ByLydia Geisel,Photos byMike Van Tassel
PublishedJan 17, 2026 1:45 AM EST
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Domino Reno: Before + Afters, DIYs, and Tips From the Pros
Domino Reno: Before + Afters, DIYs, and Tips From the Pros
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In 2019,Beth Diana Smith’s second-floor washing machine wreaked havoc on her New Jersey home. “It created a lot of chaos,” she recalls. A leaky pipe caused serious water damage: Her downstairs wood floors were ruined, and she had to replace portions of her ceilings and walls. But even after those essential repairs, the interior designer never felt like her wall-to-wall carpeting upstairs fully bounced back from the accident, particularly in her office space, which also sits on the second level. TheOne Room Challengegave Smith the perfect excuse to focus on upgrading her work zone, transforming it into a space where she actually wants to take calls and review samples for client projects. Naturally the dingy floor covering (which also seemed to aggravate her seasonal allergies) was one of the first things to go at the start of the eight-week reno.
“I was happy to see it go,” says Smith. She brought in a pro installer to lay downRaintree’s Backcountryproduct: an engineered hardwood with a waterproof core. “Even though my infamous washer has since been replaced, it still makes me nervous,” notes Smith. The fresh flooring is also indentation-resistant (so she can shuffle as much heavy furniture around as she likes without stressing). Once the important groundwork had literally been laid, Smith got to work fine-tuning the details.
Choose a Backdrop That Turns Heads
Because the office sits right at the top of the stairs, the designer wanted the room to deliver a visual punch. Smith found the impact she was after in artist and activist Malene Barnett’sKindred wallpaper collectionfor Lulu and Georgia. She settled on theAlaari printin a pink-terracotta tone. “I wanted people to start walking up my stairs and look up and think: Okay, she did an amazing job,” says Smith. “I wantedthatfeeling.”
Take Storage Vertical
Only about three months before Smith decided to do a full revamp of the office, she had purchased two long, low credenzas to house her supplies. “I thought they’d be great because I’d have a lot more tabletop space,” she notes. But it didn’t take long for her to realize the pieces were eating up too much floor space, so she moved them to her garage (she’s giving one to a friend) and picked up avintage-inspired cabinetstanding 86 inches high and 39 inches wide. The unit holds way more than meets the eye: boxes stuffed with material samples, camera equipment, reference books Smith amassed while attending the New York School of Interior Design, and even overstock pillow covers.
Make Your Desk Chair the Best Seat in the House
Rather than replacing her existing desk chair, Smith simply reimagined it. “It did the job,” she says of the comfortable seat (the only con was its blah gray color). “I searched high and low for office chairs and so many were either really ugly or really boring.” A DIY in this case was the smartest route. With some marigold- and ruby-hued fabric and a touch of rose gold spray paint (for the legs), she made the furniture look brand-new.
Maximize Your Surface Space
Here’s a thought: Skip the desk. In an effort to maximize her surface area so she could fit her desktop, paperwork, iPad, and other daily essentials, Smith boughta dining table from Lulu and Georgiaand pushed the 82-inch-long piece against the wall. “The dimensions are perfect: It’s ginormous,” she says. Before purchasing any furniture, Smith mapped out the room to a T in AutoCad to make sure everything would fit.
Put Your Diplomas on Display
For years Smith kept her college degrees boxed up, but during the renovation, she gained a fresh perspective. “I was like, as much time, energy, and money as I’ve invested in my education, they should go back up on the wall,” she says. While diplomas can sometimes look stuffy or too doctor’s office–y, by displaying them alongside vintage African masks and other artworks (the central painting is fromThe Black Home), her degrees blend right in. Smith shined a spotlight on her accomplishments by mountingtwo brass picture lights.
The long bench beneath the window that doubles as extra seating was a HomeGoods steal. “It was love at first sight,” shares Smith with a laugh. The matte black bar cart (also from HomeGoods) was a similar story: “Having a bar in my office was on my must-have list,” she says. On Fridays at 5 p.m., it’s the hottest spot in the house.
Lydia Geisel
Home Editor
Lydia Geisel has been part of the editorial team at Domino since 2017. Today, she writes and edits home and renovation stories, including house tours, before-and-afters, and DIY projects, and leads our design news coverage. She lives in New York City.
Mike Van Tassel
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