Celebrating 15 Years of Running a blog With My Favourite DIYs! | Thrifty Decor Chick
Celebrating 15 years of running a blog with my DIY and decor favorites!
I can hardly imagine it, however final week marked 15 years of running a blog at Thrifty Decor Chick!! I began this web site 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 yr and a half — I had give up my full time public relations profession to remain at residence 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 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 look reside on his present so many occasions, however the scheduling at all times obtained tousled. I am keen on Nate and am so grateful for his staff’s assist!
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 unimaginable success and I am SO happy with that occasion. It’s now beneath new possession, however these have been a number 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 we could? I gathered what I contemplate to be the highest 15 tasks I’ve accomplished previously 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 an incredible, open area that was hardly used.
My Dad got here up with the good concept 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 pink and gold section. 🙂
Utilizing the wall cupboards makes the bookcases an ordinary 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 lavatory arrange.
2. First household room
This room noticed SO many adjustments through the years!
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 e-book nook
This little closet redo is certainly one of my all time favourite makeovers!
It was a easy linen closet earlier than, however we had loads of room for these things elsewhere:
It is a actually cheap challenge (particularly whenever you use scrap wooden like me). When you’ve got sufficient storage and do not want the closet area, a e-book nook is such an incredible addition.
It was one factor everybody commented on once they visited our residence. 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 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 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 at all times 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 incredible spot to show some fairly objects:
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
After 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 all the things 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 residence as nicely. (Fortunately I did not must do the work this time!)
By the best way, I get requested on a regular basis if wooden steps are slippery.
I nonetheless say that wooden stairs are means much less slippery than carpeted stairs. I can not let you know what number of occasions I slipped down ours earlier than I took the carpet off.
9. Two room lavatory opened up
This was one other one I am tremendous happy with. And in addition one other instance of creating 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 lavatory structure. You understand…those with the self-importance 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 means 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 essential in a piece area.
My workplace is spacious and stuffed with pure gentle, nevertheless it wanted some shade 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 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 once we moved in right here. It had loads of room, however I knew instantly that I would must make some adjustments ultimately.
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 an even bigger impression than any others I’ve tackled through the years. I felt burdened and disorganized each morning once I walked into the previous room.
The brand new closet has a spot for all the things, and the group calms my soul! 🙂 I completely adore it!
12. Fairly powder room
Oh how I am keen on this little area!
I LOVE including extra daring touches in smaller areas like hallways, bogs and laundry rooms. Why not have some enjoyable?
After 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 easy methods to pour cement! 😁), however I’ve accomplished many of the adjustments since!
Opening up our residence to household and mates fills my soul, so this area has been such a blessing. It is our little oasis and we’re so grateful for it!
The most effective half is the spherical fireplace pit space:
That is how the patio regarded proper after we had it poured:
Since then I’ve added tons of vegetation (I am doing a backyard tour quickly!), constructed that fireside pit and added the string lights throughout the patio (positively test this tutorial out if you do not have bushes on your lights!) as nicely.
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, nevertheless it does present how far this area has come:
15. Taking advantage of our pantry
The earlier than was nice, however I knew it might operate so a lot better!
I at all times imagined extra of a “butler’s pantry” the place we might preserve home equipment and prep meals. The melamine cabinets we had earlier than saved loads, however something beneath waist stage at all times ended up piled excessive and unorganized:
Whew!!! It was laborious to provide you with solely 15 tasks, however I really feel like these are positively on the prime for me. Did I overlook any you’ll be able to consider? Please let me know if in case you have any questions.
All of this may 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 this is to a different 15 extra! 😍
