Celebrating Our First Year of Homeownership: A DIY Journey

Our first year of homeownership… wow!

It’s wild to think we’ve been homeowners for a whole year already. Looking back, we’ve packed so many projects into these 12 months. It’s a bit like those surprising history facts you read about—like how Marilyn Monroe and Queen Elizabeth II were born the same year—but on a much smaller scale. Let us have this one!

We wouldn’t have called our house a fixer-upper, but we’ve loved making it our own and learning how to use power tools along the way. Pro tip for fellow DIYers: take as many before photos as you can from every angle. We didn’t take nearly enough.

Here’s a room-by-room breakdown of our first year of homeownership DIY projects, along with plans for year two and some lessons learned.

Living Room Makeover: From Dark to Light

Year One DIY Projects

• Fresh coat of paint to brighten the space
• Built and painted a custom fireplace mantel
• Painted the fireplace for a cohesive look
• Installed DIY floating shelves

Year Two Goals

• Replace the ceiling fan
• Update the ceiling and trim
• Refresh the interior side of the exterior door
• Build a DIY entryway bench for added functionality

Lessons Learned

• Painting isn’t Alex’s strong suit.
• Protect your hardwood floors from paint splatters.
• A reliable stud finder is worth every penny.

Kitchen Renovation: From Zero Drawers to Functional Bliss

Our kitchen was a disaster when we moved in—no drawers at all! This space has the most dramatic transformation, though we owe much of that to our contractor.

Year One Projects

• Removed the wall separating the kitchen and dining room
• Installed new cabinets, countertops, dishwasher, sink, and oven (contractor-led)
• Built a pantry with custom shelving
• Added a giant DIY chalkboard
• Installed open shelving for easy access and display

Year Two Goals

• Upgrade the fridge (if the budget allows!)
• Build a wine rack above the fridge

Lessons Learned

• Natural light transforms a space.
• A cutlery drawer is non-negotiable.

Dining Room Refresh

Opening up the kitchen wall made a huge difference in this space, turning it into a brighter, more inviting area.

Year One Projects

• Fresh coat of paint
• Installed a new light fixture

Year Two Goals

• Build a DIY bar cart for entertaining

Lessons Learned

• Deep purple/brown walls were a regrettable design choice.

Mudroom Transformation: Function Meets Style

This room was practically unusable when we moved in, but it’s now one of the most functional spaces in our home.

Year One Projects

• Painted walls and trim
• Removed an impractical deep storage bench
• Built a coat rack and shoe cubby storage unit
• Closed off the unnecessary bedroom/mudroom doorway
• Installed upper cabinets and lower storage cabinets
• Built a smaller, more functional storage bench
• Created a built-in office desk
• Updated the light fixture

Year Two Goals

• Address flooring issues (tile paint or stenciling?)
• Fix the exterior door alignment
• Refinish the ceiling and attic entrance

Lessons Learned

• Old houses are rarely level.
• Always measure twice—or more!
• Hinges are more complicated than they look.

Master Bedroom: Bold and Cozy

Year One Projects

• Opened a doorway from the bedroom to the bathroom
• Built and installed a barn door
• Spackled walls to remove the paneling look
• Installed a navy/black plank accent wall
• Painted walls and ceiling

Year Two Goals

• Expand the master closet by utilizing space from the hall closet

Lessons Learned

• Bold design choices can pay off.
• Sometimes, spontaneous trim removal leads to great DIY outcomes.

Master Bathroom: Budget-Friendly Updates

Year One Projects

• Painted the vanity
• Framed the builder-grade glued-on mirror
• Opened the walkway between the bedroom and bathroom
• Installed a new washer/dryer
• Applied a fresh coat of paint
• Updated vanity hardware
• Spray-painted the light fixture black

Year Two Goals

• Replace or update the vanity top
• Install new mirrors
• Paint or re-tile the floor
• Redesign the linen closet with built-ins
• Create a laundry nook with shelving

Lessons Learned

• Paint is a game-changer when you’re on a tight budget.

Guest Bathroom: A Sentimental First Makeover

This was our first big project, completed during my first trimester of pregnancy. It’s far from perfect, but we’re proud of it.

Year One Projects

• Painted the walls
• Tiled the shower surround
• Installed a new shower head, tub spout, and sink faucet
• Spray-painted the light fixture black
• Replaced the toilet roll holder
• Hung towel hooks and shelves
• Added a fixed glass shower panel

Year Two Goals

• Stencil the floor tile
• Replace the vanity

Lessons Learned

• YouTube tutorials are lifesavers.
• Some jobs are better left to professionals.

Exterior Updates: From Concrete Jungle to Cozy Backyard

The backyard was a concrete wasteland when we moved in. Now, it’s a dog-friendly green space.

Year One Projects

• Removed concrete and laid sod (contractor-led)
• Built a DIY outdoor table (plans here)
• Cleared weeds and overgrowth from garden beds
• Replaced front yard hedges with a garden bed
• Painted the peeling porch
• Removed wrought iron railings
• Wrapped porch columns

Year Two Goals

• Lay a grill pad
• Build a dog washing station
• Construct a slat privacy wall
• Plant a lemon tree
• Refinish patio furniture
• Make a garden hose holder
• Lessons Learned
• Working in Louisiana’s heat is brutal.
• Gardening is harder than it looks.

Hallway

Hallways get so overlooked. We didn’t do a whole lot and don’t have a whole lot to do, but we don’t want it to get a complex so we’ll include it.

Year One Projects

• Installed photo ledges made out of scrapwood (here’s a DIY on it)

Year Two Goals

• Replace boob light
• Reconfigure hallway closet (currently it’s pantry overflow)

Lessons Learned

• Don’t throw away your scrapwood.

Guest Bedroom

Originally a very, umm, bold teal color, we painted the guest room a more neutral grey late last year. We wanted to make it a little nicer before our families came a few months later when Eleanor was born but then coronavirus happened. So, yeah, you know how that went.

Year One Projects

• Fresh coat of paint
• Painted ceiling, baseboards and trim

Year Two Goals

• Build a bench for guests to sit their stuff on
• Build corner shelves near the doorway
• Convert an unused wall into a mini home gym (once we’re back to working in an office and it isn’t a makeshift pandemic home office)
• Biggest lessons: Always let the paint dry before judging the color, AND keep painting a room even if one wall in you’re thinking it looks awful.

Lessons Learned

• Always let the paint dry before judging the color, AND keep painting a room even if one wall in you’re thinking it looks awful.

Nursery

Ahh, the nursery. Originally when we moved in it was going to be a craft/extra room but when we found out we were having a baby it was quickly pegged as the nursery. It’s got a lot of natural light, was already a neutral white color and was far back from the street so not very noisy.

Year One Projects

• Installed book shelves on wall
• Built open shelves above the dresser from scrapwood

Year Two Goals

• Reconfigure closet (remove shelving, paint, build new shelving)

Lessons Learned

• A room doesn’t always need a full DIY to look cute.

Final Thoughts

Phew, that was a lot! If you’ve made it this far, thanks for sticking with us. We’re excited for Year Two and all the adventures (and almost certain mishaps) to come. Don’t forget to follow our Instagram for before-and-after photos, and subscribe to our newsletter for more DIY tips and updates and follow along on Instagram!

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