A Year in Review: Top 10 Before & Afters

If you like a dramatic makeover reveal, than you’re going to love this look back at the most amazing drab-to-dazzling transformations of 2023. (For more Year in Reviews, check out our Top 10 Bathrooms and Top 10 Kitchens).

Want your own before-and-after moment? The Tile Shop is here to help, with free design services and a wealth of tile options to help you tackle that project on your New Year’s To-Do.

10. Craven Haven’s Ultra-Charming Utility Room

Form meets multi-function in this all-purpose room designed by Mackenzie of the popular Craven Haven blog. Mackenzie chose the Trecento Calacatta Marbello luxury vinyl flooring for its style and durability. Waterproof, scratch-proof and stain-resistant, this luxury vinyl tile provides the look of natural stone in easy-to-maintain material, adding an unassuming elegance to this laundry/mudroom/storage space. If you’re looking for a durable, easy-to-install and -care-for material that will elevate any space, shop our full assortment of luxury vinyl tile.

9. Kyla Marie Charles’ Sleek & Chic Kitchen

This kitchen backsplash got a modern facelift. By replacing the cupboards with floating shelves and installing white tile, Kyla Marie Charles created a space that feels bright and open–perfect for sparking culinary creativity. We love how the handmade-look features of the Retro Lino tile add subtle interest to this wall. If a kitchen reno is one of your New Year’s Resolutions, check out our wide assortment of kitchen tile.

8. Faust Design Build’s Starry Delight Bathroom

The Asteri tile with its fun, yet classic star pattern provides a twist on the traditional in this stately modern bathroom designed by Faust Design Build. The black and off-white tile ties in with the light wood cabinets and sleek black hardware of the double sinks, while still making a statement of its own. If you want to infuse character into your space, explore our patterned tile for a design to fit your style.

7. Craven Haven’s Boys’ Bathroom

A dated jack-and-jill bathroom found new life as this fun and charming kids’ bathroom designed by Mackenzie from the popular Craven Haven blog. The simple black-and-white color scheme in the tile allows for more colorful accessories like the green vanity and red stools. The geometric pattern on the Cali Black and White floor tile is reminiscent of Southwestern patterns, which ties into the antler wall hanging and adds to the adventurous boyhood aesthetic. Remove the stools and replace the whimsical accessories with something a little more mature, and this is a room that would be just as suitable for teenagers as for little boys.

6. Nikki Chu’s Quietly Luxurious Bathroom

The mix of soft whites and creams creates a sense of stylish serenity in this beautiful bathroom designed by renowned designer, Nikki Chu. The Argile Matte handmade-look subway tile adds beautiful visual texture to the upper walls with its uneven surface and shade variation, while the Livingstone Melange marble-look tile on the lower wall and floor creates stunning movement through beige and grey veining. The effect is a gorgeous, stately bathroom that embodies quiet luxury–a style towards understated refinement that gained popularity in 2023 and shows no sign of dissipating as we go into 2024. To achieve this aesthetic in your space, shop our assortment of marble-look and handmade-look tiles.

5. I SPY DIY’s Bejeweled Bathroom

Blue was the color of the year for bathrooms (check out this post for 12 of Our Best Blue Bathrooms), and this bathroom designed by Jenni Yolo from the popular I SPY DIY blog made a big impression this year. The jewel-toned sapphire-blue handmade-look tile creates a vibrant, yet relaxing space. We love how she paired the Marrakesh Blue and Off White tile to create a checkerboard moment on the shower wall, adding just a touch of whimsy to this beautiful bathroom.

4. Angelia Guthrie’s Modern Condo Kitchen

By replacing dark cupboards with open shelving and a bright Calacata Evora marble backsplash, Angelia Guthrie turned her dated condo kitchen into a chic and modern culinary space. We love how the large-format tile creates a slab look (the appearance of one solid piece of stone), for an expansive and open space. Shop our assortment of large-format tiles to achieve this look in your space.

3. Nikki Chu’s Contemporary Classic Kitchen

Designer Nikki Chu took this kitchen from blah to brilliant. By adding some modern hardware, replacing the cupboards with shelves and hanging a statement piece pendant light, this kitchen is as chic as it is inviting. What we love most, though is the marble chevron wall tile. The natural color variation of the Meram Blanc Carrara with its grey and beige veining adds to the movement of the chevron shape, creating beautiful organic texture that perfectly complements the woven lamp shade and wooden shelves. Shop our full assortment of chevron tile to achieve this look in your home.

2. Faust Design Bulid’s Fun & Funky Kids’ Bathroom

This darling kids’ bathroom, designed by Faust Design Build, is a celebration of color and shape. The pairing of pink and blue makes this bathroom appropriate for either gender and will accommodate all sorts of bright-colored accessories. The natural lines of the Track Stack Navy Blue mosaic tile create a neat, orderliness while still being playful. View our full assortment of mosaic tile to find the perfect shape for your project.

1. I SPY DIY’s Super-Rejuvenating Spa Bathroom

In one of the most dramatic transformations of the year, I SPY DIY took this dull, utilitarian loft bathroom and re-envisioned it as a luxurious spa-like oasis complete with a soaking tub and wet room. The handmade-look Riad Grey tile creates an artisanal aesthetic of the room with their natural variations in color and surface texture, while the Royal White Hex marble floor tiles create traction and adds to the opulence of the room. By keeping the color palette in white and grey, Jenni Yolo of I SPY DIY was able to create a beautiful tableau on which the gold fixtures and pops of red accents really shine.

This concludes our Year in Review series. We hope you enjoyed this look back at your favorite spaces of 2023. We can’t wait to see what you create in the New Year! Share your next project by tagging us @thetileshop on Instagram or uploading it directly to our Customer Room Gallery (you can find even more design inspo there, too).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Hi! I'm Eimile, Marketing copywriter. What I love about working at The Tile Shop is getting to see all the new design trends. I especially love bright, bold colors and retro designs. When I'm not writing copy, I'm usually reading a novel or taking a walk around my Minneapolis neighborhood.

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