Twelve Months of DIY Upgrades and Decorating Transformations
Two years have already passed since we relocated to the banks of Lake Murray in South Carolina. Looking back, the time has flown by faster than I ever imagined.
Around this same time last year, I shared a roundup of every renovation we tackled during our first year of settling into the house, including the staircase redo, tearing out the wall separating the kitchen from the living room, and swapping the dated brick fireplace for stone.
For today's post, I wanted to walk through all the changes I made to the house throughout 2017.
Wrapping up the kitchen renovation topped the list. The finished space completely reshaped the atmosphere of the entire first floor. The transformation was enormous and well worth every bit of energy poured into it.
The most jaw-dropping change came from painting the brown Formica countertops to mimic Carrara marble. The final result was stunning. I worked with a specialty countertop painting kit and would happily repeat the process, because the finish has proven incredibly durable. If your counters aren't your favorite but replacing them isn't in the budget, I cannot recommend this approach enough.
Another large-scale project happened in the two-story foyer, where we tucked a concealed storage closet beneath the staircase. Several readers affectionately dubbed it the Harry Potter closet. 🙂 It now houses my cleaning supplies along with a handful of seasonal pieces.
We eventually got around to tackling the dreaded "hallway of darkness." Fresh flooring, updated light fixtures, new door hardware, and white bead board installed along the lower portion of the walls breathed new life into the corridor. On the upper wall section, I used a faux painting technique to imitate the look of grasscloth wallpaper. A faux transom also went in above the exterior door.
Five doorways line the narrow "hallway of darkness." To give the space more personality, I crafted and hung a small sign on each one labeling what lies beyond. I'm currently working on an additional sign for the new pantry and will share that project next week, so be sure to check back.
My studio-office has been an ongoing work in progress since move-in day, with constant adjustments to better suit how I create. I finally installed an additional workstation, so now I have a main desk, a separate station dedicated to sewing and paperwork, plus my worktable where I can spread out and get messy.
…like the afternoon I gave this unadorned vase a fresh coat of craft paint.
The laundry zone used to feel dark and grimy, but now I genuinely don't mind spending time in there. The vintage maps covering the walls bring a smile to my face every time I open the doors.
I adore the cross-breezes that drift through the house on pleasant days. Because the garage door track prevented me from installing a swing-out screen door, I opted for a retractable screen door instead, which solved the issue perfectly.
Back in the spring, I joined the Color Lovers Challenge alongside a group of fellow decorating bloggers. The guest bedroom was transformed with a lively palette of color accents, making it warm and welcoming for visiting family and friends.
The guest bathroom also got its own refresh as part of the same Color Lovers Challenge.
Replacing these doors is on my wish list for the future, but for now applying a faux woodgrain paint treatment has made me more than content with them. I adore the result so much that come spring, I'm considering using the same technique on my garage door.
The dining spot was craving a burst of color, so I sewed blue and white chair cushions from scratch. Rather than crafting traditional ties to secure them, I designed them to adhere directly to the chair seats, eliminating the need for any ties.
The rattan ottomans in the living room have been longtime favorites of mine. To breathe new life into them, I stitched playful new slipcovers trimmed with oversized pom-poms.
Adding shutters along the lakeside of the house sparked the highest comment count I've ever received on a single blog post in one day. The upgrade dramatically improved the home's curb appeal.
With 2017 winding down in just a matter of days, I'm eager to dive into 2018 armed with fresh ideas and creative projects.
Topping that list is the makeover I gave our compact pantry closet.
I'll be sharing the full reveal next week, so stay tuned.
Wishing you a wonderful holiday week.
Happy New Year, friends!
