Learn the proper way to remove an interior wall: assess, prepare, support, remove, and finish. Follow these steps for a successful and safe wall removal project.
These tips and tricks for the home have been passed down from generation to generation, but do they still hold up today? You better believe it!
Need to spruce up your current home? Take a look at these Older Home Improvement Hacks and budget-friendly DIY Renovations you can do on your own!
You may think some home repairs are out of your league, but even beginner DIYers can handle many of these fixes—and save a lot of money in the process!
When you are renovating your home and changing any configuration, at some point you may need to build an interior wall. Learn how to build a wall!
Installing your own baseboard trim can seem like a daunting task. It’s easier than you think! Learn how to install new baseboards with this DIY baseboard tutorial for a professional looking installation. I have a problem. It’s called DIY- itis. When you have DIY-itis, it means you are too cheap to pay someone to do...Read More »
Does your home need some serious updating and or repairs, but you simply can't afford to start a major renovation right now? Fortunately, there are some cool DIY home improvement hacks I found which show you how to make some pretty cool upgrades in your house without needing an expensive professional. Whether you need some
Remodel your bathroom with ease! Our DIY bathroom makeover will help you upgrade your space on a budget. FInd your next easy bathroom DIY.
Does your home need some serious updating and or repairs, but you simply can't afford to start a major renovation right now? Fortunately, there are some cool DIY home improvement hacks I found which show you how to make some pretty cool upgrades in your house without needing an expensive professional. Whether you need some
You may think some home repairs are out of your league, but even beginner DIYers can handle many of these fixes—and save a lot of money in the process!
You probably don’t even realize it, but these things are wasting energy (and your money!) in your home.
You may think some home repairs are out of your league, but even beginner DIYers can handle many of these fixes—and save a lot of money in the process!
While rewarding, being a homeowner can be costly and frustrating if you're not in the know. Here are 21 essential tips and tricks to save money, solve problems and improve your home.
Home Staging Tips and Ideas - improve the value of your home before a sale by highlighting your home's strengths and downplaying its weaknesses.
This is an excellent time to share tips for living through a renovation which translates into how to keep your sanity while you’re building your dream home. I’m almost done painting our new bath and closet addition, the tile will go in next. I see a light at the end of the tunnel… And...Read More »
It was around this time of year several years ago that I had just torn down my holiday decor and all of the flaws in my house were blaringly obvious. Once
And avoid that weird messy gap.
Sick of paying tons of money to fix minor things around your house? How about being tired of looking a said eyesores because you do not have the money to pay someone to fix them? Good news! It is surprisingly easy to do many minor home repair projects yourself and for very little money. Tackle
These tips and tricks for the home have been passed down from generation to generation, but do they still hold up today? You better believe it!
...and if you don't, now you do!
These home improvement tips will help you to work smarter in every remodeling or renovation project
Common Problems in Old Homes and how to fix them - some great tips and advice and a look at the 10 most common problems of all
Hey guys!!! So, I haven't blogged in nearly 4 months. It's crazy. I barely even know where to begin! There's so much to say and so much to share, so let's just jump right in and pick up where we left off. Our little Ava is now 5 months old and doing really great. We survived 4 months of colic/milk allergy/reflux and between that and a pretty difficult pregnancy, I felt like the wind had been knocked out of my sails. But, little by little, things are getting so much better and I'm slowly starting to feel like my old self again. Thank you guys so much for being patient with me and understanding that I needed some time off to focus on Ava. I'm so grateful for this precious girl, and I'm sure one day I'll look back and laugh about the past year. But, like, not yet. Ava on Halloween...finally giving us all sorts of sweet smiles. So, let's get down to business. In the final few months before I had Ava, I was able to share with you guys the finished basement renovation, our upstairs flooring redo, and the nursery. But I kinda ran out of time (duty called) before I could share the finished living room. So, a quick 5 months after I finished it, today I can finally show it to you. Many of you guys have been following my blog for awhile now and have already seen the before pictures of the upstairs living area, but I'll share them again, as it's always a nice reminder of how outdated our house was when we first moved in. So, here are the before pics. This is the living room in May of 2010 when we first moved in...wall to wall carpet, outdated light fixtures, dark wood trim, and windows so old that you could feel the wind in your hair when you stood next to them. This was what the entryway looked like. Outdated light fixture, parquet flooring and carpeted stairs, rickety old stair rail, and dark wood trim and door. This was what the dining room looked like. There was a wall between the kitchen and dining room that made the room almost too tiny to use. There was an old glass sliding door that barely opened, dark wood trim and wainscotting, outdated light fixtures, and a tile/carpet combo. This is what it looked standing in the dining room and looking into the living room. This house sat on the market for a really long time before we bought it, as it was obviously totally outdated. I was a little scared, as it was our first house and I had never renovated anything in my life. But, ultimately I decided to just go for it and I'm so glad I did. Renovating it took me almost 5 years to complete. Sometimes it was totally stressful, sometimes I wanted to quit, but ultimately it's one of the most rewarding things I've ever done. And I learned a lot. Which is great because we won't live here forever, and the next time I renovate a house, I'll be much better equipped. So, that being said, here are the pics of what this upstairs area looks like today. Let's start with a little recap of the dining room and entryway and then we'll move into the living room. One of the things that made the biggest difference was knocking down the wall between the dining room and kitchen. We also built a new stair rail, painted all of the trim and wainscoting white, added new light fixtures, and installed white washed hardwood flooring. I painted our kitchen cabinets and updated the hardware when we first moved in the house, and although in an ideal world I would have been able to fully renovate the kitchen, I decided that I could really stretch our budget by just painting the cabinetry and working with what we already had. In the dining room, I added a bold rug that I found for $60 (I know it's not for everyone, and that's okay.). I found the dining room table at a salvage shop, and the white leather chairs with metallic legs I found on Overstock. The original post about the dining room with sources can be found here. Also, we've talked about my orchid sabotage many times, so...that's a fake orchid. I've got a child to raise. Here's a quick view from the landing at the top of the stairs. You can see where we also knocked down the wall and widened the old doorway into the hallway. Here's a look around the corner. You can see how we painted the old outdated wainscoting white. We also replaced the old sliding glass door in the dining room with nice french doors. In the entryway, we replaced the light fixture, and installed double doors on the coat closet. We replaced the carpet on the stairs with hardwood treads and painted white risers, and we also built a new stairrail. I painted the existing front door Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze (favorite!), and added a little silver coat hook from HomeGoods. One of the deer heads broke off after I brought it home. And now this little coat hook reminds me of Jesse tinkering in the garage for an hour, determined to fix it for me. I think there was some ametuer welding going on in the garage, but I was too pregnant to waddle out there and watch. And now, let's move on to the finished living room. I don't expect this room to blow anyone's mind. But, it's come such a long way, and it's where we spend most of our time, so it definitely deserves at least a little time on the blog. We replaced the light fixtures, added some inexpensive tufted couches and a giant comfy ottoman, the rug is from awhile back, and then I thrifted the TV console. Here's a pic of the TV console I found at the thrift store. It's obviously nothing special, but it was the right size and $20, so...sold! I painted it (using the only furniture paint I ever use anymore) and changed out the hardware. It has a super glossy lacquer finish and looks really great up close. I'll eventually mount the TV on the wall, too. Here's a closeup of the hardware. Some little polished nickel pulls from Home Depot. I haven't decided on what kinda curtains I want to hang yet, so for now the windows are just bare. It took us 5 years to finally replace those old windows, so I don't mind looking at the new ones in the meantime. I added some Etsy pillows to the sofas. Here's a view of the living room looking back into the dining room, one of my favorite views. We built the mantel and made the stacked log insert for the fireplace (both were done awhile ago) and then I freshened up the mantle with some things I had around the house. The little framed floral art is a print I found on Etsy. And then, I made some art of my own...some black and white abstract art for above the sofa. I had Jesse build me a basic wooden frame. And I spray painted it with this Krylon Foil Metallic silver spray paint (affiliate link). It's good, ya'll. I think I'll be using it as my go-to silver spray paint from now on. It made my little frame look like actual metal or like it was silver leafed. Either way, good stuff. For the painting itself, I just used some Sherwin Williams Simply White paint (the same color that's on the walls), mixed it with a little gray, and then sketched out a doodle and filled it in with some Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze (the same black paint I used on the front door). It's probably not gonna end up at a museum, but it took me an hour and only cost me a few bucks, so homemade art for the win. And that, you guys, is the finished upstairs living area! I'm sure it will continue to evolve and change, but it feels great to at least have it furnished and not under construction. We lived in the basement throughout most of my pregnancy, so it's nice to no longer be a cave dweller. And I'll leave you with this picture of how the living room looks in real life, filled with baby stuff. Because it would be ridiculous to pretend like my house always looks like the above pictures....it took me at least twenty minutes to clean out all the baby apparatus before I could take some blog pics. Let's be honest. :) As for the blog, a lot of you have asked what my plans are. I plan to slowly get back into the swing of things, as time allows, and as quickly as my brain starts functioning like normal again. Thank you guys for all of your sweet comments and messages. I appreciate it so much. I know I'll eventually find my groove again, but right now I'm still doing a lot of this. And I wouldn't have it any other way. 'Til next time! Follow my blog with Subscribe to LiveLoveDIY with email! Enter your email address:
These tips and tricks for the home have been passed down from generation to generation, but do they still hold up today? You better believe it!
Knock out these must-do fall home projects in just a couple of days and enjoy care-free living all winter long.
Simple kitchen and bath improvements that will make your life easier
Home renovation is messy & chaotic. There are steps you can take to preserve sanity. Follow these 6 home renovation survival tips & save yourself grief.
Are you ready or thinking about some home maintenance or home improvement projects? Do you need professional assistance from a trained contractor?
Stunning DIY projects sure to make your old house look new.
Here is how to save money when renovating a fixer upper - an abandoned 115 year old house. Renovating on a budget, fixer upper homes, is possible!
Does your home need some serious updating and or repairs, but you simply can't afford to start a major renovation right now? Fortunately, there are some cool DIY home improvement hacks I found which show you how to make some pretty cool upgrades in your house without needing an expensive professional. Whether you need some
...and if you don't, now you do!
You probably haven’t done these cleaning and home maintenance tasks lately (if ever!), but it’s imperative that you do. The good news is they’re easy, and we’ll show you how.
Let’s face it. Home renovations cost a lot of money! If you aren’t a DIYer you will have to pay...
Your dream home is only a few DIY projects away.
Disclaimer – This post is sponsored by The National Association of Realtors. All opinions are 100% my own. For additional home finance tips, check out HouseLogic.com Moving into your new dream house can be a daunting task. Between unpacking, cleaning and trying to find that stray roll of toilet paper, it may feel like you have ... Read More about Five To-Do’s for New Home Owners
I found this interesting infographic and wanted to share it with you. It estimates the value that an average remodel adds to a home. I've generally analyz
They may not be as glamorous as a kitchen remodel or new deck, but these are the most common DIY projects for new homeowners.
Tool hacks usually happen on the fly, when you’re in a situation that calls for a tool to be modified slightly or used in a way that’s different than its intended purpose. Many of the following tool hacks were created for those reasons—and some were just stumbled upon while tinkering in the shop.
You probably haven’t done these cleaning and home maintenance tasks lately (if ever!), but it’s imperative that you do. The good news is they’re easy, and we’ll show you how.
...and if you don't, now you do!
These tips and tricks for the home have been passed down from generation to generation, but do they still hold up today? You better believe it!
These tips and tricks for the home have been passed down from generation to generation, but do they still hold up today? You better believe it!
Here is how to save money when renovating a fixer upper - an abandoned 115 year old house. Renovating on a budget, fixer upper homes, is possible!
