Our TeamSarah Everett

Sarah Everett

I cover Before & Afters, DIYs, home projects, and design trends.Brooklyn, NYKeep up with me on Apartment Therapy

About Me

I’m from Columbia, Missouri, a journalism town (okay, technically a college town with a big journalism school). It’s also home to one of my favorite things: True/False Film Fest, an international documentary festival. So I’ve been inspired by journalism/journalists/nonfiction storytelling for, I think, forever?

I have an MA and BA in journalism from the University of Missouri and Belmont University, respectively. While in school, I worked for city magazines (and also started working part-time for AT!). I learned to love clever, voicey content that’s helpful, whether it’s recommending something to watch or read, helping you get involved in your community, or helping you decorate your home.

As Home Projects Editor, I cover DIY and design, and I organize the Before & After series. (If you’ve done a cool project, please send it to me!) Outside of work, I love doing the crossword, chatting with friends, drinking iced lattes, and going on little walks and sometimes longer runs. If there were a job that combined those things, I would do that. But for now, I'll do the next-best thing, where I pretty much do chat with friends, read, drink lattes, and go on little walks — with lots of writing, editing, and looking at cool homes mixed in.

My pronouns

she/her/hers

My education

Belmont University (BA in Journalism), University of Missouri (MA in Journalism)

My Big Projects

Before-and-After Library

Latest Stories

Her Mom’s Kitchen Was Dated Until This Daughter Gave It a Cheerful Pink Redo

There’s just something special about the cooks, recipes, and kitchens you grew up with. Architect Dhara Sanghavi grew up in a now-dated ’80s-style kitchen, which her mother cooked in as-is for about 15 years.“It was a very central place in my household,” Dhara explains. “My mom is a great host and feels happy when inviting our friends and family for meals. The whole family would come together to chop vegetables, and I loved knowing what was cooking.

Sarah Everett

3 days ago

A Green Living Room Had a Tricky Layout Until a 3 A.M. Idea Solved It

When Rosaline Elbay was apartment hunting in New York, the fireplace, brick walls, and large windows in the living room of this Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, apartment won her over. And she painted the non-brick walls Farrow & Ball’s “Calke Green” after moving in. “Coupled with the greenery outside … it can really feel like you aren’t in New York at all when you’re sitting there with the window open,” she says.

Sarah Everett

Oct 15, 2026

A "Dated and Drab" Kitchen Is Now Modern Thanks to "Beautiful Blue" Paint

Interior designers have to make a lot of aesthetic decisions for other people, but every once in a while they get the chance to work on a project for a very special client: themselves. Designer Jacklynn Little (@jacklynnlittleinteriors) recently redesigned her own condo kitchen that hadn’t been updated since the condo was built 16 years ago.

Sarah Everett

Oct 12, 2026

She Kept the Bathroom's 1950s Pink Tile — 1 DIY Made It Feel Brand New

Even if you have an extremely dated space, it doesn’t always require a total demo to look new and stylish again. Take Geneva Slye’s (@just.geneva) bathroom, for example. “The first thing you notice about the bathroom is the pink tile,” Geneva says. “It is original to the house that was built in the 1950s.”Also part of the bathroom upon move-in?

Sarah Everett

Oct 11, 2026

A $600 Vintage Charm Redo Reversed a Gray Flip in an “Uninspired” Kitchen

Every once in a while, style switch-ups are good for the soul — even if the room “before” isn’t terrible to begin with. For Emma and Zack Shay, their kitchen wasn’t bad-looking by any means, but they wanted to ditch the blue-gray cabinetry for something that felt warmer and homey.

Sarah Everett

Oct 9, 2026

She Saved $10,000 by Painting Her Orangey Kitchen Cabinets

If there’s one 1990s or early aughts feature that DIYers and designers are ditching when redoing a kitchen in the 2020s, it’s a two-tiered island countertop. Multi-level bar seating is making way for something more practical — often an expansive, single-level island or peninsula. You can see examples in this green kitchen makeover and this navy one — and in Sheri Abernathy’s (@brasswalnut) recent kitchen makeover.

Sarah Everett

Oct 9, 2026

A 100-Year-Old Bathroom Got a Renter-Friendly Redo (Including the Molding!)

Sarah Bryant’s (@sarah_louwho) over-100-year-old Brownstone apartment came with a lot of charm: original woodwork, two fireplaces, flower pots on the stoop, and friendly neighbors. A few things that weren’t so nice or charming? The large window right next to the toilet in her bathroom, the dated tan-and-black tile, and the hardware in the space. “The upgrades [over time] left some room for improvement that I’ve been happy to build on,” Sarah says.

Sarah Everett

Oct 7, 2026

A Dropped Ceiling Became This 100-Year-Old Dining Room’s Best Feature

Old homes have tons of cool history, charm, and character, but they can also come with a lot of necessary remodels and repairs thanks to plenty of years of use.That was certainly true of DIYer and real estate agent Melissa Doucet’s dining room in her 1922 home. “When we bought this century-old home, I don’t think anything had ever been done to it,” Melissa says of the dining room.

Sarah Everett

Oct 7, 2026

A Never-Used Living Room Is Now a Dream Library Thanks to One Paint Color

Apartment owner Amanda Mactas (@manhattantwist) is a voracious reader, and that’s clear in her design aesthetic, too. “I really like the feel of an old library, but I also love some elements of more modern style,” she says.The goal for her living room transformation was to marry the two, and she worked with professional designer Kim Limtak. “I never did anything at all in the living room,” Kim says.

Sarah Everett

Oct 6, 2026

A $50 Mantel Inspired This DIY Fireplace — He Handmade Every Tile

If you don’t have a fireplace in your living room or bedroom, you can always make one — whether that’s an operational one or a purely decorative one. Here are nine DIY fireplace ideas to inspire you — plus a 10th one from stylist and interior decorator Chad Burton (@chadburton.studio).

Sarah Everett

Oct 5, 2026

An All-Gray Bathroom Got a Colorful Redo with an Unrecognizable IKEA Hack

One of homeowner and interior designer Chloë Rideout’s (@chloerideoutinteriors) goals for her bathroom makeover was to make it look less cookie-cutter and more vintage. After all, her condo is in an 1835 rowhome.But in the first three years that Chloë and her husband, Joe, lived there, the bathroom was “gray and boring,” Chloë says.

Sarah Everett

Oct 5, 2026

They Used to Avoid This Cramped Bathroom — A Space-Saving Redo Fixed It

People who live in smaller homes can probably relate to this sentiment from designer Lauren Saab @saabstudios.design): “In a smaller home, you feel the inefficiencies of every square foot,” she says.And Lauren was definitely feeling the inefficiencies in her 1,162-square-foot 1950s house’s bathroom. “The bathroom was one of the smallest rooms in the house, but the vanity made it feel even tighter,” she says.

Sarah Everett

Oct 4, 2026

I’ve Seen Hundreds of IKEA BILLY Hacks — Never One Like This

Studio apartment dwellers often have to come up with clever ways to divide their space into distinct zones for sleeping, dining, working, and more. Take, for instance, these large pink IKEA BILLY bookcases that basically turn this studio into a one-bedroom, or this IKEA shower door hack that carves out a home office in a studio.A third space-savvy IKEA project to add to the list is Olamilekan Isaac’s (@our_commonspace) BILLY-built bedroom.

Sarah Everett

Oct 2, 2026

Their Dining Room Furniture Looked Dated Until 1 DIY Changed the Whole Room

If you ever have the lingering feeling that your space looks good, but not great, turn your attention to the walls. Often, they just need a bit more oomph.Giving the walls a dose of texture with moulding or coating them with rich, moody paint color is a surefire way to make an entire space look more sophisticated and meant-to-be.This dining room is a great example.

Sarah Everett

Sep 28, 2026

A Blank Dining Room Got a Bold Red, Blue, and Green Makeover

Green is a great color to use in interior design because it’s so versatile. Muted sages make for calming sleep spaces, and bold or dark greens can create statement-making bookcases.Brandi Katherine Herrera (@alivelymanner) went with bright green in her Omaha cottage’s dining room makeover. But the space when she bought it had a “palette of gray and white builder-grade finishes.

Sarah Everett

Sep 27, 2026

A Bright White Bedroom Is Now a Green Cocoon “Inspired by the Forest”

When it comes to choosing a dark paint color, DIYer Danie Berger (@diyinprogress_) says, “Transitioning a space from bright and airy to dark and dramatic can feel intimidating.”But she says it can be rewarding, design-wise; the key is “layering tones within the same family so the space [feels] cohesive rather than chaotic.

Sarah Everett

Sep 25, 2026

This Renter-Friendly Redo Made Yellow-Toned Cabinets Look So Much Better

If you’re a renter wondering where you should spend your budget on decorating your apartment, take Alli’s (@actuallyalliDIY) advice: “I like to try to save as much money as possible on the removable renovations,” she says. “I tend to invest more money into the decor items because those items can move with me and be used in future spaces.

Sarah Everett

Sep 25, 2026

She Used IKEA Storage to Make Her Studio Feel Like a One-Bedroom

For better (see: these 20 incredibly chic studios) or worse (see: not being able to fall asleep due to a light coming from a random kitchen appliance), studio apartments famously do not have a distinct sleeping zone. But that doesn’t mean they have to stay that way. Renter Ashley Buchanan (@historyinhighheels) created a cozy bedroom with plenty of clothing storage in her 480-square-foot studio apartment in D.C.“Technically, there was no bedroom before!” Ashley says.

Sarah Everett

Sep 23, 2026

The Boldest Part of This Color-Drenched Bedroom Isn’t Even the Paint

Red paint is sometimes difficult to work with and style, but — when paired with the right colors and in just the right shade — it can elevate any room. (Have you heard of the unexpected red theory?)A rust-meets-red paint job in Abigail Rogers’ (@abigailrogersinteriors) bedroom is the perfect, rich color choice for her Victorian home — but that’s only one great element of her bedroom redo, which includes an IKEA hack, a DIY headboard, and more.

Sarah Everett

Sep 16, 2026

This Kitchen Was Straight Out of the '70s Until a Cozy All-White Redo

A few things to love from the ’70s, design-wise? Macrame, rattan, funky patterns — even conversation pits. A few things that certainly aren’t missed from the decade? Orange-toned everything, fluorescent lighting, and bland laminate countertops.Unfortunately, Jenessa Weaver’s 1977 kitchen had several not-so-fun-or-funky ’70s details, and she was looking for a change. So she enlisted the help of her childhood best friend, Alysha, designer and owner of Camp Interiors.

Sarah Everett

Sep 6, 2026

She Painted More Than Just the Walls in Her Dreamy Bedroom Retreat

A color-drenched paint effect (aka painting the walls, trim, and ceiling all the same color) is not always possible for a renter if there are lease stipulations about painting the ceiling, but Rosaline Elbay got pretty close in her Boerum Hill apartment’s bedroom. “If this weren’t a rental, I probably would have color drenched completely, but I settled for just drenching the closet doors,” Rosaline says.

Sarah Everett

Sep 6, 2026

This All-White Kitchen Nook Became Cozy Without a Major Renovation

Home Projects

There are some rooms that just feel extra dreamy — home libraries with wall-to-wall bookshelves and antique lamps, sunrooms with tall windows and lots of plants, or powder rooms that feel straight out of a hotel, perhaps.These are the kinds of rooms you pin to inspiration boards or add to a “someday” list. For interior designer Valerie Darden (@brextoncoleinteriors), it’s breakfast nooks that make a house feel extra fancy.

Sarah Everett

Sep 4, 2026

Limewashed Walls Gave This Kitchen a Vintage, Minimalist Redo

Adding a limewash paint treatment to your walls can add a vintage, worldly aesthetic to even a brand-new space. It’s often used in living rooms and bedrooms, but DIYer and apartment dweller Teresa Rudolph added it to her kitchen — and the result is stunning. When she moved in, the kitchen had crisp white walls, checkered floors, and a basic white kitchen setup on the left-hand side.

Sarah Everett

Sep 3, 2026

An Office Is Unrecognizable After IKEA BILLY Created a Refreshing Redo

Sometimes 1970s wood-paneled spaces are great, but other times they just look old rather than retro. In Katie and Philip Bowling’s home office, that was the case.“We loved the coziness of the small office room, but it was so dark with the old faux wood paneling,” homeowner Katie Bowling (@katiebowlinghome) says. “The carpet in the room was so worn down.

Sarah Everett

Sep 2, 2026

They Took a Risk on Mustard and Red — It Completely Changed This Living Room

Paint plus pattern is a great formula for creating a striking transformation in a room, especially if you love color.It’s a formula Brandi Katherine Herrera (@alivelymanner) knows well, as she’s added paint, paneling, and pattern to several rooms in her cozy, colorful cottage originally built in 1918.In her dining room, for example, she added paneling and painted it bright green with a fun wallpaper to match.

Sarah Everett

Aug 31, 2026

We Tested (and Rated!) Every Bed Frame at Avocado

Sustainable, solid, and stylish.

Nicole Lund

Aug 27, 2026

This 200-Square-Foot Kitchen Didn’t Gain an Inch — But You’d Never Know

Small kitchens certainly aren’t unusable. In fact, there are plenty of space-savvy kitchen finds that can make tiny studio or galley kitchens work successfully.But sometimes, a small kitchen begs for a total renovation, which was the case for Bri Williams and her husband, Denver, and their 200-square-foot kitchen.

Sarah Everett

Aug 24, 2026

They Changed Almost Everything but the Cabinets in This 2000s Kitchen

Orange-y wooden cabinets from the ’90s and 2000s might have a bit of a dated look to them, but they can be worth keeping just for the sheer quality of the wood. Throw a little paint on them, and they’ll be perfectly on-trend today, when dark gray, navy, and deep green paint colors reign.

Sarah Everett

Aug 18, 2026

They Didn't Rip Out Their Dated '70s Fireplace — They Built Around It

Brick fireplaces can be total stunners, but depending on the color, age, and condition of the brick, they can also feel like “a very dull sea of brown,” per Emily Hauffler of House and Hens. Fear not: There are affordable ways to make a boring brown fireplace stylish, as evidenced by these 10 redos — and an 11th in Emily’s home.

Sarah Everett

Aug 17, 2026

This “Sterile” Basement Bedroom Got an Old-World Redo for Just $2,000

Adding texture and architectural detail to walls is a surefire way to make a home look custom and character-filled rather than builder-grade — especially in a bedroom.You can see what a huge difference it makes in designer Cerrissa Fitz’s (@piranhadesign) basement bedroom, which she took from “sterile” and “boxy,” as she wrote on Instagram, to an “old-world vibe.”Although Cerrissa is an interior designer, this was her first time dabbling in DIY.

Sarah Everett

Aug 16, 2026

Renters Couldn't Renovate Their Dated Kitchen — So They Got Creative

HOME PROJECTS

Are you a renter feeling limited, home improvement-wise, by the terms of your lease or by the fact that you might someday move? Heed this advice from Lily F Tsutumida: “Do the math and consider what it’s worth for you to be happier in your space while you’re there; if it’s feasible, go for it!

Sarah Everett

Aug 16, 2026

This Colorful Entryway Redo Has 3 Clever Gallery Wall Ideas Worth Copying

Home Projects

A favorite travel destination inspired many pieces of this personality-packed gallery wall.

Sarah Everett

Jul 31, 2026

This 70-Inch NYC Living Room Somehow Fits Everything It Needs

Home Projects

This living room redo is chock-full of tips for filling up a small space without it feeling overwhelming.

Sarah Everett

Jul 29, 2026