Before we dive into this all...
WOAH! Just look at the difference!
It's hard to believe that this photo was a TWO WHOLE YEARS AGO! That was us on closing day, capturing the pure bliss we were feeling after being handed the keys to our home. CRAZY! It makes us realize just how much has changed in the house.
We are just about to hit 390 days of our at-home quarantine and, monumentally, our second anniversary with our home. We thought it would be fun to do a little update about all the renovations and projects we have worked on during our stay-at-home year.
BACKYARD
Here is another fun set of before and after pictures! Fixing and extending the paving in the front, side, and backyard was the first project we tackled. It was something the house desperately needed and we were so happy we did it. The extra patio space in the backyard has made a huge difference.
Right after this was completed, springtime rolled around, and realized we would still be working from home. Joe was very excited to begin our garden in the backyard and view its progress every day from our home office window. Just as the garden was beginning to take off and look promising, we got a visitor who was also keeping his eye, and stomach, on the growing prize.
After a couple of visits from the groundhog (who we ended up naming Barry), most of our crop was done for. With the struggles of the dirt and voles the previous year, and the groundhog this year, we decided to use the extra time to research best practices for gardens in our area. One result we came across was garden beds.
We turned the project into a date and got to work. Between the beds, the rich nutrient soil we added, and our past year of composting, we are confident with our garden for this year! *fingers crossed*
The sad news from the backyard is the beautiful landscape of trees that once stood tall behind our fence has now all been cut down by the electric company. The view in our yard is heartbreaking for me to look at, but Joe and I have been working actively on a plan to restore as much of them as we can, while also adding new plant life back there. That will be our next big project for the yard and a restoration that will mean a lot to us. While it is something that was not in our original roadmap for the house, our love for science and nature will not allow us to sit back and do nothing. We feel it is our responsibility to fight on behalf of the trees and many animals who lost their homes due to this change.
BATHROOM
Not our biggest project, but did the trick! We did not make any changes to our bathrooms when we first moved in and were growing tired of the look of them. Since we couldn't renovate the entire bathroom, a quick paint job, new shades, and hi-hat lighting did the trick...for now.
Both bathrooms are tiled poorly and the main bathroom's tub is not ideal. Being that we had other projects on our list that we thought were on a higher priority, we decided the bathrooms would have to take a backseat and wait a little bit longer. Yet, that hasn't stopped me from already plotting out their new looks.
BASEMENT
Before we were home all the time, the look of our unfinished basement was not a huge deal. However, now being at home every day and realizing we need a bigger workspace for ourselves, taking on the basement was something we did this year too.
After getting some necessary plumbing work done and removing the decade-old wooden platform in the "laundry" area, Joe got to work cleaning and repainting the cement flooring. From there we added cabinets and additional racks to help keep our basement pantry and storage organized. Next, we are looking to add a workbench island to give Joe and me a spot to work on our projects and stop us from using the dining room table.
KITCHEN
Finally, our last project for the year, and it was a BIG ONE! We renovated our kitchen! You can read the full story of the project in our Kitchen Reveal blog here!
We’ve surely tackled quite a bit through these past 365 days and we’re excited to keep going. We’ll be sharing bits and pieces of more of the changes soon, but stay tuned for official room reveals and details over the next few months. Sharing posts from our home is what we love most about this blog and we can’t wait to share it with you. Stay tuned!
Does anyone have any crazy renovation stories? Please share them with us!!!
Hugs & Cookies,
Amanda and Joe
CHECK OUT MORE POSTS:
* Kitchen Renovations: Check it out here!
* At-Home Date Night Game: Check it out here!
* Our Year in Review: 2020 Recap: Read more!
* Brands featured in our pantry: Check it out!
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