My Favorite Projects of 2015

So I shared what was most popular with you guys in yesterday’s post. Thought it’d be fun to share what 2015 projects floated my boat today! They aren’t necessarily the most dramatic, or big room makeovers, but they’re just those things I look at it every day and smile.

So many times we walk through our house and see the negative. That floor that we don’t have the money to change right now, the skinny baseboards that need to go, the pink tile in the kids’ bathroom…but really, there’s so much good stuff mixed in there too. I really, really tried to focus on that this year, and I think I did pretty well. I can honestly say there’s a lot I really do love about our house. I took some things that were getting to me, and found ways to thriftily make them work until we can get our dream versions. It’s kinda fun to challenge yourself in that way, too. It’s funny, when I think of my favorite projects of this past year, most of them were born because of a budget:)

Let’s dive in!

10. The New/Old Window

A friend just GAVE that thing to me and holy moly is it awesome! I’ve really enjoyed decorating it for each season and whenever I look at it, I just fall in love all over again.

9. DIY Coffee Bar

That’s another thing that has been so much fun to decorate for the seasons. This Christmas was a lot of fun, adding greens and Christmas plates and mugs…and again, the wood and corbels weren’t very expensive to create this fun little spot in our dining room!

8. Freebie Book Page Wreath

Maybe it’s the fact that it was 100% FREE art, but there’s something about this guy that just speaks to me. The dimension, the yellowed book pages…I just really like the way it turned out, and how it looks hanging on that bird cage thingamabob I got from HomeGoods a while ago!

7. Our New Family Room Rug

This was a game changer in my opinion. So much texture and loveliness. This thing rocks my socks off. Crazy what an impact a rug has in a space, isn’t it?

6. A Black Painted Door and Fuzzy White Wreath

My mind is blown at how a $4 sample of paint can make THIS much of a difference. Again, totally on a budget and totally ginormous impact, proving that you don’t have to spend a lot of money to live beautifully.

5. The Basement!

This room went from a room I avoided at all costs to one of my favorite spots to hang out. If you missed this post, you’ve got to see what we were dealing with before.

4. The Kitchen Island

The island used to be the thorn in my side whenever I walked in the kitchen. The ruined honey oak top that I could never get clean, the blue base that no longer matched my new look. All it took was a little sanding, a little staining, and a little painting to make it an island that I really love.

3. The Kid Art Gallery Wall

Kids are amazing artists, so why not display their masterpieces? I added their initials in bright colors, spray painted a bunch of frames white and voila – instant gorgeous gallery wall for next to nothing. (Bonus: pretty proud kiddos)

2. The Plank Wall and Home Letters

Our very first attempt at a plank wall and I couldn’t love it more! We are planning two more walls to get planked up in here for 2016 so stay tuned for that…I’m a little addicted. And the DIY Home Letters were fun to do as well (even though my six year old questioned why we were putting up the word home, when we all know that’s where we are?! Hahaha!)

And my very favorite project of this entire year would have to be…

1. The Trimmed Out Kitchen Cabinets!

I can’t believe what a little bit of molding did to my plain, boring 1960 cabinets. Ok, I know I used the word game changer about my rug, but THIS was the real game changer this year! If you can’t renovate, you might as well figure out a way to make them pretty in the meantime, right?

So there you have it – my very favorites of 2015. I’d love to hear what your favorite was!

Happy New Year, friends! 🙂