After living in a condo for seven years, Matt and I purchased our 1948 fixer upper in August 2013. After we purchased the house, I spent some time removing all of the old carpet, removing a built-in closet that wasn’t original to the house, and refinishing all of the original hardwood floors before we actually moved into the house in October 2013.
Scroll down the page to see all of the before pictures, current pictures, DIY projects, and related posts for each room of our house, as well as the front and back exterior and yards, or click on a specific room/area linked below.
Select a room/area:
Floor Plan
Before:
When we bought the house, the floor plan was what I would call “a good start,” but I thought it could be improved upon.
Current:
We have made a few changes, but we’re far from finished. What was once the den has now been divided to create a breakfast room at the front, and a pantry at the back. The garage has been converted into my studio (which is still far from finished) with a half bath and storage closet at the back. And we now also have a large covered carport out the back doors of the studio. At the beginning of 2020, we also did the demolition on the original master bedroom to turn it into the master bathroom.
Then COVID hit, and our plans for finishing that bathroom in 2020 put on hold. I picked back up on that project in summer of 2021, and now (summer of 2022) it’s almost finished. We eventually plan to build an addition onto the back of the house that will include a new master bedroom, laundry room, and family/media room. For the time being, we use the guest bedroom as our main bedroom, and the new master bathroom isn’t actually attached to a master bedroom. It’s a bit confusing right now, but it’ll make perfect sense once it’s all finished.
The Long Term Goal:
In order to build our planned addition, we will have to tear down the existing sunroom and the existing original master bathroom. That will make way for the large addition of a new master bedroom, laundry room, and family/media room. With the addition, you can see that the current conversion of the original master bedroom into a master bathroom makes much more sense. We don’t have an official start date for that big addition, but Matt would like to start ASAP, so we might see something happen on this in 2023! We’ll see.
Front Exterior & Front Yard
Before:
When we bought the house, the exterior looked tired and outdated, and the house had no curb appeal at all.
Current:
I don’t have a current photo showing the entire front of the house with all of the changes that have been made, but so far, we’ve converted the garage to my studio (so the garage doors have been removed and replaced with windows), the old vinyl siding has been replaced with HardiPlank siding, the front door and some front windows have been replaced, the house has been painted, new shutters have been installed, the front porch and steps have been completely redone, and the old sidewalk has been replaced with a new wider sidewalk.
Our future plans include lots of landscaping, landscape lighting, and a new driveway. In fact, for my birthday in 2022, Matt paid for a local landscape designer to create an entire landscaping plan for our one-acre lot. Here’s a peek at what that looks like…
Obviously that will be a very extensive and lengthy project that will take years to accomplish, but it’s fun to have a vision and a goal in mind.
You can click here to catch up on all of the posts about the Front Yard & Front Exterior.
And you can check out the DIY projects that have gone into the front exterior of our house here…
[laurel_index cat=”front-yard-exterior-diy-projects” title=”DIY Projects”]
Entryway
Before:
The house doesn’t have an actual entryway, but that doesn’t stop me from calling the front door side of the living room the entryway. 🙂 The area originally had green carpet and antique white walls.
After:
It took me four tries, but I finally got the entryway just like I wanted it. The finished area includes some of my favorite things — dark teal, birds, stripes, a gallery wall, and grasscloth. The ottomans and credenza are DIY projects that I built from scratch.
You can click here to catch up on all of the posts about the Entryway.
And you can check out the DIY projects that have gone into the entryway here…
[laurel_index cat=”entryway-diy-projects” title=”DIY Projects”]
Living Room
Before:
The original living room felt very small and dark, with green carpet, antique white walls, and polystyrene tiles covering the ceiling. It also felt very closed off to the rest of the house.
After:
Never in my life have I had such a hard time decorating a room as I did this one. After trying many ideas that didn’t pan out (including trying to turn the room into a dining room), I finally came across the rug that served as a jumping off point for this final (and finally finished) living room.
You can click here to catch up on all of the posts about the Living Room.
And you can check out the DIY projects that have gone into the living room here…
[laurel_index cat=”living-room-diy-projects” title=”DIY Projects”]
Music Room
Before:
This room was obviously originally intended as a dining room by the builder, but with a husband who relies on a wheelchair for mobility, this room that is used as the main passthrough from the bedroom to the kitchen would have been an impractical spot for a dining table and chairs. So I decided to call it a music room, and place my beloved spinet piano (the one my mom learned to play on as a girl) in this room.
After:
The music room is probably my favorite room in the house. It’s a small room, but there were so many DIY projects that went into it. I removed the original sliding glass door and replaced it with decorative doors that I made myself. And then I built bookcases around the door so that they would be more like pocket doors. The walls have a hand-stenciled design and wainscoting, and I refinished my childhood piano (which was also my mom’s childhood piano), which now has a prominent place in the room. I made the artwork on both walls, and filled the bookshelves with colorful items. The icing on the cake is the raspberry velvet settee.
You can click here to catch up on all of the posts about the Music Room.
And you can check out the DIY projects that have gone into the music room here…
[laurel_index cat=”music-room-diy-projects” title=”DIY Projects”]
Kitchen
Before:
The original kitchen was very inefficiently arranged, plus it was walled off from the rooms around it, making it feel very small and cramped.
After (original remodel):
This was the first full room remodel I ever did myself. I jumped in with both feet, tearing everything down to the studs and ceiling joists, and rebuilt the kitchen with a different and more efficient configuration. I used stock oak cabinets from Home Depot, and customized them with trim and furniture-style feet. I originally painted the cabinets a bold green with gold leaf accents.
Current:
While I loved the green kitchen, I just found it hard to decorate around, especially considering that my favorite color is teal. So I ended up repainting my kitchen a couple of years later. The color? A medium teal, of course!
You can click here to catch up on all of the posts about the Kitchen.
And you can check out the DIY projects that have gone into the kitchen here…
[laurel_index cat=”kitchen-diy-projects” title=”DIY Projects”]
Breakfast Room
Before:
What is now the breakfast room was originally a large room next to the kitchen that the previous owners referred to as a den. It was very dark and cave-like, with a stained plywood drop ceiling and dark green carpet. There was a wall separating it from the kitchen on one side, and a door that led to the garage on the other side.
After (Original Remodel):
I knocked out the wall between the original den and the kitchen in order to create the breakfast room that was open to the kitchen. It made these rooms feel so much bigger.
Current:
In 2021, I gave the room a little makeover, not only injecting a little more color than before, but also turning the room into a sitting room. This is a temporary change, and was done at Matt’s request. He has M.S. and requested a comfy place outside of the bedroom where he could sit and relax during the day. Since this is the only non-bedroom room with a television, we decided that this was the perfect spot. So I swapped the table and chairs for two recliners to create a sitting room. When we build our addition on the back of the house, it will include a large family/media room with comfy seating and a TV, and this room can go back to functioning as a breakfast room.
You can click here to catch up on all of the posts about the Breakfast Room.
And you can check out the DIY projects that went into the breakfast room here…
[laurel_index cat=”breakfast-room-diy-projects” title=”DIY Projects”]
Walk-In Pantry
Before:
The house didn’t originally have a pantry, so I created one at the back of the den. What was the den is now the breakfast room at the front of the house (i.e., the windows look towards the street) and the pantry at the back of the house (i.e., the window looks towards the back yard).
After:
I built the entire pantry from scratch, including the cabinets, the wood countertop made from hardwood red oak flooring, and the floating shelves. I even hand-tinted over 200 tiles with clear resin and alcohol inks for the backsplash, and painted my white utilitarian freezer teal to match the cabinets.
You can click here to catch up on all of the posts about the Walk-In Pantry.
And you can check out the DIY projects that went into this pantry here…
[laurel_index cat=”pantry-diy-projects” title=”DIY Projects”]
Hallway
Before:
The original hallway was very dark, and at some point, a previous owner had built a DIY closet that seemed to crowd the hallway. Opposite that DIY closet was the original coat closet that housed a huge duct for the furnace. The doorway from the music room into the hallway was very narrow. And just like the rest of the house, the hallways had green carpet and polystyrene tiles on the ceiling.
After:
The hallway now feels much larger after I tore out both closets and widened the doorway to about twice the original width. I added storage with a floor-to-ceiling DIY cabinet, and we use the bottom cabinet to house our cats’ litter box. The adorable side entrance that the cats use to access the box is a must-see. I painted all of the doors my favorite go-to color, teal, and spiced up the walls with some horizontal stripes. A DIY console table and some colorful artwork completed the look.
You can click here to catch up on all of the posts about the Hallway.
And you can check out the DIY projects that went into the hallway here…
[laurel_index cat=”hallway-diy-projects” title=”DIY Projects”]
Hallway Bathroom
Before:
The original bathroom felt even smaller than it actually was because of a narrow door, a door configuration that covered the linen closet, and a huge storage cabinet that had been built right over the tub, making the tub feel very cave-like. The original bathroom had a window that at one time was an exterior window, but now it just looked into the enclosed sunroom, which was awkward.
After original remodel:
I tore this room down to the studs, floor joists and ceiling joists, and completely rebuilt it. It’s the same size, but the new wider door and double door configuration make it feel more open. The original linen closet was replaced with a lower cabinet with open shelves above, and I built a much larger vanity to replace the original tiny vanity.
Current:
The original bathroom remodel was done before the hallway remodel. During the hallway remodel, I decided that I wanted the hallway (bedroom and bathroom) doors to be teal, so I painted the teal vanity gray. It stayed that way for a year, and then I decided that I couldn’t live with dull gray anymore. I needed color!
So I gave the bathroom a small makeover with a new vanity color, refinished countertops, a new colorful shower curtain, a brighter wall color, and some new art. I also painted some of the mosaic tiles to tone them down a bit.
You can click here to catch up on all of the posts about the Hallway Bathroom.
And you can check out the DIY projects that went into this bathroom remodel here…
[laurel_index cat=”hallway-bathroom-diy-projects” title=”DIY Projects”]
Kristi’s Studio (Garage Conversion)
Before:
This was originally the garage, and while there were two garage doors presumably making it a two-car garage, the doors were so narrow that it was a very tight squeeze just to get my small Honda Civic through the door. My truck (and it’s a small one) wouldn’t fit at all. Also, the floor of the garage was about 18 inches below the floor of the breakfast room, accessible via a set of steps at the door. That made accessibility impossible for Matt. So we decided that this area would be better used as a studio/office space for me.
Current:
A new pier and beam foundation with plywood subfloor was added to this room so that the studio floor would be level with the rest of the house. There were also come significant structural changes made so that the room could have a vaulted ceiling free from all of the visible (and very low) framing that was in the original garage. Now the room has new doors and windows, electricity, spray foam insulation, drywall, oak hardwood flooring, and is on its way to becoming an amazing studio. I still need to make a whole lot of cabinets for the room. This room is still a work in progress. While it’s usable in its current state, I still need to build a whole lot of cabinets so I can store things properly. That will be a huge project!
You can click here to catch up on all of the posts about Kristi’s Studio.
And you can check out the DIY projects that went into Kristi’s studio remodel here…
[laurel_index cat=”kristis-studio-diy-projects” title=”DIY Projects”]
Studio Half Bathroom
Before:
After:
The half bathroom at the back of the studio used to be a storage room at the back of the garage. It was dark with a really low ceiling, and this area housed the huge furnace. Since this bathroom is connected to my studio, I thought this would be a good place to use a little more color and pattern than I normally would in the main part of the house. So the new bathroom features a hand painted wall design that I painted in a rainbow of colors, as well as a custom vanity that I built to house a full-sized kitchen sink. I figured a studio bathroom sink would be used for way more than just washing hands, so I wanted to be prepared.
You can click here to catch up on all of the posts about the Studio Half Bathroom.
You can check out the DIY projects that went into this half bathroom remodel here…
[laurel_index cat=”half-bathroom-diy-projects” title=”DIY Projects”]
Master Bathroom (Originally the Master Bedroom)
Before:
When we bought the house, the master bedroom matched the rest of the house, with antique white walls, polystyrene tiles covering the ceiling, and green carpet. It also had a tiny “master” bathroom attached to it.
After:
We decided to turn the room into a large wheelchair-accessible master bathroom with a big curbless shower. For the time being, that leaves us without a master bedroom, but a new master bedroom will be part of an addition that we plan to build beginning in 2023.
You can click here to catch up on all of the posts about the Master Bathroom.
You can check out the DIY projects that went into the master bathroom here.
[laurel_index cat=”master-bathroom-diy-projects” title=”DIY Projects”]
Original Master Bathroom
Before:
I’m including this just so that you can see the “master bathroom” that we started off with. This room is still there, but it is not accessible at all from any part of the house. The doorway to this room has been covered up with concrete board and tile to create a wall in our current master bathroom shower. When we do our big addition, this bathroom will be torn down completely.
Home Gym
Before:
The bedroom was the only room in the house where the hardwood floors were actually exposed. It also had tongue-and-groove wood walls and ceiling.
Current:
All of the wood on the walls and ceiling was removed, and new drywall and lighting installed. I had the closet in the other bedroom (the guest bedroom) opened up to this room so that the closet in this room could be doubled in size. I finished the home gym at the end of March 2023, and we’re getting lots of use out of it!
You can click here to catch up on all of the posts about the Home Gym.
Guest Bedroom
Before:
This was yet another room with green carpet (actually this was more like teal carpet) and polystyrene ceiling tiles. In other words, this room looked like all the rest when we bought the house. This room also had a door that led out to the front porch.
After:
This room has been completely transformed with a hand-drawn wall design and a painted floor. I had the door to the front porch removed and drywalled over (and new siding installed on the front porch), and also had the window on the other wall (the window the air conditioner unit in it) removed and drywalled over (and new stone added to the stone facade on the exterior) so that I could build new closets flanking the one centered window. This room is actually serving as our main bedroom until we do our big addition, which will include a new master bedroom, laundry room, and family/media room.
You can click here to catch up on all of the posts about the Guest Bedroom.
You can check out the DIY projects that went into this guest bedroom remodel here…
[laurel_index cat=”guest-bedroom-diy-projects” title=”DIY Projects”]
Sunroom
Before (and Current):
The sunroom is an addition by a previous owner, and it wasn’t done very well. There’s a big step down from the music room into the sunroom, which makes accessibility impossible for Matt without a very long ramp. The sloped ceiling isn’t even seven feet tall on the back wall. And the “subfloor” below the green carpet is particle board. I’m pretty sure it’s not even attached to anything.
This room isn’t salvageable. It will eventually be torn down completely, and this is the area in which our new family/media room and laundry room will be built, but it will extend out towards the back yard several more feet than the current room.
Back Exterior & Back Yard
Before:
The back of the house originally consisted of (from left to right) the back of the garage with one door, the back of the sunroom, the so-called “master bathroom,” and the back wall of the master bedroom.
Current:
I don’t have a current picture of the whole view of the back of the house because most everything is the same with the exception of this end of the house. After we converted the garage into my studio, we decided to have this carport added to the back, with a nice wheelchair ramp for Matt. (Please excuse the shutters.) The one single door that used to lead from the storage room at the back of the garage to the back yard was removed and replaced with a window in what is now the studio half bathroom, and new French doors were added at the back of the studio that lead to the wheelchair ramp and the carport. The carport still needs trim, a ceiling, electrical wiring/lights, and paint. But it’s usable for now even without those things.
Your house is turning out BEAUTIFUL! And coming from such a small 850sft condo, your huge house must seem daunting at times!
That being said, since it is your “forever house”, taking your time and doing it right really is the way to go! You’ve got all the know how and talent to transform it the way that it needs to be to become spectacular!
I’ve been following you for a while now, and it really is a journey that I’m totally enjoying watching, as it unfolds! It really is something to behold! Keep up the great work!!! 🙂
Hi I was googling remodeling ideas and found your website. LOVE it! Thank you for your ideas. Please keep us updated on your house. Cant wait to see the whole thing finished. You have brought back my spark for decorating and remodeling.
Lynn in VA
Your progress is amazing. Your blog is the only one I read! Can’t wait to see each project.
I am enjoying your website. The remodeling and projects are very informative and gorgeous. What you have done at the condo and in your home thus far is outstanding, and am eager for each posting.
I have learned that what I was proposing to do would not be easy as you have just demonstrated (LOL). On top of that, I do not have your vision, skill or stamina in order to do the work.
Anyway, I find one problem with the current and ultimate floor plan is access to the dining room from the living room. If you have formal guests and entertain in the living room, and will serve dinner in the dining room, you must access by going back through the entry, then the music room, into the kitchen and then into the dining area; or alternatively back through the entry, then the music room and through the den (in order to avoid the dinner-in-progress kitchen space), and then enter the dining room. Of course, I could be blowing the dining room access from the living room out of proportion. What do you think?
This was wonderful! Thanks for putting this together. It makes so much more sense to me now. Comparing the befores and afters reinforces my belief that you are indeed a force of nature! Whoa. 😉
The front of your house is going to be delicious! And what you have accomplished so far is wonderful…very impressed with your vision and skill!
Looking forward to more from you…like a gal above, your blog is the only one I read.
Plus you are not a hoarder…let me show you MY garage..lol..you are far from it sweetie.
I think this whole page is GENIUS!! (caps necessary for this level of awesomeness!)
I absolutely love that you have the patience to live in a house that needs so much work in order to get things done in your own special way. It makes the process interesting and reading your blog great.
Just amazing – your talent, your vision and hard work.
Thank you for sharing so much.
You do inspire me to try.
WOW. Just found your blog and I have to say, the title of it is SO misleading. You are SO MUCH more than just a “decorator”! Great great work. 😉
Agreed!
Kristi, do you ever scroll through your before and after photos when you feel a little despondent at how long this is taking. I’ve just done that and my goodness you’ve done so much and so beautifully. When I look at the before photos I think what made them fall in love with this place, and then I look at what you have done to it, and it is simply amazing. You really are a remarkable woman and an inspiration to many.
I do not know if you share information on where products were purchased, but I recently purchased a townhome that was built in the 80’s. I would love to duplicate the doors you have in your “home” on the sliding doors. I would love to replace mine with something that has impact and durability.
Also, is it difficult to do a paneled ceiling, or what material is used on the ceiling especially in the bathrooms.
Would you be so kind to share the door and ceiling information. If not, keep up the great work, I stumbled on your website and have enjoyed your before and after pictures.
Thanks —-Jewell
If you click on the “DIY Projects” tab for each room, you’ll see links to all of the DIY projects that I’ve done for each room. Under Music Room, you’ll find the rolling doors, and under Hallway Bathroom, you’ll find the wood ceiling. Click on those links and you’ll find all of the detailed info for those projects.
Looking amazing! I cannot believe how much you can do and how beautifully you do it. You are an inspiration girl!
Wow! You are so talented! Living room, bathrooms and kitchen are just beautiful. LOVE the green kitchen, it’s the perfect green and the cabinet lighting is inspired. Now I’m feeling inspired.
Thanks for sharing your talent and ideas, just great.
wow! your work is just beautiful.
You’ve such talent.I have been following you a while now.it’s so refreshing that the house isn’t finished..it just makes you human.I find that encouraging.
Best of luck with it Im so lookig forward to meeting all the finished rooms.keepd doing what you do as you do it so well.
You go girl! I have found a kindred spirit. Just like you, doing it myself is a beautiful journey that I must take. I have been looking for a sight just like yours to follow. Thank you for sharing.
Wow you are doing an amazing job! I can’t decorate to save my life. Did you go to school for design? I read that you wanted to. Looks like you did. ?? I lived in Turkey 33 years ago. I love your web site!!!!
I didn’t go to design school. 🙂
I am so impressed. Wow! I especially like the tufted ottoman coffee table and will try to tackle that project. Can you tell me how much extra fabric you measured based on size of board. You have an awesome talent. God Bless
I like to add about 18-20 extra inches on the length and width to allow for the tufting.
Hi, Kristi. I just found your blog and have really enjoyed reading about all of your projects! Your bathroom is beautiful, and I love your kitchen too! We used to live in Waco, and I certainly never saw a kitchen like yours- very European feeling, stylish, and unique. I also appreciate how honest you are about your design process and life in general. It’s so nice to hear the perspective of someone who’s extremely practical, yet loves a beautiful home. I look forward to reading about more of your ideas and accomplishments, and I wish you the best!
The sunroom could be a beautiful greenhouse/3 seasons room.
I think you might just be the coolest person I have never met,lol. Wow, just wow. You have amazing taste, imagination, and vision. Wow….I keep looking at oyur pictures thinking,”I would never have thought of that.”
Thanks for brightening my day today by sharing your home and your journey.
Wow. It gives me hope for my own house and what I might try to tackle once we finally get possession of it! You are really inspiring me! Greetings from Canada!
It’s a really cozy and nice home, that has a modern feel to it.
Just started following you… You are amazing ! Such talent and creativity.. Okay now come on over and help me ! LOL PS: your kitchen cabinets were good enough to keep? our house was built in 1978 and even tho the faces look good still the insides are just horrible.. I need a match 🙁
What a great project! The house is coming along nicely! I hope you saved that cool antique TV that was sitting in the sunroom! The floors are turning out great, and I love the wainscot in the entryway. Living in an old house myself, you are giving me some ideas!
What a great way to present your project! Love it 🙂 I look forward to seeing how it goes along.
You are so awesome. Thank you for being so transparent with your readers.
I really like how you illustrate renovation for real people. Most people have time and budget constraints and you show how to make it possible given those realities, unlike DIY Network, where a professional goes into a house and does a makeover in an hour – lol. I’ve often felt overwhelmed watching one of their shows, while I get inspired by your enjoyment of one project after the next.
Accomplishing one thing at a time makes the journey so much more fun and worthwhile, doesn’t it?
You have a seriously great eye for color and design!
I don’t even remember how I cam upon your site few days ago. I kept looking at your bathroom and comparing the before and after pictures. It finally dawned on me thats my in-laws bathroom! Well, except with pink and purple tiles and minus the storage above the tub. It’s the same size same set up including the window, closet and tiny sink in the exact locations and it so needs to be remodeled. Can’t wait to show my mother-in-law. Hope it will motivate her when she sees it can be done. Thanks for sharing. You are awesome!
By the way I want to open my den into my living room with a french style doors. Any tips on cutting an opening in a wall? You think it can be completed in say 14 hrs while my spouse is at work?
Sorry for the late response! The main thing you have to know before cutting into a wall to create an opening is whether or not that wall is load-bearing. Do NOT cut into a wall without knowing for sure. If you cut into a load bearing wall and start removing studs without taking the necessary precautions, the consequences could be devastating. You could certainly open up a wall and get quite a bit done in 14 hours, but I think it would take longer to actually get it completely finished, especially if you’ve never done it before. I would also strongly suggest that you have a helper. You’ll definitely need one if you find that the wall is load-bearing and will require temporary support during the project.
First off….love your home and what you are doing to it. I am also a DIY gal who loves to see what I can create. Everything is coming along so beautiful. But I must say….your hall bathroom looks twice the size after your remodel. can’t wait to keep following and see everything finished.
I am in awe that you are able to take such a basic looking house and make it look historic and beautiful. It makes me jealous that you have such skills. Absolutely beautiful!
So lovely, I love how you’ve added panelling to the walls, I think it’s really maintained the character of the house, while the decor is so modern.
Oh my such talent; your ideas and results are gorgeous; I wish the right side of my brain was as creative as that. I just bought a house and have to finish the inside; I am so overwhelmed with the details and the only thing I have done yet is put pine on the ceiling.
Love your work and colour choices. We will be borrowing your trim idea for our 1970 bungalow reno coming up in 2017!
Julie from Ottawa
Kristi,
Maybe I missed it, but did you ever consider moving the kitchen into the Breakfast Room space and turning the kitchen into a dining room? If so, I would love to hear your thinking about that.
Love your blog and anxiously look forward to each new post!
Thank you for sharing your journey with us. I bought a 1941 rambler about 3 1/2 years ago and have been steadily refurbishing it on a toddler-size shoestring budget. I’m finally working on my kitchen and hope to have it finished by the end of March. You’ve inspired me!
You SHOULD be a general contractor. I’d hire you, that’s for sure. The areas you’ve finished are simply astounding. I LOVE that bathroom. So unique and classy!!
Absolutely LOVE your vision and design!!!!Can’t wait to see all the things you will be doing to the rest of your home!!! Just beautiful……and the Entry Way???? Knocked my socks off…love it!!
Love the way you put this remodel together old by new. I’ve clicked back and forth several times to try to capture how you got to new. Hope to see the project finished, it’s like watching a movie and can’t wait to see how it ends. I’ll be checking back!
You have such a great sense of line and composition. First decorating site I’ve subscribed to!
I love your entry way mural! I stumbled on your site on how to make Euro shams and then read your other diy projects. I love diy (to saves $) and I deplore purchasing anything with “retail” mark ups. Your diy projects are so inspiring! I also hang my curtains as high as the ceiling too to add a drama, theatrical look. Looking forward to see more updates on the rest of the rooms in your house.
Hello! All I can say is OMG!!! I have become an “empty nester” recently. To improve my mood from missing my boys, I decided to spruce up the house. I found your website when I was looking for ideas and am so glad I did. I love seeing the transformation of your home. You have me hooked!
You are quite the inspiration, young lady!
Thanks for the tour!!!
Hi, Kristi. Having just found your site gives me more appreciation of what a lady (YOU) can do! I live in a small 1950 built house and am trying to come up with a solution for basement ceiling cover. Cannot use drop ceiling due to pipes lower than joists. Fabric tacking doesn’t appeal to me … all that trapping of dirt. Yuck. Is there a way that I could send pictures to you? Your other followers may get some
Sure! You can email me at [email protected]
Just found your site. Girl, you are so talented! Your vision is truly a gift and I don’t have it. Another amazing thing…your website is so easy to navigate. I appreciate the way you’ve set up your tours for each home and room (before, current, DIYs, etc.). So glad I found you. Thank you for sharing your abilities and progress with us!
You did a great job. I was a lot of hard work but I’m sure it was worth every effort.
Hi Kristi, I found your site through a random search along the lines of “do people get depressed during a home renovation” which led me to the blog article you wrote describing just that! I want to thank you for so candidly and kindly (and in such an organized way!) sharing your projects + thoughts on renovation/remodel/redecorating. Good for you for following your dreams and going back to your interior decorating passion, you are an inspiration to follow your heart! Your website gave me some much needed comfort in knowing renovation blues are real, and some much needed inspiration + hope from seeing the beautiful results after the hard work that you put in. Thanks for sharing your updates, and like other interior decoration admirers here, I do hope you will continue to share the progress of your projects.
Love everything you have done so far! Looking forward to your house being finished 🙂
Hi Kristi. I gotta make a guess what you do next. Garage and half bath? Or Matt’s game room? Or did I guess both wrong?
Kristi – Gosh, I’ve been following you since ‘way back in the condo days. I get a kick out of reading comments of newbies to your site. They’ll become fellow blog addicts, I’m sure, in large part, because you are a dynamo and don’t keep us waiting for much of anything. You’re always on the move! But the comments/questions that always get me are the ones that start, “Did you ever think about doing…..such and such………?” I think it takes a long time fan to understand how thoroughly you think through every teeny detail, and then sometimes re-think, and then do, and then re-do, because you want it the way you want it! I love that, by the way! Every iteration of each project is more beautiful than before. I’ve said it before, and I’ll probably say it again: There must be something in the water in Waco!! Much love!
Yes Kathy. I so agree with you on the newbies 😂 I too have followed and watched for a long time and sometimes laugh out loud as I’m reading wondering…..haven’t they ever gone back and looked at/read other things as well? I followed a long time before ever posting, to just get a feel of how Kristi does things! I love it!
I love your story. For a long time, I couldn’t WAIT for that pantry project. I loved every minute. Now I can’t WAIT for that studio project. I am excited that Matt wants to start the addition (TeamMATT! Go Matt!). I barely watch TV anymore. I follow you and a handful of YouTubers. Better than anything on TV!
I have walked into houses like yours, or looked at them on line, and thought: “Oh, no, no, no, no. There is no possible way to even work with what is there. And yet you have transformed the areas that you have done in such an amazing way, and they are gorgeous spaces. I look at them and think, “Oh my god, that’s gorgeous,” even if they are sometimes have a wee bit more color than my heart yearns for. I love your blog. I love that you love what you love and have no f*cks to give for those who want you to paint things white. And I love that you can just put some of those rooms on the back burner and let them wait their turn until you can make them fabulous. And that you just kind of quietly turn it into a house that is accessible for you hubs and just beautiful. Did I mention that I love your blog? Go you.
❤️❤️
Ahh, your house looks really lovely! You did an amazing job and I love how you styled everything. Thanks for the lovely pictures!
I’m a newbie to your website! Love and amazed at your energy and talent. Would like to know if at any time you had to consult an electrician, plumber, or structural engineer in your remodeling. We are redoing our master bathroom ourselves, and its taking a lot of time and
learning. You’ve helped out in some of that learning BTW 🙂 You do such beautiful work!
I LOVE all the color in your home! White and gray is so boring to me, and it’s refreshing to see big and bold pops of color throughout your house (and your old condo.) Love your style! <3
Hi Kristi! I’ve been following you for many years (condo days). Your creative inspiration has helped me in many of my DIY ventures. While no where near your level, I’m very proud of what I accomplished on a super tight budget. Been a mostly SAHM to 5 kiddos (now working PT). Kids are now ages 5, 9, 18, 19, 23. This used to be a sad rental home with mismatched gloss white paint on every surface. Old cheap beige carpet throughout. The kitchen amounted to 1 wall of counters & cabinets. We repainted everything before leaving to sell. Expanded the full bath, added half bath, added tons of storage, moved laundry to main level from bsmt, changed floorplans on both levels to maximize function. https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/651-Albemarle-Ave-Cuyahoga-Falls-OH-44221/35317237_
Thanks, Ella
Kristi! You’re so inspiring. Ive been toying with taking on my own picture frame molding project but I usually just end up hiring high end carpenters. The problem is I have very particular taste and I’m nervous I won’t pull off the same quality job my contractors can do. I just paid several thousand just for small picture frames to be added to a small area. I’d like more in different places but can’t help but thinking I can do it myself. I really want to tackle some built ins in my home library, too. The quote I just received was staggering, and they’re not even large.
Thanks for so much inspiration! I may go buy a nail gun & miter saw today :).
I bought my house in 2017, and I’m still working on it. I have no one but myself to go to when I want something done, unless I pay for someone to come do it. Between a full time job, and my other responsibilities, it feels impossible to get things done! You are an inspiration for me. I see what you have accomplished with your skills that you have learnt, and on a budget, and it makes me strive to accomplish making my home, my forever home, the home I have always wanted. Thank you so much for these posts, and for showing how you always work thru the doubts, the stress, and the insanity of taking on something like this by yourself. You really inspire me when I am in doubt that I can do it.
I have followed you for years and love everything that you’ve done. I think it’s great that you teach step by step, how to do all of it. So many blogs are not so generous and I’ve learned a lot, especially your woodworking and framing techniques. Thanks for a wonderful blog!
Your house is stunning. I have a friend (my decorators as well) who turned her carport into a party room/carport. She still uses it to park her cars but she also uses it for parties and it is stunning. The back wall of the carport is a wall of various colored bottles on rods. Like yours hers has an open soaring ceiling with exposed beams. Anyway I thought I would pass that on to you. I don’t know if you do a lot of entertaining. She does so it just made sense to make the room do double duty. Your house is nothing short of stunning. I love your decor because it is unique, imaginative and dynamic and nothing is expected or predictable. You have your own style and nothing you do is cookie cutter. Most online decorators have a very predictable hotel boutique look but you do not. Your house looks like a house and a home not a hotel. It is comfortable looking and so inviting. I love it. I took a long hiatus from Facebook so I am just catching up on your progress today and loving it.
I used to regularly check your home remodels years ago and happily came up on them randomly today. You have come a long way and its just as beautiful.
I don’t even know how I reached your blog but I’m so glad I did! Your use and balance of colors is amazing to me. I can’t believe that I would love this much color in a home! It’s so thoughtfully put together. I wish I had your DIY chops and eye for color. Brava!