Celebrating 15 Years of Running a blog With My Favourite DIYs! | Thrifty Decor Chick
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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 Might of 2008 and would have by no means fathomed in one million years that it could develop into what it has.
I’m past grateful!
I began this weblog when our son was only a 12 months and a half — I had stop 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 12 months into running a blog I stop my adorning job to work from home.
Running a blog is the right 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 reside on his present so many instances, however the scheduling at all times received tousled. I like Nate and am so grateful for his workforce’s assist!
Years later, a bunch of my weblog associates and I created the Haven running a blog convention for DIY and decor bloggers. It turned an unbelievable success and I am SO happy with that occasion. It’s now below new possession, however these have been among the finest (and tiring!) weeks of my life.
Running a blog continues to take me out of my consolation zone, and I am actually, actually happy with what I’ve created!
OK sufficient about that stuff, let us take a look at some initiatives lets? I gathered what I think about to be the highest 15 initiatives I’ve accomplished up to now 15 years. I am certain I’ve left one thing out from all these years in our two homes, however I really feel like it is a fairly good listing!
1. Eating room turned library constructed ins
Our eating room at our final home was an important, open area 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:
Here is a have a look at that eating room area earlier than the makeover:
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This was my crimson 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 toilet arrange.
2. First household room
This room noticed SO many modifications over time!
Earlier than the most important transformation, we had an ungainly structure with a nook hearth. There was nowhere to comfortably place a TV and nonetheless have area within the room.
That is the nook hearth structure we began with:
3. Closet turned e book nook
This little closet redo is considered one of my all time favourite makeovers!
It was a easy linen closet earlier than, however we had loads of room for this stuff elsewhere:
It is a actually cheap mission (particularly once you use scrap wooden like me). When you have sufficient storage and do not want the closet area, a e book nook is such an important addition.
It was one factor everybody commented on once they visited our dwelling. The nook was such a candy area for our son when he was youthful. 💙
4. Mud/laundry room combo
I nonetheless ADORE this area! I used to be hesitant to do a laundry and dirt room mixture as a result of that room at our first home was at all times a catastrophe (keep tuned for that!).
However as quickly as we realized how large 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 among the finest we made in our first home!
Particularly contemplating what it used to appear like! Yikes!:
This picture was not an exaggeration — it was at all times a catastrophe.
6. DIY TV leisure heart constructed ins
It packs tons of operate — with storage all alongside the underside, the bench we use as further seating and the added lighting above. And naturally, the cabinets are an important spot to show some fairly gadgets:
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 area:
Our basement has seen many DIY initiatives since then, together with tons of image body molding and our darkish inexperienced DIY hearth as properly:
7. Our first kitchen
After 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 every little thing and opened up the areas tremendously! I used to be so happy 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 great 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 value all of the work.
Here is the one picture I’ve of the carpeted steps earlier than the redo:
We liked the wooden steps a lot, we had the steps stained in our present dwelling as properly. (Fortunately I did not should 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 method 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 toilet opened up
This was one other one I am tremendous happy with. And in addition 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 toilet structure. You recognize…those with the vainness within the first half and the bathroom and bathe within the second room:
It at all times felt so darkish and cramped. My dream for years was to take that wall down, and sooner or later I did simply that! It was AWESOME. 😂
10. Moody workplace constructed ins
The construct went method 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 area.
My workplace is spacious and filled with pure mild, however it wanted some coloration and heat after we moved in:
Try how I constructed a large 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 area once we moved in right here. It had loads of room, however I knew instantly that I might should make some modifications finally.
The wire cabinets lined a lot of the partitions, however they weren’t very practical for folded garments. This was the norm (regardless of how I attempted to maintain issues organized):
This closet mission most likely made a much bigger impression than any others I’ve tackled over time. I felt burdened and disorganized each morning once I walked into the previous room.
The brand new closet has a spot for every little thing, and the group calms my soul! 🙂 I completely adore it!
12. Fairly powder room
Oh how I like this little area!
I LOVE including extra daring touches in smaller areas like hallways, loos and laundry rooms. Why not have some enjoyable?
Once we moved on this room was easy and plain:
13. Patio with spherical fireplace pit
Now…I did not do the most important a part of this addition myself (I’d have if I knew easy methods to pour cement! 😁), however I’ve performed a lot of the modifications since!
Opening up our dwelling to household and associates fills my soul, so this area has been such a blessing. It is our little oasis and we’re so grateful for it!
One of the best half is the spherical fireplace pit space:
That is how the patio appeared proper after we had it poured:
Since then I’ve added tons of crops (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 timber in your lights!) as properly.
We adore 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, however it does present how far this area has come:
15. Benefiting from our pantry
The earlier than was nice, however I knew it might operate so significantly better!
I at all times imagined extra of a “butler’s pantry” the place we might maintain home equipment and prep meals. The melamine cabinets we had earlier than saved quite a bit, however something under waist degree at all times ended up piled excessive and unorganized:
Whew!!! It was exhausting to provide you with solely 15 initiatives, however I really feel like these are undoubtedly on the high for me. Did I neglect any you’ll be able to consider? Please let me know when you have any questions.
All of this may not be doable with out you all — I am so extremely grateful to you for following together with my DIY escapades over time! Running a blog is a dream come true for me, I couldn’t ask for extra.
Thanks for a enjoyable 15 years and this is to a different 15 extra! 😍
