When updating a hundred-year-old home in an idyllic neighborhood near Washington University, there are bound to be obstacles. “You don’t know what you’re getting into, and sometimes you’re pulling horsehair insulation out of walls,” explains Jill Worobec, certified designer with Mosby Building Arts. It’s a fun challenge, especially when working with clients like Worobec’s, one of whom was so psyched about the project that she took a sledgehammer and started the demolition herself!

As far as the onset of great renovation stories go, it’s the opening line to end opening lines: “All we were going to do was knock out this one wall.” But then, it’s 5 p.m. on a beautiful summer afternoon, and you’re sitting with Susie Fandos before a reclaimed-wood wall treatment that’s tonality perfectly complements burnt-orange terra-cotta tiles and the Old World, European-inspired color palette of the now-open kitchen and exceptionally furnished dining room. And – amid all that glorious enterprise – only one thought comes to mind: Must have been one hell of a wall.

Remodeling is on the rise in 2015 as more and more homeowners are taking the steps to improve one, if not several, spaces in their homes. Careful planning, sticking to a budget and enlisting the help of an interior design, architect and/or remodeling professional will ensure a successful end result. If you are considering embarking on a remodeling project, we want you to be inspired. This special before-and-after section highlights innovation and clever design at its finest.

Tired of their dated master bath, a Wildwood couple was ready to transform their space into an elegant retreat. Crisp, fresh and clean were all buzz words at the forefront of the new design. Keeping the overall footprint of the existing space, the homeowners worked with bath designer Paula Anane, Signature Kitchen and Bath, and their trusted contractor Kurt Weiss, Weiss Construction, to create the master bath of their dreams.

A year after her husband’s death, Jacquelynn Richmond decided it was time to carry out the couple’s plan to install hardwood floors throughout the main level of their family home. Trading carpet and vinyl for bamboo was fairly straightforward — but, given the kitchen’s configuration, replacing the floors ultimately meant remodeling the entire kitchen, which hadn’t been touched since the ‘80s and had the ubiquitous built-in desk to prove it.

 Sometimes all you need to make a big statement is the right color palette, plenty of sunlight and thoughtful staging. For this particular European-style property – a two-story home set alongside rural terrain and a clear, blue lake – country French hues gave way to the lighter, airier look two Belleville homeowners were after. The husband-and-wife duo had built their house in 1988 and had it professionally decorated then. “I loved it for years,” one homeowner explains, “but there was so much going on, and I’d grown tired of the previous look.”