best of diy + decor
This has been a 14+ year journey in learning to do our own home renovation projects. To say it’s been a memorable journey is an understatement. We have learned so many things while nearly gutting an 880ish-sqft row home in Philly, becoming landlords of that property, tackling the updating and staging it to sell, building this house, and realizing a new construction build is just as much work as a fixer-upper. We aren’t pros by any means, but along the way, we have learned so much of what we’re capable of, what we would never do again, and how many things we can actually build. I’ve compiled my Top 10 favorite projects here, along with some of our favorite supplies and tools for those projects.
How To Remove Paint
This summer we replaced the carpet on the entire first floor, and had jumped at the opportunity to add an antique fireplace. The original paint color didn’t jive with our house, so I set out to learn how to remove paint without a huge mess and chemicals. This tool is a total game changer!
Light and Bright Shed Makeover
This shed has gone from cobweb central to a farmhouse style she shed. It’s got tons of storage and workspace, and is now the perfect area to do all the relaxing, creating, gardening, and organizing. All you need is a little paint and some inspiration!
Painting your Kitchen Cabinets
Painting your kitchen cabinets is a popular alternative to replacing cabinetry because it’s so much more cost-effective. Prevent this DIY project from turning the corner to disaster by excellent prep, excellent paint, and following my proven tips!
Build a DIY Fireplace
We built this fireplace right before Christmas a few years ago, because I randomly got rid of our 16-cubby storage unit. I needed a place to hang stockings at the last minute, you know? It adds so much character to whatever room you have it in when you add whatever decor in there!
How to Add Shiplap
People see shiplap as either trendy or timeless. Personally, I find it to be on the same scale as board and batten or wainscoting. After the trend fades, it will still look amazing. One of the first projects we did in this house, was adding shiplap to the hallway using luan sheets with the blessing of Joanna Gaines herself.
What To Do When You Can’t Afford Joanna’s Rugs
Area rugs (as you know) are the reason we’re here today. I finally stopped acquiring rugs because I realized what I thought I liked, really was terrible once I brought it into the space. I started looking at ones I absolutely loved, and found similar style rugs at a price point that worked for us. These are my absolute faves!
Make a Coffee Table with Shutters
When we moved in, we were so excited to finally have room for a real coffee table. We loved going to a salvage shop nearby and loved a shutter we found (we think it came from a church). We paired that with a set of hairpin legs, and added so much interest to the living room!
$100 Kids Bathroom Makeover
One of the first rooms we completed was the hall bathroom the kids use. We added board & batten, a mirror frame, paint, and an antique mirror. Doing budget-friendly renovation projects is one of our favorite things, and we love how this room turned out!
