Carol (@carolpham) took on the spring '26 ORC by tackling what she affectionately dubbed "the most awkward wall in my house", a partially recessed half-wall that never quite pulled its weight in the room. Her goal from the start was to turn a space that "always felt a little unfinished" into an intentional cozy nook with shelving and a small seating moment.

Olaniyi and her husband tackled bringing fresh style and functionality to this space completely DIY, and the finished project has to be a contender for the world’s swankiest basement. 

ORC vet Samantha of Signed Samantha embarked on another room transformation this past fall ‘23 event, this time creating her home office 2.0. You may remember her gorgeous green home office from the fall ‘21 event—with a second child on the way, the need for a dedicated nursery meant saying goodbye to home office 1.0.

When Shawna and her husband purchased their house a decade ago, they had planned to turn the unfinished basement into a playroom, but the arrival of their third child put the project on the backburner.

Selene had reached the DIY level where she had accumulated enough tools and supplies that she needed a dedicated spot for storage (if you DIY you know this struggle—it starts with one electric drill and gets out of hand fast).