Before & After Renovation: Our Last Home

Yesterday I shared a ton of resources in THIS, and I hope you aren’t sick of seeing photos of our home rather than a fantasy tour! If you are newer here, in 2015 we bought a neglected fixer to remodel ourselves. Along the way, I often blogged honestly about the highs and lows. I think I typed “never again…probably” like ALL THE TIME. How do we manage to find time to renovate while working full-time jobs? It’s sort of our thing to do together. Separately, our interests are quite different–my husband pursues athletics, and I create art. The thing is, there are plenty of both of those pursuits wrapped up in DIY home! Before & After Renovation revisits a short tour of our prior home.

Before & After Renovation: Hello Lovely

This project was a doozy because we were always uncovering issues that had nothing to do with cosmetic upgrades.

Plumbing pipes leaking into the electrical box, faulty subfloors, and mysterious clanking within walls. We replaced just about everything in the place!

So you are really only seeing the top layer, and I feel as though it is worth mentioning that there are a million hidden tasks and details underneath.

My husband and I are half crazy renovators who prefer doing home improvement ourselves.

Why?

Initially, we were DIYers because we were poor and drowning in student loan debt. But later, we found it gratifying to dream together and than make the vision and dreams come true.

How?

We have learned to do the work by reading books, watching tutorials, and mostly with experience just going for it. Below, we’ll revisit before and afters, and I’ll mention remodeling tools we rely upon.

Tools of the trade for these real life renovators

I independently selected products in this post—if you buy from one of my links, I may earn a commission.

Here’s a power tool I simply cannot live without.

HP Elitebook Folio. For years, I have been relying upon my HP Elitebook to shop, glean inspiration, find video tutorials, and Google things like ‘how to remove stains from carrara marble.’

Renovation Tools We Rely Upon

1. The usual suspects

In my own box, you’ll find: a handsome vintage hammer with patina-ed handle worthy of a devoted blog post, finishing nails, paint color decks, trowels and paint brushes as well as tape measures. But my #1 favorite tool costs about $6 and helps to transform everything…

I LOVE THIS WOOSTER PAINT BRUSH and have used them for years. They are inexpensive enough to use for projects that wreck the bristles by the end. (Like old crusty wood shutters where you have to work the paint into the louvers.)

2. Serious Muscle Power

Heavy lifting and the bulk of physical labor is the domain of my better half, who is the reason we bought the last fixer upper (he had to convince me!). I helped with demo, sanding, plastering, clean up, and all of the painting, planting, and lighter projects.

3. DeWalt DIY Home Essential

It is portable, powerful for ripping and roaring into home improvement, projects, and what we turn to.

4. Housekeeping

With a whole house DIY renovation, we have required more clean up on aisle three than I can say. We cannot go a day without a Dyson posse.

5. This Timesaver

The most important tool upon which my husband relied for that whole house DIY renovation? This NAIL GUN was key. 

More Essentials for DIY

Painting Supplies

A paint sprayer saved us so much time when we painted ceilings, garage doors, and a slew of outdoor furniture.

Canvas dropcloths have saved my floors from my clumsy DIY adventuring more times than I can count!

Renovation Before & Afters

Have a look at what determination, grit, and smart tools can bring back to life!

Find the French Tolix style metal bistro chair RIGHT HERE.

Here is a garden bench similar to ours: RIGHT HERE.

Here’s a gorgeous cabinet in the same spirit of our old sideboard from Belgium. This one’s new but made from reclaimed teak.

Here is another possibility at a low price point.

It’s so fun to look back at the before and realize all we accomplished at that wonderful home!

Did you see our progress on the bedroom/bath at the Georgian HERE? Next DIY? Our bedroom’s walk-in closet, and I have been collecting inspiration!

See more of our home right here, and shop the look HERE.

Project From a Famous Renovation Expert I Admire!

Peace to you right where you are.

-michele

I independently selected products in this post—if you buy from one of my links, I may earn a commission.

Thanks for shopping RIGHT HERE to keep decor inspiration flowing on Hello Lovely!

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