —Charlene Oldham, freelance writer
Upgrading to a rain showerhead has been lifechanging. It has definitely elevated my showers from a daily chore to an awesome and more relaxing experience. —Tom White, art director
To change the kitchen backsplash. It was white ceramic tile—harmless, flawless, but devoid of charm, running in a narrow strip beneath the cabinets. That narrow strip is now the first thing everybody notices! —Jeannette Cooperman, staff writer
I live in an old house, so my kitchen is long and narrow. The best decision I made was to not take the cabinets up to the ceiling in a large part of the kitchen. That gives the kitchen a much lighter and relaxed feel. It also gives me some great wall space for artwork. —Alise O’Brien, photographer
I haven’t done a lot to my kitchen—I need to replace my counters. (No more butcher block, ever! No one needs to spend hours every week buffing their counter with mineral oil…at least I don’t.) When I moved in, my kitchen was orange, which would make lots of people perfectly happy, but it was a little too much for my nervous system, so I painted the kitchen yellow. It made a huge difference in the look and feel. —Stefene Russell, executive editor
In 1991, I bought a two-family with a kitchen that included a perfect up-and-down set of metal kitchen cabinets from the 1950s. I decided to keep them. My kitchen renovations included adding more storage space with similar pieces, like the not-as-perfect freestanding metal cabinet I dragged in from an alley with a gray-swirl linoleum top. Later, I found a large kitchen worktop in the same gray pattern with two drawers and cabinets as a base. I restored both and love my retro-renovation. —Pat Eby, freelance writer
I decided to maintain the original—yet imperfect—floor and wall tile in my hall bathroom. It would have been tempting to get caught up in the excitement of selecting shiny new materials and finishes, but the beauty of this bathroom is its connection to the past. —Veronica Theodoro, editor-in-chief
