Before and Afters: What We Accomplished in Our Home in 2021
One of my favourite home blogs, Chris Loves Julia, shared a really fun post the other day highlighting all the Before and Afters of the projects they completed in 2021. Of course, their list was chock full of incredible room transformations and impressive designs, but what I liked most about it was the idea of intentionally reflecting back on everything they accomplished in their home over the course of the year, no matter how big or small that progress felt.
If you’re like me, you may find you have an endless list of home projects floating around in your head at any given time. Maybe you feel overwhelmed, wondering if you’ll be 65 before your home finally feels complete. Maybe you focus a little too much on where you want to go rather than appreciating how many steps you’ve already taken in the right direction. And maybe I’m just speaking to myself here - is anyone else with me? When I set out to start this blog and our YouTube channel, I very intentionally sat down and made a list of my values and priorities for sharing in these digital spaces. In doing that, I realized that one of the most important things I wanted to do was to continually refocus myself on the beauty and value of progress over perfection, and in turn, to inspire anyone who joins me here to do the same in their own life and home.
This time of year always inspires me to reflect, but truth be told, I spend quite a bit of time reflecting always. I’m no stranger to a mid-year, mid-project, heck, even a mid-moment reflection on the lessons learned along the way, regardless of how painful and maybe even sometimes vulnerable they are to share. It’s hard to share the messy - the room not quite the way we envision it, the DIY not quite the success we imagined it, the celebration not quite the way we hoped it - but there is still lots to be proud of in the mess. A new comfort with a power tool, a new realization about how you work, a new memory made with your loved ones in a half-finished space, and most importantly, a new step in the right direction.
I think I will always wish I could have done more. But the effort of compiling this list together and gathering the images of all the before and afters in our space over the course of this year makes me realize how much love and care I put into nurturing our home. And in doing so, how much love and care I put into nurturing myself too. It may not be exactly where it could be, but I’m proud of the progress we made in our little house this year. With that, let’s see what we accomplished in 2021.
Before
After
Built-In Fireplace (January - March)
Let’s start with a bang, because not only was this my first project, but it was also the biggest I have ever taken on myself. The built-in fireplace in our living room will always hold a special place in my heart for that reason. It involved multiple steps, including planning, framing, creating the built-in shelves out of IKEA Billy bookcases, preparing for stone, laying the stone, and finishing it all off by overgrouting. I learned so many new skills and really got comfortable with the process of preparing for a project and following it through the execution to completion. There were definitely rough patches along the way and the entire thing took me a couple of months to finish, but I gained so much confidence in my abilities with tools and construction through this project. It definitely opened the door for me to tackle other projects throughout the year that I probably would have never considered attempting myself before this.
Other than the construction skills this project helped to refine, it was also the first major (semi) permanent style decision I have made in our home. Committing to a stone finish was a big step and one that I didn’t take lightly. I spent a lot of time considering different stone options and even played with the idea of doing a finish that was much less permanent (like some pretty moulding), but ultimately tried to push myself to explore what I liked and why I liked it. At the end of this year, I wouldn’t say that I have nailed down my style per say, but this project was definitely a positive step in that direction. I had a lot of fun exploring my style through research, moodboards, and by playing around with inexpensive thrifted decor. I know these lessons were foundational and will continue to shape my choices in our home over the years to come.
DIY Fluted Side Table (March)
Although not particularly a before and after, this was a fun little side project that I took on in the middle of the fireplace build because I mentally needed a quick project I could start and finish in a day or two. I had come across an adorable fluted side table on West Elm, but the price tag was far too steep for me to ever seriously consider purchasing it. The more I looked at it, I felt like there could be a way to DIY a similar option to sit beside our sofa. It only took a couple of hours worth of work, but the result was so cute and I think you all agree - this still continues to be one of our most-viewed videos on YouTube! I loved that I could customize the size to fit in our tight space and that it gave me an opportunity to continue honing my woodworking skills and abilities with power tools. It’s small, but mighty, and will definitely always hold a special place in my heart.
Structured Gallery Wall (April)
This is another small and simple project, but it’s one that still brings me so much joy. Up until this point, I had numerous pieces of art hanging on our walls, but only had a few, if any, personal family photos on display. In my opinion, personal photos are one of the key factors that make a house feel like a home. But with that being said, I think there is a tasteful way to do it that doesn’t overpower your space with images of yourself. This project only took me a couple of hours (selecting photos, ordering them, arranging in frames, and hanging) and I loved every minute of it. It was a beautiful opportunity to work on bettering our home while also reflecting on why I value doing it. After all, it’s all about the ones I love.
Before
After
Low-Budget Master Bathroom Refresh (May)
We had spent lots of time and resources on the fireplace build at the beginning of the year, so by the time the summer rolled around, I focussed my attention on smaller projects that could be completed with very little effort or money. One of those projects was our master bathroom. Despite being in our home for two years, we still lived out of a few cardboard boxes and the room lacked any personality. The bones were fine - simple white walls, white subway tiles in the shower, a perfectly functional double vanity - but it needed a little bit of life breathed into it. I challenged myself to spend very little money to update this space using thrifted items or pieces I already owned.
Most of the changes were simple decor fixes. I moved a freestanding glass shelf from our family room to the nook beside the toilet to hold extra towels, personal items, and medicines. I spray painted the knobs from the vanity and swapped out the matching mirrors above each sink. I even DIYed some simple artwork and added a rug to the center of the room. All of these little changes contributed to a fresh feel in this space. I did end up spending a little bit of money, but the investment was minimal for the difference it makes to have this space feel more peaceful. I still appreciate how cheerful it feels in here when I walk in every morning.
Before
After
The Front Porch Refresh (June)
I tend to lack the motivation to work on projects inside of the house once the beautiful summer weather rolls around. We don’t have a very long outdoor season here in Canada, so I like to appreciate it when we do. In the summer, I did very little around our home other than taking the time to make our front porch feel a little more inviting. Once again, these were pretty simple and inexpensive fixes. I moved the cushioned patio chairs from our backyard to the front, added an inexpensive cotton runner, created a little side table out of an existing drum planter, and filled various pots and planters with some of my favourite summer blooms. The biggest change I made was by swapping out our existing porch flush mount with something a little bit more modern. This easy fix still brings me joy when I come home in the evenings to it’s soft warm glow. Although seemingly insignificant, these simple changes made a really welcoming space to sit with a friend when they popped by or to relax while Mabel played in the front yard. We spent quite a bit of time out here this year and I’m thankful I made the effort to make it more comfortable for us.
Before
After
Bedside Table Thrift Flip (August)
This project was a long time coming. I had found a pair of secondhand bedside tables nearly a year prior and it was finally time to give them a new life. This was the first furniture project I really took on that involved a little more creativity and effort to change the feel of the finished piece. I built and added some small legs, added a fresh colour, and changed out the hardware. This small and incredibly inexpensive flip completely changed the feel in our bedroom and ignited an excitement for reimagining existing furniture pieces in me - I already have a handful of furniture flips stewing in mind for this next year ahead.
Before
After
Console Table Thrift Flip (September)
This was another quick furniture project I completed this year. I found this simple fluted console table on our local buy-and-sell and purchased it on a whim. It only took a total of a few hours over a few days to add some paint and a topcoat, but the results make a big impact. I added it to the space between our living room and dining room in order to visually divide the spaces. It was the piece of furniture I didn’t know I needed and now I can’t imagine this space without it.
Before
After
The Dining Room (October-November)
I started the year with a massive project and apparently I finished the year with one too. The final project of the year was to finally tackle our empty dining room and I took the opportunity to go all-in. I participated in my first One Room Challenge, which encourages you to completely transform one single room in your home over the course of eight weeks alongside other participants, and it was truly amazing. Besides being inspired to work on my own room, I loved being able to follow along with other people as they tackled their own. I definitely hope to do the One Room Challenge again.
Tackling one single room was a massive undertaking, especially considering that I had a series of projects within the greater room to complete in order to make it happen. I spent a lot of really focussed time over the course of these two months making sure that I stayed on track with my self-imposed deadlines. It was a really good practice in project discipline, planning, and assessing what I could reasonably accomplish in a set amount of time. I don’t think I could always work like this, but in many ways it left me feeling inspired and taught me new things about my abilities and skills.
Within our dining room, the biggest project I tackled was creating a built-in storage bench. I harnessed a lot of the construction skills I had used in the fireplace build earlier in the year to plan and frame it, but there were a few new opportunities for learning. I figured out how to create a hinged top and installed vertical planking part way up the wall. It was really exciting to apply the final coat of paint to the entire thing and see what I had created with my own two hands and I’ll never forget the satisfaction I felt in that moment.
Other projects I completed within this room include completely transforming an old china cabinet and refinishing a secondhand dining room table. Both of these projects presented opportunities for growth, like learning how to build a base for the former and using chemical strippers for the latter. I had a lot of fun exploring new materials and attempting new processes in order to make my dreams for this space a reality. Adding the final layers of decor was the icing on the cake. This is the first room in our home that I feel truly reflects who we are and where I want to take our space, likely because I committed to just really making it happen. I took risks and I’m really proud of what I was able to produce.
I’m so grateful to be able to reflect back on the progress I made in our home over this year. Of course there were many smaller projects worth celebrating too, like thrifted and flipped decor pieces, progress that Curt made in our garage, and updates and projects we hired out. We have already been dreaming up what projects this next year will hold, but since this is getting a little lengthy, I’ll save those thoughts for another post.
I want to say thank you for following along with us this year, both here on our blog and through our YouTube channel. I have appreciated the encouragement, support, and cheers along the way, especially when the project exhaustion starts to creep in. The reason I make the effort to share here is that I hope it inspires you to make progress in your own home and in your own skills and opportunities. I try to do my best to balance vulnerability with the wins in the hope of encouraging you in your own home journey, because life is messy, but the little things are worth celebrating. If you have any suggestions for how we can get better with what we share or any specific ideas for what you’d like to see from us this year, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
To another year of progress -
