Our Favorite Projects & Makeovers Of 2016

2016 was an interesting year, to say the least. Between starting a podcast, buying a beach house, creating a coloring book, and taking on various projects around here and beyond, well, there were lots of firsts. So we thought we’d end 2016 with a quick recap of the year’s highlights.

Topping the list as our most memorable room makeover was this speedy space-themed bedroom update that we did for a local family whose young son Mason passed away suddenly (the bedroom that he shared with his older brother Hudson needed a refresh so that Hudson could work towards sleeping in there again). We’ve stayed connected to the family via Facebook, so they’ve been on our minds frequently throughout the year, and we are so grateful that we got to meet them.

Probably a close second for most memorable is the teacher’s lounge makeover we wrapped up right before school started. It presented some of the most unusual challenges of any project we’ve ever done (how do you design around a big blue Pepsi machine??), but we loved having the chance to make a space that looked and worked better for this local public elementary school.

Our other ongoing “outside the house” project this year has been helping Sherry’s best friend of 16 years & my cousin settle into their new place. Yes, they married each other many years ago after we introduced them, and they moved down the street from us this summer (more on that in Podcast Episode #3), and you may have caught this little update Sherry did in their son’s room by splitting one duvet cover into two.

And of course, there were lots of changes around our own house this year. Heck, even we almost forgot that we kicked off 2016 with the completion of our bonus room, including nailing in the hardwood floors ourselves, installing the cabinets & floating shelves, and creating a wire-free spot for the TV.

Around this time last year it was still an unfinished storage space, and it has become such a natural extension of our upstairs that it’s hard to remember a time we couldn’t just walk in there and kick back on the supersofa for movie night.

And the bonus room was quickly followed by another big renovation: our new kitchen!

The overhaul of this space and the countless improvements it has made to our day-to-day are NOT hard to forget. There are the obvious aesthetic updates…

…but it has also been a huge functional upgrade, thanks to a more hardworking layout and some serious cabinet organization, both of which streamline mealtimes (and getting-out-the-door-times, thanks to the hidden mudroom). We also shared five kitchen remodeling mistakes that we made (so you don’t have to) which will hopefully come in handy for anyone else who’s planning a big room overhaul.

Along with the kitchen reno, we also updated the living room with these DIY built-in bookcases that were the final icing on our long (and long-awaited) renovation.

Our home also saw some smaller updates this year – like embracing beige (never thought we’d write about that!) by repainting our bedroom and office in more neutral colors. Sure it’s less pinnable and probably looks less exciting on screen, but in person it feels just right to us.

Our daughter’s room got an update too, as she moved from a twin daybed to a full-sized one, prompting us to write about a bunch of the phases this room has gone through over the years. It’s oddly fun to look back on all the tweaks and changes in one time-lapse style post. Especially since there’s a chance another room in our house will be making that crib-to-bed transition in 2017.

As you can see from our latest Upstairs House Tour (below), this room continues to change.