DGI’s Best Before & Afters

We’re super excited to bring you a roundup of DGI’s best before and afters to date! We love working on renovation projects because it requires our designers to get creative and completely reimagine a space. Sometimes, it even involves a bit of problems solving to create the most functional space for our clients. But it’s all worth it when we get to compare the final results of our design with the before photos! So let’s take a look back at ten of our favorite before and afters.

Kitchens

Kitchens are often the biggest transformation on our renovation projects. It makes sense because they are the heart of the home and a space that our clients want to invest in. We love designing a kitchen that is both functional and beautiful for our clients. It’s a combination that most builder-grade kitchens lack. Without further ado, let’s dive into our top kitchen transformations!

This West Loop Penthouse underwent a huge renovation in 2021, and the kitchen is one of our favorite transformations to date! DGI gutted the builder-grade maple cabinets, and designed custom rift-cut white oak cabinets instead. This kitchen is truly all about the details because DGI custom-designed integrated finger pulls, brass inlays, and a brass patina hood. Click on the photo above to head to the home tour for even more details behind this transformative design!

Owners and founders of DGI, Devon and Michael Wegman, recently completed a renovation of their own last year. The white kitchen was completely gutted and reimagined with a more modern, Japandi style design. Devon and Mike opted for rift-cut white oak cabinetry, a graphic stone hood, and a textured white backsplash to achieve the Japandi look. The original kitchen was also double-height, and they opted to build out over it to add a bedroom and bathroom above.

The kitchen at our Michigan Lakehouse was completely gutted, and DGI actually decided to move it to the other side of the home to allow it to open up to to large screened-in porch. This created space for a larger island and a breakfast table, and we also upgraded all of the cabinets, countertops, and appliances for a much more modern look.

In our Aqua Tower Renovation, DGI completely gutted the kitchen to give it a more sophisticated and custom look. The island became the focal point when DGI wrapped it in a beautiful porcelain. One of the key features that makes this kitchen feel custom and sophisticated is the hidden appliances. The microwave and oven are tucked in the island, while the dishwasher and refrigerator are now concealed with panel front cabinetry.

Bathrooms

Now let’s dive into a couple of DGI’s major bathroom renovations. Looking back on the before photos, it’s hard to believe that these are the same bathrooms! We carefully designed these spaces with a spa-like feel. After all, we spend a lot of time getting ready in our bathrooms every morning so they should feel luxurious and inviting.

In our West Loop Penthouse project, the primary bathroom received a full gut renovation. The checkered tile and mirror surround was discarded, and DGI opted for a super luxurious, Carrara marble-covered look. The transformed space is much more bright, inviting, and luxurious.

In this Michigan Lakehouse, DGI completely transformed the outdated bathroom with new tile, cabinetry, and countertops. We opted for more cool-toned grey floor tile that we installed in a unique grid pattern. Then, we gave the bathroom a luxurious look with book-matched porcelain slabs in the shower. The new custom vanity brings some warmth and texture into the bathroom in a modern way. We also decided to slice off about five-feet of the bathroom to add a new bathroom for the other side of the house. The end result is still a spacious, luxurious bathroom.

Living Rooms

It’s amazing what new furnishing and decor can do to a space, and these next before and after photos are proof! These living rooms were transformed with elevated window treatments, furniture, and decor. Let’s take a look back on some of our favorite living room transformations.

This Lake Forest home was given a whole new contemporary, minimalist look. We discarded the heavy damask drapery, ornate mouldings, and traditional furniture to achieve a much lighter and modern feel in the living room. The fireplace was completely transformed, and DGI opted for a minimal, porcelain slab surround and simple wood mantle. Fresh white paint, ripplefold drapery, and contemporary furniture completes the modern and minimal design.

In Devon and Mike’s Lincoln Park loft, they decided to create a focal point in the living room with the large, double-height fireplace wall. Fluted built-ins and a book-matched porcelain fireplace surround give the loft a completely new, Japandi style look. Soft window treatments and modern, neutral furniture frames out the living room with a modern feel.

This Aqua Tower condo’s living room was completely transformed with new furniture and a new custom fireplace and media wall. The furniture is more modern but maintains a sophisticated look. We also elevated the living room with floor to ceiling window treatments and a textured wallcovering.

Dining Rooms

Formal dining rooms often have an outdated or traditional feel. DGI believes that formal dining rooms are still a key space in the home, and they deserve a special design. We couldn’t complete this roundup without a look back on one of our most dramatic dining room transformations to date!

In this Lake Forest home, the dining room was super traditional with damask drapery, ornate mouldings, and a heavy crystal chandelier. DGI completely transformed the dining room to look more modern, minimal, and moody. We introduced soft, ripplefold drapery, a light textured wallpaper, and a modern cylinder chandelier. We introduced a black textured wallcovering on the ceiling to help the dining room stand out from the rest of the home with a moody feel.

That completes our roundup of DGI’s best before and afters! We loved looking back on these transformations with all of you.

-dgw