Celebrating 15 Years of Running a blog With My Favourite DIYs! | Thrifty Decor Chick
9 min read
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 1,000,000 years that it could grow to be 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 after 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 right mixture of my two loves — writing and DIY/adorning.
Writing TDC has created so many wonderful alternatives, from being revealed in print, TV and on-line to being featured on the Nate Berkus present.
I used to be supposed to look stay on his present so many instances, however the scheduling at all times bought tousled. I like Nate and am so grateful for his workforce’s help!
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 pleased with that occasion. It’s now beneath new possession, however these have 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 pleased with what I’ve created!
OK sufficient about that stuff, let’s take a look at some initiatives lets? I gathered what I think about to be the highest 15 initiatives I’ve accomplished prior 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 this can be a fairly good record!
1. Eating room turned library constructed ins
Our eating room at our final home was an awesome, 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 take a look at that eating room area earlier than the makeover:
This put up might comprise affiliate hyperlinks to your comfort.
I could earn a small fee when you make a purchase order by hyperlinks.
This was my crimson and gold section. 🙂
Utilizing the wall cupboards makes the bookcases an ordinary 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 most important transformation, we had a clumsy format with a nook hearth. There was nowhere to comfortably place a TV and nonetheless have area within the room.
That is the nook hearth format we began with:
3. Closet turned e book nook
This little closet redo is one among my all time favourite makeovers!
It was a easy linen closet earlier than, however we had loads of room for these things elsewhere:
This can be a actually cheap undertaking (particularly while you use scrap wooden like me). If in case you have sufficient storage and do not want the closet area, a e book nook is such an awesome 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 massive 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 best 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 perform — with storage all alongside the underside, the bench we use as further seating and the added lighting above. And naturally, the cabinets are an awesome 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 initiatives 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 largest transformation but!
Check out how this kitchen began out!:
Taking down the wall in our household room allowed us to shift all the pieces and opened up the areas tremendously! I used to be so pleased 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 superb 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 beloved the wooden steps a lot, we had the steps stained in our present residence as nicely. (Fortunately I did not should 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 approach much less slippery than carpeted stairs. I am unable to let you know what number of instances 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 pleased 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 rest room format. You understand…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 someday I did simply that! It was AWESOME. 😂
10. Moody workplace constructed ins
The construct went approach 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 stuffed with pure mild, nevertheless it wanted some colour and heat after we moved in:
Try how I constructed a large 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 after we moved in right here. It had loads of room, however I knew instantly that I would should make some modifications ultimately.
The wire cabinets lined a lot of the partitions, however they weren’t very purposeful for folded garments. This was the norm (regardless of how I attempted to maintain issues organized):
This closet undertaking in all probability made an even bigger influence than any others I’ve tackled over time. I felt burdened and disorganized each morning after I walked into the outdated room.
The brand new closet has a spot for all the pieces, 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, loos 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 most important a part of this addition myself (I’d have if I knew easy methods to pour cement! 😁), however I’ve accomplished a lot of the modifications 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 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 crops (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 bushes to 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, nevertheless it does present how far this area has come:
15. Profiting from our pantry
The earlier than was nice, however I knew it may perform so a lot better!
I at all times imagined extra of a “butler’s pantry” the place we may maintain home equipment and prep meals. The melamine cabinets we had earlier than saved rather a lot, however something under waist degree at all times ended up piled excessive and unorganized:
Whew!!! It was onerous to give you solely 15 initiatives, however I really feel like these are positively on the high for me. Did I overlook any you possibly can consider? Please let me know if in case you have any questions.
All of this is able to not be attainable 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! 😍
