My 8 Year Blog Anniversary -With Tons of Before and Afters


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I can't believe that I'm about to write this next sentence. I have been blogging for 8 years today! Holy moly, batman! When I started this blog, I never ever thought that I would still be doing it this many years later, nor what it would become. Or better yet, what my house would become. Blogging has changed a lot since then. Everything from picture quality to how you market your blog. If you look back in my older posts, you'll definitely notice the difference in picture quality. You'll even notice the difference in the pictures below. I have learned so much since then. When I started, I didn't own a single tool, now I have more than my husband...way more than my husband. Not only has my house changed a lot since when I started, but I feel that I have as a person. 
White cottage farmhouse tour of an entire house with tons of before and after pictures.

I started this blog because I was always doing crafty things, and I loved to show them off to family and friends. But then I moved to the middle of nowhere in farm country and lost the opportunity to invite friends and family over on a whim...and actually have them show up :) So, this became my creative outlet. 

When we bought our house 8 years ago, it was brand spankin' new. Which I hated. I wanted an older vintage home with tons of character. I wanted projects to do, things to rip up, walls to paint. I didn't get that in this house, but I fell in love with it the minute we stepped through the doors. I love the 20 foot ceilings in our entry way and living room. Love the layout of our great room. I even adore the french doors in our front room...even if it does make us have 2 front doors 10 feet apart :) I love all the light that shines through the house, and have come to love the natural knotty alder wood that adorns most rooms. Well, I can deal without it in the kitchen just because it makes it look like a peach exploded in there :) You'll see what I mean and why I say that. And best of all, I love the arches that 'separate' our kitchen, dining room, and living room. 

Even though it didn't have the charm I was initially looking for, I was able to add some older character here and there and am always imaging new fun things to do to add more. 

As with every year, I like to take a stroll down memory lane and show my before and afters of the house. All of these before pictures appeared on my blog in the first few years for some reason or another, so it's a true depiction of how easy it is to change as space on a budget :) It's also good to look back to see how much can change in even a year. The biggest changes this past year was the master bedroom and my new flooring. Enjoy!

Entry way before:

Entry way after: 
White cottage farmhouse tour of an entire house with tons of before and after pictures.
Entry before, again:

And after: 
White cottage farmhouse tour of an entire house with tons of before and after pictures.

Front room entry before:

And after:
White and neutral cottage farmhouse living room decor and decorating ideas. Living room diy shiplap walls. Fixer upper style living room
Front room before:

Front room after:
White and neutral cottage farmhouse living room decor and decorating ideas. Living room diy shiplap walls. Fixer upper style living room
Console Table: Target     Sofa Bed: Ikea      Bench: Target     Rug: Rugs USA

Before:

After:
White and neutral cottage farmhouse living room decor and decorating ideas. Living room diy shiplap walls. Fixer upper style living room
Faux fireplace DIY: Tutorial      Wire Hamper: Amazon    Bench: Target   Plank/Shiplap wall; Tutorial

White and neutral cottage farmhouse living room decor and decorating ideas. Living room diy shiplap walls. Fixer upper style living room

Living room before:

Living room after:
White and neutral farmhouse cottage living room decor and decorating ideas. Two story living room and great room ideas.

Before:

After:
White and neutral farmhouse cottage living room decor and decorating ideas. Two story living room and great room ideas.
(Rug: Amazon      Clock: Gordmans     Card Catalog: Hobby Lobby)

Fireplace and (lack of) built ins before:

Afters:
White and neutral farmhouse cottage living room decor and decorating ideas. Two story living room and great room ideas.
Built ins: Tutorial      Sliding Barn Door Console/Media Cabinet: Tutorial
White and neutral farmhouse cottage living room decor and decorating ideas. Two story living room and great room ideas.

Before:

After:
White and neutral farmhouse cottage living room decor and decorating ideas. Two story living room and great room ideas.

Dining room before:

Dining room after:
White and wood farmhouse dining room decor and decorating ideas. Cottage farmhouse dining room. White shiplap walls in dining room. DIY shiplap
Jute rug: Amazon    Farmhouse Chairs: Amazon     Striped Turkish Towel/Blanket: Amazon   Sun Burst Mirror tutorial here    Shiplap wall: Tutorial

Master bedroom before:

Master bedroom after:
White and neutral bedroom decor and decorating ideas. White farmhouse cottage style master bedroom. Square board and batten bedroom
White Ruffle Bedding: Crane and Canopy      Striped Pillows (plus quilt) HERE    Square board and batten: Tutorial     Night Stands: Tutorial

Master bathroom before:

Master bathroom after:
White cottage farmhouse tour of an entire house with tons of before and after pictures.
Farmhouse Wood Shelves: Tutorial
Guest bathroom before:

Guest bathroom after:
White cottage farmhouse tour of an entire house with tons of before and after pictures.

Powder bath before:

Powder bath after:
White cottage farmhouse tour of an entire house with tons of before and after pictures.
Painted wall: Tutorial

Guest room before ( a few years into blogging. This actually used to be a craft storage room full of crap :) )

Now nursery:
White cottage farmhouse tour of an entire house with tons of before and after pictures.
Full Nursery Tour: Here
Guest bedroom before:

Guest bedroom, now little girls room after:
White cottage farmhouse tour of an entire house with tons of before and after pictures.
Full Tour: Here

And I never like to share my kitchen, but it is what it is. A peach bomb. The cabinets match the floors which used to match the walls. I did paint the walls white, so that helped. Now, until I can get through the husband red tape to paint these cabinets, this is how it still looks :/
Before:
Still:
White cottage farmhouse tour of an entire house with tons of before and after pictures.

I have plans for this island though, just need to find time to do it! Plus, I'll be adding some backsplash, so hopefully that will make a little different in here :)

Hope you enjoyed the tour! If you want to view more pictures of each room, just click on my "Home Tour" link in the menu :)


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6 comments

  1. What a beautiful job you did turning a builder grade home into a stunning showcase! It takes a lot of guts to paint wooden kitchen cabinets. I know because that is what I did and after it was finished my husband loved it. Ours were a faux cherry.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Lugene! I know it takes a lot of guts, that's why I haven't painted ours yet! I don't have enough guts to do it :) lol I really wished they weren't real wood and it would make the decision a lot easier

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  2. wow 8 years is a long time congratulations, and you must be proud of the changes in your home it doesn't even look like the same house, it is beautiful xx

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  3. Amazing how our tastes change over the years isn't it? I think we all had the burgundy, golds and greens and other dark colours back then, but much prefer the whites, neutral and greys you have now. you have made your whole home look beautiful and I look forward to seeing what transformations you do in the future. x

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happy DIYing! Alicia