Home Improvement

If you own a home built in the 50’s or 60’s, there is a good chance you have at least one retro bathroom. Our home was built in the late …

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.

We painted the dated, rock fireplace in our kids’ playroom! Our third home had a great garden-level space that we used for the kid’s playroom, but the giant rock wall made the room feel dark.

Today I am excited to share great home staging tips from a local interior decorator, Debbie Jacoby! Debbie is selling her beautiful Tudor-style home in NW Ohio and her home …

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.

Today I am sharing 10 quick and easy tips to improve the curb appeal and exterior of your home. For all three of our flip houses, we did major work

With one dedicated weekend, we flexed our DIY skills and created a focal point and massive storage in our basement.

The basement renovation was a game-changer at our first flip house because we added living space to our small bungalow. Our house in the Highlands neighborhood was about 1,200 square feet and having that finished area in the basement made a huge difference.

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!

For the final week of this challenge, I am sharing the reveal of the dining room transformation AND a festive table setting designed for the holidays.

Today I am sharing 10 simple ways to make your bathroom more eco-friendly! Bathroom renovations have been on my mind because the bathrooms in our new home are original to when the house was built in the 1970s. This means that they are very colorful and not very efficient.

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.

Today, I am sharing five popular Victorian homes designs and their key identifiable features. These include Gothic Revival, Queen Ann, Folk Victorian, Italianate, and Second Empire styles.

I have always loved the look of an English garden! Since moving into our home last summer, I envisioned creating an English garden in our yard. I have spent hours researching features and flowers found in these gardens and have started the beginnings of my very own English garden in my backyard.

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.

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!

I have decided it is finally time to finish organizing and updating the kids playroom! This room is the garden level of our home and we have lovingly nicknamed it …

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 …

hoosing the type of flooring for your home is a BIG decision! It has to hold up to the wear and tear of your family, and not all flooring is created equally. I am breaking down my top tips for choosing the best flooring material for your family and home.

Week 2 of the One Room Challenge is all about dining room prep! This week is all about prepping the room – making it ugly so it can look so …

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.

Looking for the next good book? I have put together a long list of the best self-improvement books to read or listen to this year! I am a big reader and love peppering in self-improvement books throughout the year.

Create the perfect Christmas scene under your tree with perfectly wrapped presents – Tutorial on the perfect Christmas bow

e in a home that gives them energy every day and brings them joy. This book has helped me to understand how simple design choices can brighten our moods.

Today I am excited to share 5 easy ways to make your laundry room a little more green! These simple changes can save energy and reduce plastic while doing laundry every day.

Today I am excited to take you through one of the most popular Airbnb listings in Toledo, OH – The Gas Lantern Cottage. This beauty is 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and within walking distance of downtown Sylvania.

Week 2 of the One Room Challenge was dominated by painting the bedroom. Six weeks can really fly by so when I didn’t have a paintbrush in my hand, I …

Designing and building an English garden in my backyard | Building Bluebird #landscaping #gardening #greenthumb

I have been hard at work creating my English Garden and the beds are starting to fill up! All of the perennials that I have put in my garden were given to me or transferred from another spot in my yard.

Renovation costs can add up quickly and today I am sharing my top 5 money saving tips for your next big home project. After flipping four houses and renovating our …

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 …

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.

This beautiful Victorian-style home was built in the late 1800s and is located in Toledo’s Historic Old West End. If you are a fan of architecture and old homes, touring the Old West End is a MUST!

Steve and Jan wanted a home that functioned for their family today while also fitting in with the period when the home was built in 1875. Unfortunately, because the roof had been removed for 6 years, there wasn’t much to salvage in terms of original materials.

My budget-friendly laundry room makeover is finally complete! A few months ago I shared my laundry room inspiration and I can’t wait to show you how I brought that vision to life.

My goal for our kitchen renovation was to create an open concept that complimented the traditional style of the home while also adding that modern vibe for our family today.

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.

Living in a flip house is a great strategy for beginner investors and offers many benefits. One big challenge that new real estate investors encounter is capital. This strategy is beneficial for investors who are just starting out and can only afford one property.

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 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.

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.

I am SO excited that I can finally share the big plans I have in store for Building Bluebird! Chris and I have made the decision to move our family home …

Welcome to our new home, our Cape Cottage! It is still a little surreal that we now own our own home in Toledo, Ohio. It’s also a little crazy that …

I am excited to take you through a before and after tour of our first flip house! Along with being our first flip house, it was also our first home! …

Thanks for tuning in to episode 12 of From the Nest Podcast! On today’s episode, Chris and I are discussing the kitchen design at the Drummond Flip House. Designing the …

On episode 5, Chris and I share our secret to renovating homes with full time jobs and two kids. The key to our success is by focusing on “bite sized” …

Today I am sharing the four steps you need to take once you get your flip house under contract. There is a lot of work that goes into flipping a …

Today I am sharing our next big project – installing a new roof and painting the exterior of our home to improve the curb appeal! I have mentioned this before, …

Our second house had a tiny, closed off kitchen. By removing half a wall in the kitchen and installing a breakfast bar, we were able to achieve an open concept …

I am excited to share the playroom progress and our design plans! We are in the process of decluttering the entire space and coming up with storage solutions for the …

Tips from moving experts! Check out our 5 best tips to get your new home organized fast.

Mood & modern dining room design

Week 3 of the One Room Challenge brought on the biggest transformation yet. I say this all the time and I will say it again…PAINT IS SO TRANSFORMATIVE! I spent …

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 …

We are so close to the finish line for the One Room Challenge! This week we are getting art and decor up on the walls in our dining room.

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 …

Organizing your kitchen cabinets efficiently is often overlooked when first moving into a new home. Today I am sharing 8 time-saving tips to organize your kitchen. When a kitchen is …

Modern families today want that open concept design in their home. The kitchen is the most common place where homeowners want that open concept feel. It is the heart of …

LED light bulbs are the easiest and quickest way to make your home more energy-efficient. If you haven’t made the switch to LEDs yet, add this to your 2020 New …

Laundry rooms are one of my favorite projects to makeover because they are often left as boring and uninspiring spaces. It is so refreshing to do a not-so-fun task like …

The Better Homes & Gardens Spring One Room Challenge is here and I am so excited to participate again! Over the next 8 weeks, I will be transforming my boy’s …

We are in the final weeks of the One Room Challenge and I am FEELING it! Last week was heavy and to be honest, the Challenge felt a little trivial. …

Week 7 of the One Room Challenge and I am looking forward to wrapping up this project. There are definitely some challenges that come along with renovating a child’s bedroom …

Is it just me or does it feel like we just wrapped up the Spring One Room Challenge? Either way, my home is never lacking a space that needs a …

Week 4 of the One Room Challenge was spent customizing our current IKEA Hemnes dresser. In my week 2 update, I shared that I had purchased a pricey new dresser …

For week 5 of the Better Homes & Gardens One Room Challenge, I focused on the design details. I have all of the furniture purchased and in place and I …

 I am so excited to take you through my favorite project of our third house, the master bathroom renovation! Our previous house had an amazing master closet and master bathroom, …

The Toledo flip house is COMPLETE and sold to its new owners! I am so proud that we successfully and profitably flipped our first home. I can’t wait to share …

In our third flip house, we turned what was once the formal living room into the adult family room. I am a firm believer that you should design your house …

As I slowly furnish our living room in our new home, I am on the hunt for a round table under $500. I would like to put a table in …

The first big project in 2020 will be my laundry room! I am excited to take you through my laundry room design plans today and give you a tour of …

Today I am sharing the full transformation after renovation our second flip house in Denver! We made some major improvements to this house that paid off big when we sold …

2019 was a big year for me personally and professionally. As I prepare to enter a new year (and decade!), I wanted to share some of my favorite projects and …

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 …

Drum roll please! My tiny, dingy, dated half bathroom has had a major makeover! We extended the challenge by a week to complete the finishing touches and it was well …

Welcome to our first live in flip house! We bought this sweet little bungalow in the Highlands neighborhood of Denver and saw the potential right away.  This home was where …

Our laundry room was in MAJOR need of a makeover! Because guests are not hanging out in our laundry room, this was naturally the last place to be updated. As …

Our first backyard project at Flip 2 was building a swing set for Thomas. Throughout the two years living at our second flip house, our backyard completely transformed. Today we …

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! Half Bath Wallpaper Removal The …

Chris and I were able to add valuable living space in our first home by building a deck. The house was 1,300 square feet and we really wanted to add …

I am so excited to show you how we doubled our outdoor living space at our second flip house.  This is by far one of my favorite renovations we have …

Week 3 of the Half Bath Renovation Challenge and we are making some good progress! First, I want to apologize for missing the update post last week!  Work got crazy …

Welcome to the tour before our renovations at flip 3! When I first saw the photos of this property online, I immediately connected with it. I felt confident that we …

When we first moved into our third flip, the guest bathroom was way too big. We cut it down to 1/3 its original size and used the rest for the …

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 …

It was extremely important to nail the kitchen layout at the Drummond Flip House. The kitchen is the heart of the home and can make or break the sale of …

Today I am sharing all of our exterior renovation plans for Flip 4! We have checked off quite a few projects on our list but still have a few remaining. …

Meet Woody – our first rental property in Toledo, Ohio! This is our first buy and hold investment property and we can’t wait to buy more. Today I am sharing …

It’s demo day at the Drummond Flip House! This flip is a bigger beast than my previous 3 flips. When we lived in Denver, we were living in the homes …

I am excited to take you on a tour of the Drummond Flip house before our renovations began. This is our fourth flip house and our first investment in Toledo, …

Our office needed a little love but we weren’t going to break the bank fixing it up. Today I am going to share with you our affordable office updates we …

Today I am sharing our phase 1 kitchen renovation plans at Flip 3! When we first moved into this house, I was amazed by the size of the kitchen! It …

Phase 2 of our kitchen renovation at Flip 3 is complete just in time for Friendsgiving! I don’t know about you, but hosting an event always gives me that push …

Our master bedroom makeover at Flip 3 was an important project that I wanted to tackle before the birth of our daughter, Evelyn. We finished the floors with only a …

Welcome to our new, temporary home for the next year in Toledo, Ohio! For our first year in Ohio, we will be living with my in-laws. Our boxes are all …

Today I am sharing our mudroom makeover where we built a DIY locker system that is guaranteed to keep our stuff organized! The mudroom in our third flip house was …