From drab to fab

When I look at the before-and-after photos, I realize our home used to be a bare shell. It didn't register with my husband and me when we first bought our loft the amount of work we could put into the place. The kitchen sparkled and the concrete floors gleamed—but it had no personality.

So we painted. And painted. And bickered. And painted. Next up came the trim work. We wanted to save money by doing it ourselves, so we rented a nail gun, added some quarter-round molding, and painted it. Then came new lighting and artwork. It was hard, physical work, but the final result was worth it. Our place transformed into our home with a few personal touches and a lot of sweat.

Sweat equity: The entryway of my downtown loft shows what you can do with a blank canvas. Note to self: No more projects with the husband.

So, need to borrow a ladder for your hospital design project? I've got a really tall one.