Best projects of 2020 and plans for 2021!

Hello there! This is always one of my favorite posts of the year because I see how productive I am...even when I don't feel like it! I don't feel like a total sloth after pulling this post together. Especially after this last crazy year!

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I didn't think I'd have much to share, but I did plenty last year. They weren't all huge before and after makeovers...but I think I like these even better! Most of the projects are easy to accomplish in a day or two with little money. 

You can see the projects I finished in 2019 and my plans for 2020 here! More on those in a bit. 

Remember that projects around the house are my job...and I love it! I love to wrap up the previous year and hopefully inspire you for your own home. 

My most recent project was a mini-room makeover. I painted the ceiling, added a pendant light and wallpapered the little hallway off our foyer: 

The updates make this little spot so fresh and clean -- love it!

Last year I added a thin and simple board and batten treatment to one of the walls on our staircase: 

My plan year was to continue this on the other two stair walls...but I got distracted. ;) I plan to do that this soon.

I built some simple sliding shoe storage bins for the mud room: 

Then I finally finished painting the mud room -- you can see the whole tour here!

We use our outdoor spaces more than ever this year! I always wanted to string pretty cafe lights out here and we finally got that project done. See how we hung the outdoor lights without trees here!: 

Ahhh...I love them so much! They have held up beautifully through storms and snow!

Later in the year we added these beautiful Adirondack chairs around our fire pit: 

I'm already looking forward to some spring nights there. 

I finished up our master bedroom makeover: 

It's a dark, moody room, but I brightened it up a bit for the summer here. It's now the best of both worlds!

Early last year I made a huge upholstered bulletin board for my office: 

It's the perfect mix of form and function! I'm so glad I went with that fun fabric. 

These floating shelves above our toilet were a quick and easy DIY: 

I shared the first look at our guest room -- a few little touches made a big difference: 

Our kitchen didn't see as many projects as last year, but I made a couple changes that I think made a big difference! I added a DIY wood vent hood and painted the hardware black: 

I've since painted the hood a lighter gray and love it even more! I am so happy with the black hardware -- that's such an easy DIY that makes a big impact. 

Our basement saw a few projects that warmed it up even more. I finished painting most of the walls the dark gray: 

And more recently we added a small wall down there that created a fun new gaming/eating space: 

Those are just a few of my favorite projects of 2020! Did you miss any of them? 

I didn't accomplish much from my to do list for last year -- our finances have been hit hard with schools not being 100 percent most places so we nixed most of them. 

We are hopeful for a better 2021 for so many reasons! Our hope is to address the same spots I wanted to tackle last year...maybe more? 

We are SO SO excited about finishing our basement kitchenette. I purged and organized this spot last summer and now it's a clean slate: 

It's huge for a basement kitchenette! I've started planning out the layout and we are all coming up with fun ideas for this space. I'll share my plans with you soon!

I wanted to tackle our son's bathroom last year but got distracted. I hope to take down a wall in here and add some fun tile to this wall: 

I would also LOVE to wall off a space in our basement storage room -- we've made it into a workout space and I have dreamed of closing it up since we moved in. That would be a BIG project so I'm not sure it will happen. 

Heck, I'm not sure any of it will happen...crossing my fingers! I would be perfectly happy with another year of smaller projects -- we're just so thankful we were able to do anything to our house last year! 

Do you have any fun DIY projects or makeovers planned for this year? 

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The perfect under the sink organization solution

You know how great it is to find a solution for an organization issue that's bugged you for years? That's how I feel about this under cabinet organization fix I recently found. I just can't believe it took me this long to find it!

We had to make quick design decisions when finishing this house since we took over a spec build that had already started. We're thrilled with most of the design decisions I made, but there are a few things I wish I could change. 

Our builder suggested this option, and I approved them without really looking at the detail. Having all cabinets and no lower drawers is the woooorst: 

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I have cursed and raised my fist in the air many times standing at that vanity. Maybe it wouldn't bother me as much if we didn't have drawers on the vanity at our last house? All I know is it drives me nutty. 

The two sides are so skinny you can't fit much underneath. And under the sink is almost unusable because of where they placed the plumbing fixtures: 

Because of that we have very little space at all in the vanity for storage. 

Someday we will get new vanities, but that's an expense I just can't justify a few years after moving in! So I've been researching under cabinet shelving. The options were either too expensive or too wide for the skinny end cabinets. 

Then one day recently my friend Courtney shared some metal units that I thought would work. I ordered one to try it out...and they are perfect!!: