Celebrating 15 years of blogging with my DIY and home decor favourites!
Believe it or not, last week marked the 15th anniversary of my blog on Thrifty Decor Chick!! in a million years That it will become what it is now.
I appreciate it very much!
I started this blog when my son was 1.5 years old. He quit his full-time public relations job and stayed home part-time. When he started writing about DIY and interiors, he worked part-time as an interior coordinator, but less than a year after he started blogging, he quit his decorating job to work from home. .
Blogging is the perfect combination of my two loves: writing and DIY/decorating.
Writing for TDC has created so many great opportunities, from print, television and online publications to being featured on Nate Berkus’s show.
I was supposed to be on many of his shows live, but my schedule always went awry. I look up to Nate and am so grateful for his team’s support.
A few years later, a bunch of blogging friends and I founded the Haven blogging conference for DIY and decor bloggers. It was an incredible success and I am very proud of the event. It is now under new owners and it has been the best (and exhausting!) few weeks of my life.
Blogging keeps me out of my comfort zone, but I’m really proud of what I’ve created.
I know enough about it. Let’s take a look at some projects. We’ve compiled what we believe to be the top 15 completed projects in the last 15 years. Over the years in our two homes, I’m sure I’ve left something out, but I feel like this is a pretty good list.
1. Turning the dining room into a library
The dining room in our previous home was a wonderful open space that was barely used.
My dad came up with the clever idea of using the upper wall cabinets as a base for these built-ins. This saves a lot of time and effort.
Here’s what the dining room looked like before the renovation.
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This was my red and gold phase. 🙂
With wall cabinets you get a standard 12″ bookshelf instead of the 24″ deep bookshelf of the base cabinet. Base cabinets also have drawers that look like a kitchen or bathroom setup.
2. The first family room
This room has seen so many changes over the years.
Before the big makeover, it was an awkward layout with a fireplace in the corner. There wasn’t enough space in the room to comfortably set up a TV.
This is the corner fireplace layout we started with.
3. Where the closet became the main corner
This little closet redo is one of my all-time favorite makeovers.
It used to be a simple linen closet, but with plenty of space to store the next item elsewhere.
This is a really cheap project (especially if you use scrap materials like I do). If you have enough storage space and don’t need closet space, a book nook is great.
That was one of the things everyone commented on when they visited our home. When I was little, this nook was a very nice space for my son. 💙
4. Muddy/laundry room combo
I still love this space! I was hesitant to combine the laundry with the mudroom because the rooms in the first house always turned out to be terrible (for that, stay tuned!).
But the minute I realized how big this room was, I fell in love with the whole thing! Now I really like having all these features in one place.
This room started with wonderful Skeleton:
5. The laundry room turned into a mud room
This was a huge transformation and one of the best things we made in our first home.
Especially considering how it used to be! Wow! :
This photo no Exaggerated, but it was always miserable.
6. Built-in DIY TV entertainment center
It’s packed with features. There is storage space at the bottom, a bench for extra seating, and additional lighting at the top. And of course, shelves are the perfect place to display cute items.
We started with a blank wall that was 19 feet long. From the moment I moved in, I knew I was going to build something to fill this space.
Since then, our basement has had many DIY projects, including a large amount of picture frame molding and a dark green DIY fireplace.
7. Our first kitchen
When I worked on this kitchen renovation in my first home, it was my biggest change ever.
Take a look at how this kitchen got started!:
By tearing down the wall in the family room, we were able to replace everything, giving us a lot more space. I was so proud of the finish on this kitchen.
8. Carpet to wooden stairs
After the carpet was gone, I removed all tack strips and staples, sanded well, then stained the treads and painted the risers white.
It was hard work, but I’m glad I did it! It was worth all the work.
Here is the only photo of the carpeted stairs before the redo.
We liked the wooden stairs so much that we had them stained in our current house. (Thankfully, I didn’t have to do that this time!)
By the way, I am often asked if wooden steps are slippery.
I still say that wooden stairs are far less slippery than carpeted ones. I don’t know how many times I slipped out of the house before I took the carpet off.
9. Two bathrooms have opened
This was also something I was very proud of.There is also another example of making space How to work for you and how to use your family!
As soon as I moved into the house, I regretted the two-bathroom layout. As you know, the first part has a vanity and the second room has a toilet and shower.
It always felt so dark and cramped. I had dreamed of tearing down that wall for years, and one day I was able to do it. It was amazing. 😂
10. Moody office built-in
This time the build was much faster and the process completed successfully.
My moody bookshelf (Vintage Vogue by Benjamin Moore) adds a lot of character to my office. And of course, the added storage is especially important in your workspace.
My office is large and has a lot of natural light, but after moving I needed some color and warmth.
Also see how we made a giant upholstered bulletin board across the room. 🙂
11. My closet makeover
My husband and I shared a closet in our previous home, so when we moved here I was so excited to have my own space. We had plenty of room, but we soon realized we had to make some changes in the end.
Most of the walls were lined with wire shelves, but they didn’t do much for folded clothes. This was standard (no matter how I tried to organize it):
This closet project has probably had more of an impact than any other I’ve worked on over the years. Every morning I felt stressed and disorganized every time I entered my old room.
Everything fits in my new closet and organization is calming to me. 🙂 I really love it!
12. Cute powder room
Oh how I love this little space!
We love adding a bolder touch to small spaces like hallways, bathrooms, and laundry rooms. Why not have some fun?
This room was simple and spartan when we moved in.
13. Patio with round fire pit
Well… I didn’t do most of this addition myself (if I knew how to pour cement I would! 😁), but since then I’ve made most of the changes.
This space is so blessed because it fills my soul to open my home to family and friends. It’s our little oasis for which we are so grateful.
The main attraction is the circular fire pit area.
This is what the patio looks like right after the water injection.
Since then, I’ve added lots of plants (I’m doing a garden tour soon!), built a fire pit, and added string lights all over my patio (if you don’t have trees for lights, be sure to check out this tutorial! please!). ) as well.
we love it! !
14. Brand new basement kitchenette
We love it now and use it all the time.
The previous ones are pretty underwhelming, but they show how far this realm has come.
15. Make the most of your pantry
The previous one was great, but I found the functionality to be even better.
I always envisioned some kind of “butler’s pantry” where I could store appliances and prepare food. My old melamine shelves held a lot of stuff, but things below waist level were always piled high and disorganized.
Phew! ! It was tough coming up with just 15 projects, but these definitely feel like the top ones for me. Forgot something to think about? Please let us know if you have any questions.
All of this would not have been possible without you. Many thanks to all of you who have followed me on his DIY adventures over the years. Blogging is a dream come true for me and I couldn’t ask for more.
Thank you for the fun 15 years, and let’s do our best for another 15 years!
