A DIY Home Renovation Reveal

I wanted to start this blog with the topic I get asked about the most: the journey and my tips and tricks for starting a home renovation and finding affordable home goods to decorate it with.

My husband, Tyler, and I got married in September 2015. When we were laying on the beach during our Honeymoon in Bali and we day-dreamed about purchasing a house so our Miniature Australian Shephard, Schatzi, could run around with the new puppy we planned to pick up just before New Years Eve, Blitz.

We spent the remaining months of the year looking and looking and looking. We finally found our house and were sold on it because of the large backyard, 200 year old oak tree just out the backy and the dining room - so we could have our families over for holiday dinners and use our wedding china (yes we are old fashioned like that). The only problem was we hated almost EVERYTHING inside of it; the house was painted the color of salmon and mac'n'cheese with honey oak wooden floors that blended in; the light fixtures were all outdated; the light bulbs all burnt out; the kitchen cabinets, counters and back splash blended to create a wheat-bread-colored-kitchen; and there was carpet in every room and tons of mud patches of grass out back (2 big no-nos for life with 2 dogs). So we decided to bring some own of our HGTV "Flip or Flop" to life: we completely re-created every room in the house.

Our first project was painting - we painted everything a neutral gray. Tyler insisted on some blue rooms so our bedroom, dining room and study are various shades of the same neutral color family.

Then we redid the floors in the house; we took out the old honey bamboo, chiseled out the old tile, ripped up the carpets, and replaced it with a dark mahogany floor. Third, we tackled the backyard, removing 5 trees, planting sod and laying landscaping around all of the trees. We also purchased a magnolia tree, new patio furniture and built raised garden beds to make our space more like "a secret garden." Next, we tore out the old fireplace and re-tiled it and added and painted a new mantle. We also moved every.single.electrical.outlet.up. and tore out and replaced the drywall surrounding it.

Afterwards, we re-did the kitchen, adding in more modern quartz counter-tops, back-splash to match the fireplace, painting cabinets and adding new fixtures, a stainless steel sink and new decor - including a cabinet extension so we could case our wine fridge and have a "jump stop" place for mail, family calendars, etc. Finally, we repainted all of the cabinets in both bathrooms, built a home-gym, put crown modeling in the remaining rooms, added in a chandelier in the dining room and new light fixtures in the study and Adelaide's nursery, cased our dining room door, put smart lighting inside and outside of the house, hung an American flag, and started decorating. The result: home sweet home!

I've included some of our before and after photos at the end of this post so you can get an idea of the magnitude, detail, and excitement that we experienced. I will say taking it all on at once is not for the faint of heart, but I'm hopeful some of my posts share my "i wish i knew..." and "if i did it agains" and find affordable ways to decorate around/dress up the projects that you're looking to do in your own homes.

I'm excited to share my journey figuring out how to balance, via my own design, all of the hats I wear with you all! Stay tuned for more blog posts as I got into detail about what were learned during our DIY projects and while searching for affordable home goods in each room; you can expect things like: how to find the perfect gray paint; where to find affordable canvas chairs and headboards; how to create a convenient, adorable nursery; how to renovate and re-tile a fireplace, how to increase your home's curb appeal, where to get home goods that display your travels, and how to paint cabinets.

I'll also post about about another topic I'm also still learning about: life with a baby. Expect some posts such as how to get baby clothes for FREE, how to balance working and being a momma, what it was like going back to work, how to make your own baby food and what to bring (and expect) when taking your babe on his/her first international trip.

Please let me know if you'd like me to share on any particular topics along the way.

xo,

KB