Lake House Before & After Projects: Year 2
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A Year of Home Improvement and DIY Decorating Projects
It has been two years since we moved to live on the shores of Lake Murray, South Carolina. When I look back it doesn’t seem possible.
This time a year ago, I posted about all the home improvement projects we took on the first year after we moved to start making the house feel more to our liking. Remember the staircase makeover, removing the wall between the kitchen and living room, and making over the brick fireplace to stone?
Today I thought I would look back to remember all that I did to the house this year, 2017.
The biggest was finishing up the kitchen makeover. Having this done gave the first floor a whole new vibe. It made a HUGE difference that was worth all the time and effort.
Read More: Finishing Up the Kitchen Makeover
The most amazing transformation took place when I painted the brown Formica counters in the kitchen to look like Carrara Marble. They came out fabulous. I used a special paint kit and would do it again as the paint finish has held up wonderfully. If you dislike your counters and don’t have a budget for new ones, I highly recommend painting them.
Read More: Painting Kitchen Counter to Look Like Carrara Marble
The other major change we made was in the two-story foyer. We added a hidden closet under the staircase. A few readers named it The Harry Potter closet. :-) I store my cleaning supplies in the closet and a few seasonal items.
Read More: Adding a Door Under the Foyer Staircase
We finally took on giving the “hallway of darkness” a brighter feel by adding new flooring, lighting, doorknobs and white bead board on the lower section of the walls. I used a faux painting treatment to make the walls above the bead board look like grasscloth wallpaper. I also added a fake transom over the exterior door.
Read More: The Hallway of Darkness Makeover How I added a Fake Transom over the Door
In the“hallway of darkness” there are 5 doors in the narrow hallway. To make the space have some character, I made and placed a sign on each door telling what the contents are in each. I am even making another sign to put on the new pantry. I will be posting that next week. So stay tuned.
Read More: Making Faux French Enameled Signs for Doors
I have been tweaking my studioffice to make it better for the way I work since the day we moved into the house. I finally added another work station so I now have a desk, a work-station for sewing and paper work and also my worktable where I can make a mess…
Read More: Studioffice Makeover
…like when I painted this plain vase using craft paint.
Read More: Painted Glass Vase
My laundry area used to be brown and dingy. Now I don’t mind doing laundry at all. Seeing the maps all over the walls makes me smile every time I open the doors.
Read More: Laundry Room Makeover
I love when a breeze blows though the house when the weather is nice. I couldn’t have a swing-out screen door to our garage because the garage door track is in the way. Installing a retractable screen door took care of that problem.
Read More: Screen Door
Back in the spring I took on the Color Lovers Challenge with a group of other decorating bloggers. This guest room got a makeover that included lots of color pops to make it cheery and inviting when family and friends come to stay with us.
Read More: Make over of Guest Room
I also took on making over the guest bathroom for the Color Lovers Challenge.
Read More: Guest Bathroom Makeover
Someday I want to replace these doors, but for now, painting them using a faux woodgrain finish made me happy. I like the finish so much that in the spring I may even do the same paint treatment on my garage door.
Read More: Painted Faux Woodgrain on my Front Doors
My dining area needed a pop of color so I added blue and white chair cushions that I made from scratch. Instead of making ties to tie them onto the chairs, I made them sticky so they would stick to the seats, no ties needed.
Read More: Chair Cushions
I have always like the rattan ottomans in my living room. I have had them for a long time. To give them a new look I made fun and flirty new covers with large pom-pom trim.
Read More: Pom Pom Trimmed Ottoman Covers
Adding shutters to the lake side of the house was the post that received the most comments I gave ever received on my blog in one day. They really do make the house look much better.
Read More: House Exterior Mini-Makeover
Now that 2017 will be history in a few days, I am ready to start 2018 with new creative ideas and DIY projects.
The first being how I gave my small pantry closet a makeover.
I will be posting it next week. Stayed tuned.
Hope you are enjoying the holiday week.
Wishing you a Happy New Year!
I’m new to your blog in this year, and I loved this recap to see things I missed. I love the signs on the hallway doors and I like the maps in the laundry room!
The shutters on the outside look great as well. Sometimes its the little things, isn’t it, that make a house a home!
Beautiful and great tips and information Have a blessed New Year
I have so enjoyed your make overs. The lake house is gorgeous. I really like and trust your product recommendations – as you know TV ads make some things look like a snap when they are not. Your step by step tutorials are very helpful and give great encouragement to DIY newbies. Happy New Year Diane!
You have been busy, and with great results. I have a question, I have same layout for kitchen and I was wondering why you took off the cabinet doors to right of sink, instead of the ones over the left side. I was thinking of taking front and back off of cabinet to see thru to hallway, but didn’t know if you have thought of this and decide for some reason not to do it. I wanted to ask before I began such a project. My hall just seems cut off from the kitchen and didn’t know if it would work.
What a good year at the lake house, Diane. I loved all of these projects! I especially loved the kitchen makeover and hope to try the countertop painting myself later in 2018. Thanks so much for sharing all your great DIY expertise with us. Happy New Year!