For this year’s $100 Room Challenge, I’m giving my camper a much-needed update. I believe home should feel like home, wherever you park it! It’s week 2 of the challenge, and I’m knee deep in about three different kinds of paint. I’ve started painting the cabinets with chalk paint, the door and trim with latex paint, and the countertops with whatever kind of paint smells like nail polish. Good thing there are plenty of windows to open! We’re in the remodeling phase known as “it has to get worse before it gets better.” Also known as “what was I thinking?” If you’ve ever reached this stage of a project, just… Keep Reading
How to Unwire an Old Chandelier for Outdoor Lighting
This month we’re giving our patio a makeover, and today’s mini-makeover is how to unwire a chandelier to make it suitable for outdoor use with no electricity. We’ll be taking an old, dated chandelier and reworking it to turn it into a cool candelabra to hang over our outdoor dining table. I don’t know about you but I find electricity to be a little scary. I do a lot of DIY projects, but one thing I don’t touch in our house is wiring and electrical fixtures. So when I decided to turn this old chandelier into a functioning non-electric one for candle-lit dinners in our backyard, I felt a little… Keep Reading
From Boring Concrete Wall to Pretty Painted Patio
This patio makeover gets a kick start from a fresh paint job on an ugly concrete block wall. Further proof that paint really does fix everything! This month I’m tackling a patio makeover that all started last year with our new gazebo. We installed the gazebo, loved how it looked and functioned, and immediately wanted to fix up the rest of the backyard but got distracted by summer activities with two kids. (The best kind of distraction!) Now that the weather is getting nice again, my husband is planning several sprinkler and landscaping upgrades, and I’m looking for ways to get out of digging ditches with him. So I’m painting… Keep Reading
Replacing Carpet with Waterproof Laminate Flooring
It had to go. It was dingy, dirty, and just downright gross. The carpet that lived in this house before we moved in had seen better days. It had also seen more than its share of the underside of the previous owner’s dogs. We knew we had to get rid of it as soon as possible, but as the days turned into months and even years, that day couldn’t come soon enough for me. One Saturday morning while my husband was out with his friends, I pulled out my heavy duty box cutter and started ripping up the carpet. I just couldn’t take it any more. Now I don’t recommend… Keep Reading
How to Make Your Own Simple Chair Covers
Do you have any furniture in your house that you mostly love, but it just needs a little updating? I do because I’m a sucker for garage sales, estate sales, and generally anything with a little history (and a low price tag) to it. I got these sweet little chairs from a Craigslist ad a couple of years ago, and immediately fell in love as soon as I sat in one. These might be the most comfortable chairs I own. I even loved their quaint rose pattern, although it doesn’t fit any of my decor. I knew I could fashion simple chair covers for them someday, if I ever felt… Keep Reading
16 Money Secrets That Will Save Your Next Remodel
I love saving money. And I love remodeling my house. Alas those two hobbies, by definition, often seem at odds with each other. But I’ve learned a few things over the years that help me drastically cut my remodeling costs, and I thought it might be helpful to share them with you today. This is our third house that we’ve owned and remodeled, and it seems like there’s always another project on the horizon for us. Right now, we’re working on our floors (more on that soon) and we hope to hit our bathroom next. We normally work on one project at a time, whenever money becomes available, which means… Keep Reading
Office Makeover Reveal for the $100 Room Challenge
My favorite part of the $100 Room Challenge is here: Reveal Week! I love seeing how everyone’s projects turned out, and I love the satisfying feeling of finishing my own project. (As opposed to all the other unfinished projects lying around my house at the moment.) Before I take you on a tour of the finished office/guest room that I’ve been working on, I just want to take a minute to thank Erin of Lemons, Lavender, and Laundry for dreaming up such a fun challenge, and for including me in this group of bloggers, each of whom are a complete inspiration to me. If you’re new to the challenge, take… Keep Reading
Progress in the Office for the $100 Room Challenge
This week’s $100 Room Challenge post is all about progress, not perfection. If you’re new to the $100 Room Challenge, check out the first post in this series to get an idea of what’s going on. Then come right back here and I’ll catch you up. Inevitably in any project there comes a time when you’re just working. And working. It’s not pretty, it’s not glamorous, and it’s not really photo-worthy, but it’s got to be done. That’s the moment when I like to look for small victories and celebrate them, because I believe all the big things in life are really just made up of lots and lots of… Keep Reading
Big Plans for this Office in the Latest $100 Room Challenge
I’m so excited it’s time for another $100 Room Challenge! This time I’m tackling my husband’s office, which doubles as our guest room. I love the $100 Room Challenge because it makes me get things done and keeps me on a budget. This will be my fifth makeover, and I’m always amazed at what you can accomplish in four weeks with $100 dollars. If you need proof, just check out how far $100 went in these rooms: The Family Room The Breakfast Nook My Daughter’s Room The Guest Bath This challenge was started by Erin of Lemons, Lavender, and Laundry and I always love being a part of a group… Keep Reading
Flip House Hattie’s Big Reveal
It’s here… Reveal Day! I love a good makeover, don’t you? Our current flip house, named Hattie, seemed like she didn’t need much, but in reality all the little changes added up to a full remodel. This was the kind of house that just needed a few of the right touches to bring it up to date. And while that’s not as exciting a makeover as some of the falling-down houses I’ve seen, the overall effect turned out to be really satisfying. But enough of my musing, let’s get to the pictures, shall we? Hattie Before her Makeover Here are a few “Before” shots of our beloved Hattie, to remind… Keep Reading
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