Celebrating 15 years of running a blog with my DIY and decor favorites!
I can hardly consider it, however final week marked 15 years of running a blog at Thrifty Decor Chick!! I began this website in Could of 2008 and would have by no means fathomed in 1,000,000 years that it might turn into what it has.
I’m past grateful!
I began this weblog when our son was only a yr and a half — I had give up my full time public relations profession to remain at dwelling half time. I labored half time as an inside decorator once I began writing about DIY and decor, and fewer than a yr into running a blog I give up my adorning job to work from home.
Running a blog is the proper mixture of my two loves — writing and DIY/adorning.
Writing TDC has created so many superb alternatives, from being revealed in print, TV and on-line to being featured on the Nate Berkus present.
I used to be supposed to seem stay on his present so many instances, however the scheduling all the time obtained tousled. I am keen on Nate and am so grateful for his workforce’s help!
Years later, a bunch of my weblog mates and I created the Haven running a blog convention for DIY and decor bloggers. It grew to become an unbelievable success and I am SO pleased with that occasion. It’s now beneath new possession, however these have been among the greatest (and tiring!) weeks of my life.
Running a blog continues to take me out of my consolation zone, and I am actually, actually pleased with what I’ve created!
OK sufficient about that stuff, let us take a look at some tasks lets? I gathered what I contemplate to be the highest 15 tasks I’ve accomplished previously 15 years. I am certain I’ve left one thing out from all these years in our two homes, however I really feel like this can be a fairly good record!
1. Eating room turned library constructed ins
Our eating room at our final home was an awesome, open house that was hardly used.
My Dad got here up with the good thought to make use of UPPER wall cupboards because the bases to those constructed ins. This protects SO a lot effort and time:
This is a take a look at that eating room house earlier than the makeover:
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This was my pink and gold part. 🙂
Utilizing the wall cupboards makes the bookcases a regular 12 inches as an alternative of the 24 inch depth of base cupboards. Base cupboards even have drawers that look extra like a kitchen or rest room arrange.
2. First household room
This room noticed SO many adjustments through the years!
Earlier than the largest transformation, we had a clumsy format with a nook hearth. There was nowhere to comfortably place a TV and nonetheless have house within the room.
That is the nook hearth format we began with:
3. Closet turned guide nook
This little closet redo is one in every of my all time favourite makeovers!
It was a easy linen closet earlier than, however we had loads of room for this stuff elsewhere:
This can be a actually cheap challenge (particularly if you use scrap wooden like me). In case you have sufficient storage and do not want the closet house, a guide nook is such an awesome addition.
It was one factor everybody commented on once they visited our dwelling. The nook was such a candy house for our son when he was youthful. 💙
4. Mud/laundry room combo
I nonetheless ADORE this house! I used to be hesitant to do a laundry and dirt room mixture as a result of that room at our first home was all the time a catastrophe (keep tuned for that!).
However as quickly as we realized how huge this room was, I used to be all in! Now we LOVE having all of this performance in a single spot:
This room began with nice bones:
5. Laundry room turned mudroom
This was a HUGE transformation and by far probably the greatest we made in our first home!
Particularly contemplating what it used to seem like! Yikes!:
This picture was not an exaggeration — it was all the time a catastrophe.
6. DIY TV leisure middle constructed ins
It packs tons of operate — with storage all alongside the underside, the bench we use as additional seating and the added lighting above. And naturally, the cabinets are an awesome spot to show some fairly objects:
We began with a clean wall 19 toes lengthy! I knew from the second we moved in that I’d construct one thing to fill this house:
Our basement has seen many DIY tasks since then, together with tons of image body molding and our darkish inexperienced DIY hearth as properly:
7. Our first kitchen
Once I took on this kitchen renovation at our first home, it was by far my largest transformation but!
Check out how this kitchen began out!:
Taking down the wall in our household room allowed us to shift the whole lot and opened up the areas tremendously! I used to be so pleased with how this kitchen turned out.
8. From carpet to wooden stairs
After the carpet was gone, I eliminated all of the tack strips and staples, then after a very good sanding, I stained the treads and painted the risers white:
This was a labor intensive job however I am so glad I did it! It was SO price all of the work.
This is the one picture I’ve of the carpeted steps earlier than the redo:
We beloved the wooden steps a lot, we had the steps stained in our present dwelling as properly. (Fortunately I did not must do the work this time!)
By the way in which, I get requested on a regular basis if wooden steps are slippery.
I nonetheless say that wooden stairs are manner much less slippery than carpeted stairs. I can not let you know what number of instances I slipped down ours earlier than I took the carpet off.
9. Two room rest room opened up
This was one other one I am tremendous pleased with. And likewise one other instance of constructing your areas give you the results you want and the way your loved ones makes use of them!
Just about instantly after we moved into that home, I regretted going with the 2 room rest room format. You understand…those with the vainness within the first half and the bathroom and bathe within the second room:
It all the time felt so darkish and cramped. My dream for years was to take that wall down, and in the future I did simply that! It was AWESOME. 😂
10. Moody workplace constructed ins
The construct went manner faster this time, and now I’ve my course of down pat:
My moody bookcases (Classic Vogue by Benjamin Moore) add a lot character to my workplace! And naturally the added storage is very essential in a piece house.
My workplace is spacious and filled with pure gentle, nevertheless it wanted some coloration and heat after we moved in:
Take a look at how I constructed a big upholstered bulletin board on the opposite facet of the room as properly. 🙂
11. My closet transformation
In our final home my husband and I shared a closet, so I used to be fairly excited to get my very own house after we moved in right here. It had loads of room, however I knew instantly that I might must make some adjustments finally.
The wire cabinets lined many of the partitions, however they weren’t very useful for folded garments. This was the norm (regardless of how I attempted to maintain issues organized):
This closet challenge most likely made a much bigger influence than any others I’ve tackled through the years. I felt harassed and disorganized each morning once I walked into the outdated room.
The brand new closet has a spot for the whole lot, and the group calms my soul! 🙂 I completely like it!
12. Fairly powder room
Oh how I am keen on this little house!
I LOVE including extra daring touches in smaller areas like hallways, loos and laundry rooms. Why not have some enjoyable?
After we moved on this room was easy and plain:
13. Patio with spherical hearth pit
Now…I did not do the largest a part of this addition myself (I’d have if I knew how you can pour cement! 😁), however I’ve accomplished many of the adjustments since!
Opening up our dwelling to household and mates fills my soul, so this house has been such a blessing. It is our little oasis and we’re so grateful for it!
The perfect half is the spherical hearth pit space:
That is how the patio appeared proper after we had it poured:
Since then I’ve added tons of vegetation (I am doing a backyard tour quickly!), constructed that fireplace pit and added the string lights throughout the patio (undoubtedly test this tutorial out if you do not have bushes to your lights!) as properly.
We like it!!
14. Model new basement kitchenette
We’re completely spoiled with it now and use it on a regular basis:
The earlier than is fairly underwhelming, nevertheless it does present how far this house has come:
15. Taking advantage of our pantry
The earlier than was nice, however I knew it may operate so significantly better!
I all the time imagined extra of a “butler’s pantry” the place we may maintain home equipment and prep meals. The melamine cabinets we had earlier than saved quite a bit, however something under waist degree all the time ended up piled excessive and unorganized:
Whew!!! It was onerous to give you solely 15 tasks, however I really feel like these are undoubtedly on the high for me. Did I neglect any you may consider? Please let me know when you have any questions.
All of this might not be attainable with out you all — I am so extremely grateful to you for following together with my DIY escapades through the years! Running a blog is a dream come true for me, I couldn’t ask for extra.
Thanks for a enjoyable 15 years and here is to a different 15 extra! 😍