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 1,000,000 years that it might grow to be 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 house 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 proper mixture of my two loves — writing and DIY/adorning.
Writing TDC has created so many wonderful alternatives, from being printed 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 occasions, however the scheduling all the time acquired tousled. I like Nate and am so grateful for his workforce’s help!
Years later, a bunch of my weblog pals 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 underneath new possession, however these had been a few of 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 tasks lets? I gathered what I think about to be the highest 15 tasks I’ve accomplished up to now 15 years. I am positive 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 a fantastic, 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:
This is a have a look at that eating room area 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 a substitute 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 modifications over time!
Earlier than the largest 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 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:
It is a actually cheap undertaking (particularly while you use scrap wooden like me). You probably have sufficient storage and do not want the closet area, a guide nook is such a fantastic addition.
It was one factor everybody commented on after they visited our house. 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 dust 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 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 probably the greatest we made in our first home!
Particularly contemplating what it used to appear to be! 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 perform — with storage all alongside the underside, the bench we use as further seating and the added lighting above. And naturally, the cabinets are a fantastic spot to show some fairly gadgets:
We began with a clean wall 19 ft 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 tasks since then, together with tons of image body molding and our darkish inexperienced DIY hearth as nicely:
7. Our first kitchen
Once I took on this kitchen renovation at our first home, it was by far my greatest transformation but!
Check out how this kitchen began out!:
Taking down the wall in our household room allowed us to shift every 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 an excellent 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.
This 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 house as nicely. (Fortunately I did not need to 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 am unable to let you know what number of occasions 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 happy with. And in addition one other instance of creating your areas be just right for you 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 structure. You already know…those with the self-importance 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 particularly vital in a piece area.
My workplace is spacious and filled with pure mild, but it surely wanted some shade and heat after we moved in:
Try how I constructed a large upholstered bulletin board on the opposite aspect of the room as nicely. 🙂
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 after we moved in right here. It had loads of room, however I knew instantly that I would need to make some modifications finally.
The wire cabinets lined a lot 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 undertaking most likely made a much bigger affect than any others I’ve tackled over time. I felt harassed and disorganized each morning once I walked into the outdated room.
The brand new closet has a spot for every thing, and the group calms my soul! 🙂 I completely like it!
12. Fairly powder room
Oh how I like this little area!
I LOVE including extra daring touches in smaller areas like hallways, bogs 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 largest a part of this addition myself (I’d have if I knew pour cement! 😁), however I’ve accomplished a lot of the modifications since!
Opening up our house to household and pals fills my soul, so this area has been such a blessing. It is our little oasis and we’re so grateful for it!
The perfect half is the spherical fireplace pit space:
That is how the patio seemed 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 (positively test this tutorial out if you do not have timber in your lights!) as nicely.
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, but it surely does present how far this area has come:
15. Taking advantage of our pantry
The earlier than was nice, however I knew it may perform so a lot better!
I all the time imagined extra of a “butler’s pantry” the place we may hold home equipment and prep meals. The melamine cabinets we had earlier than saved so much, however something beneath waist stage all the time ended up piled excessive and unorganized:
Whew!!! It was arduous to give you solely 15 tasks, however I really feel like these are positively on the prime for me. Did I overlook any you possibly can consider? Please let me know in case you have any questions.
All of this could 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 here is to a different 15 extra! 😍
