You may not have a charming English cottage in the countryside, but you can still create a beautiful English cottage garden in your backyard. English cottages are definitely having a moment and I am all in with the cottagecore and grand millennial trend!
I found this old cabinet at a garage sale and immediately felt the urge to bring her back to life. I decided to paint the cabinet the perfect green paint color that aligns perfectly with the modern designs in my living room and dining room.
Painting your electric meter box might not be at the top of your home improvement list, but it’s a small project that can make a big difference in the curb appeal of your home. An electric meter box, especially if it’s located in a visible spot, can stick out like a sore thumb.
If you’re looking for a simple and cost-effective way to add some visual interest to your garden, consider using bricks as edging. Not only do they provide a clean and classic look, but they also help to define garden beds and prevent grass and weeds from encroaching on your plants. Here’s how to do it right.
This week of the One Room Challenge is all about budget-saving DIY projects for the living room. I have always been thrifty when it comes to decorating and this makeover is no different. The saying, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” definitely applies to me and I get such a rush out of creating something beautiful out of items that were discarded by others.
As I write this blog post I am sitting on my back porch enjoying one of the first warm days of Spring. I love when I am able to work on outdoor DIY projects that improve the look of our home while also enjoying the fresh air.
When it comes to painting projects in my home, I always choose to paint myself instead of hiring it out. The cost of labor adds up quickly and I prefer to use that money in other areas of our home. Today I am sharing the best paint supplies I prefer when painting interior spaces in our house.
For the mudroom makeover, I was excited to hang a printed wallpaper above the newly installed plank wall. I chose the mudroom design to reflect an English cottage vibe and the Flora print was exactly what I was going for.
Our mudroom makeover is complete and I am excited to share how we installed the tongue and groove plank wall in this room. I chose this wall treatment because it worked well with the cottage architectural style of our home. This project is definitely doable for beginners and is affordable too.
Have you ever painted latex over oil-based paint without properly prepping the walls? If you are one of the unlucky readers who answered yes, you know exactly how painful this mistake can be!
One of the most common questions I get is how to choose the best paint colors for your home. Often it is from readers who are moving into a new home and don’t know where to start in terms of paint colors.
Planning a home project and want your paint color to be on-trend? This is the perfect post for you! I love following the paint and decor trends expected for the new year because it helps steer some of my design decisions for the year.
Looking for a unique gift idea for your loved ones this Christmas? Check out these easy and affordable DIY gift ideas for the holiday season!
Have you ever tried one of the popular IKEA hacks found on Pinterest? There are so many incredible DIY projects using IKEA furniture and I am always completely blown away by the transformations! I have tried out a few of my own and am so pleased with the results. I have pulled together some of the best IKEA furniture hacks to try at home.
For the last 8 years, I have used the Shutterfly program to create our family yearbooks. It is rare that I print photos out anymore and these yearbooks are a great way to compile all of our memories and favorite photos each year.
In my week 2 update, I shared that I had purchased a pricey new dresser only to discover that it was way too small for our clothing storage needs. IKEA furniture has always held up extremely well in our home, especially the dresser units, so I decided to keep our current dresser but add some detailing.
With the walls finally painted, I spent week 3 of the One Room Challenge installing closet organization systems and assembling our new bed frame. Our master bedroom has three huge …
Week 2 of the One Room Challenge was dominated by painting the bedroom walls dark blue. Six weeks can really fly by so when I didn’t have a paintbrush in …
Today I am excited to share how we painted our pool and saved thousands of dollars! Would you believe me if I told you we almost walked away from our house because there was a pool in the backyard? We have young kids and the idea of having a pool was really intimidating to me.
I am digging the rich, moody paint colors trend and am craving this design aesthetic even more as we head into Fall! I love how the perfect paint color can warm up a room and give it a cozy vibe.
Today I am sharing simple bathroom organization solutions for our cluttered master bath! After living in our master bathroom for a year, I identified a handful of areas that needed …
The most effective way to whiten your tile grout is with a simple homemade grout cleaner made of 4 ingredients. If your tile floors were installed with white grout, there is a good chance that it is stained with dirt. Using household products that are usually stocked in your kitchen, you can whiten your tile grout without any chemicals!
Today I am sharing tips for one of my most effective renovation strategies – how to remove wallpaper! My latest home project is giving our dated master bathroom a little refresh.
Today I am sharing how to update a lamp base with spray paint.
I love the challenge of updating a space on a budget. Along with saving money, I enjoy finding new ways to use items that I already own.
This is exactly what I did when I needed a lamp for Thomas’ modern bedroom makeover. The original lamp was nice with a chrome finish, but I really wanted a black lamp in the reading nook.
Today I am excited to show you how to color block a piece of art for your home! This DIY is great for artwork that is usually passed over at …
Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved a good DIY project, especially when I can upcycle an old item. I found an old lamp at a local thrift store and decided to give it a modern look with an easy DIY by adding plaster to the lamp base.
Last week I found an old iron arbor on the side of the road with “free” attached to the front. Aside from the arbor being my favorite price, the design was perfect for my English garden!
I gotta be honest, I wasn’t sure I was going to finish this week 4 of the One Room Challenge! In the final minutes, I finished my Ikea Billy Bookcase hack and I am so proud of how it came out.
Welcome to week 3 of the Better Homes & Gardens One Room Challenge! This week, I added some personality into my boys’ bedroom by installing a wall mural on one wall, and LOVE how it turned out!
Whenever I begin a room makeover, I always start with paint. The wall color lays the foundation for the design and painting a room makes it feel fresh and new. Today I am going to take you through how to paint a carpeted room in 5 easy steps.
Designing and building an English garden in my backyard | Building Bluebird #landscaping #gardening #greenthumb
Building a compost station at your home is a great way to reduce waste and create nutrient-rich soil. My family has been composting for a few years now using a rolling bin and decided to take our composting one step further at our new home.
I still can’t get over how amazing my freshly painted, old linoleum floors look in the laundry room! For this project, I partnered with Rust-Oleum to try out their interior paint product, Rust-Oleum HOME Floor Coating.
My $300 laundry room makeover is complete! Today I am sharing a quick and easy contact paper countertop tutorial for you to try at home. I finished this project in a few short hours and for under $25. Let’s get started with this simple tutorial!
The first project at our third flip house was to build a legal bedroom in the basement with an attached bathroom. I was pregnant with our second child and we made the decision to hire an au pair once our daughter arrived. Not only did the cultural aspect of this experience excite us, but it made more sense financially in terms of childcare in Denver. The basement was a blank canvas that was perfect for creating a guest suite for our au pair, Maria.
When you buy a fixer-upper, it is imperative that you prioritize and plan your home renovation projects! Renovating a home can be overwhelming and I have learned quite a bit living through renovations these last 10 years. Today I am sharing my tips for how Chris and I plan our home renovation projects and prioritize each one.
If you are looking to sell your home, one of the easiest ways to maximize its value is to create a blank slate with neutral paint colors on your walls.
We purchased this old bed frame off of Craigslist almost 8 years ago for $100. When I bought it, I had every intention of painting it right away, but it never happened! When we moved into our new home 6 months ago, we planned to use this bed in our daughter’s bedroom.
Today I am sharing my favorite functional kitchen ideas to maximize efficiency and organization! When a kitchen is organized well, valuable time is given back to the homeowner. In the last 10 years, I have moved 8 times and have learned a thing or two about efficiently organizing my kitchen.
Choosing the right paint sheen for your project is almost as important as getting the right paint color – ALMOST. Choosing the right paint sheen for your project is almost as important as getting the right paint color – ALMOST. 🙂 Paint comes in a variety of sheens ranging from no shine at all to very shiny paint. As a general rule of thumb, you want your walls to blend into the design of your space. When you apply a sheen that is not appropriate for the space, it can be quite distracting to the eye. Today I am breaking down how to choose the appropriate paint sheen for your next paint project!
Are you someone who follows the anticipated paint color trends each year? I love when big paint brands choose a color of the year and find it fascinating the thought that is put into each decision. Last year there were mixed reviews with the Sherwin Williams choice of Cavern Clay but I feel like 2020 has all crowd-pleasers!
Dried orange slice garland is all the rage this holiday season and I am loving this trend! I happily hopped on this bandwagon and made some dried orange slices of my own to decorate our home.
The DIY picture ledge in our dining room has been a huge hit!
I have had so many positive responses to this piece, someone even asked if it was from Pottery Barn! How’s that for a compliment?! Building this ledge is super easy, it only takes a few hours, costs less than $30 and I am going to show YOU how to build it.
The dollhouse makeover is complete!
In the words of Pinkalicious (my daughter’s favorite show), “it’s pinkatastic!” This was such a fun project for me. I loved designing this house with my daughter in mind, you will quickly realize that she LOVES the color pink and everything girly. I can’t wait to give it to her on Christmas morning.
Let me take you through the full makeover of this sweet little dollhouse!
Today I am sharing my step by step tutorial on how to install your kitchen backsplash. With this tutorial, you will get all of the tips and tricks I wish I had when I tackled my first tiling project!
I say this all the time, but paint is so transformative! On the blog today, I am sharing a step by step tutorial on how to paint a room like a pro.
The dining room was in need of a buffet and week 4 of the One Room Challenge was all about finding the perfect piece. When I couldn’t find the perfect buffet online, I decided to go thrifting and refinish a piece myself. We blew past the halfway point of this 6 week challenge and I love putting this room back together!
With one dedicated weekend, we flexed our DIY skills and created a focal point and massive storage in our basement.
Week 1 has come and gone for this half bath challenge, and while it may not look like it, we have accomplished quite a bit!
Week 3 of the Half Bath Renovation Challenge and we are making some good progress! This week is all about half bath paint projects! I want to apologize for missing …
Today I am so excited to share how my friend created a photography studio in her basement. Sarah is a small business owner (Sarah Renee Photography) and also a crafty DIYer who transformed her basement into a fabulous photography studio. She wanted a space that was functional for photo shoots but also comfortable for families who spent a few hours there for newborn shoots.
Our second house had a tiny, closed-off kitchen. By removing half a wall in the kitchen and installing a breakfast bar, we added value to our home and achieved an …
Are you ready for this super simple tutorial for how to wallpaper your staircase?! I am excited to share this fun wallpaper project with you and the best part is that it took less than 3 hours to install!
When we first moved into our third home/flip, the guest bathroom was way too big. We cut it down to 1/3 of its original size and used the rest for …
Today I am excited to share a beautiful restoration of this classic, colonial style home. Who doesn’t like to see an old home be brought back to life? My brother and his wife spent two years restoring every piece of this home and the transformation is jaw-dropping.
One way we added value to our first home was with landscaping improvements. This is especially valuable with smaller homes and locations where you spend a lot of time outside. Including the word “landscaping” to a home listing can add 2.7 percent more to the sale price. With a $300,000 home, that’s a gain of $8,100, according to Zillow.
Adding a bathroom in our basement was the first project on the list when we moved into our third flip house. The basement level of our home was huge with half of the space finished and the other half unfinished as a storage room.
Bathroom renovations can be costly, so I was very excited to save some money by framing our bathroom mirror with this easy DIY!
This is a quick and easy project that we knocked out in a weekend and spent less than $50. The design for our new master bathroom included pale green walls with gray accents for a spa-like feel. I chose distressed wood to build the mirror frame and it was the perfect rustic touch!
Today I am sharing our mudroom makeover where we built a DIY locker system that is guaranteed to keep us organized!
The mudroom in our third flip house was the first space that you saw when you walked in from the garage and it quickly became the dumping zone for all of our things. I really wanted to clean this space up and add some organization.