2021 in Review on The 256 Project
This time of year catches me by surprise every year, but the surprise is real. How is it already the end of 2021, the time to reflect on the year that was?! This opportunity for the year in review shows the changes we made at home that have positively changed the way we live in it and how we feel about our home.
The One Project That Had the Most Functional Impact
I bet you aren’t going to expect me to say this but the one project we did this year that I think provided the most functional impact was organizing and cleaning out our garage to turn a portion of it into a safe and clean play space for Gus and friends. Not only did it provide extra space for toys and playing but it also was then an easy place to set up as a makeshift dining room and kitchen when we did the kitchen renovation. More on how we cleaned up and organized the garage is here and here is how we created the garage play space.
Speaking of kids’ spaces, we turned one of the living rooms into a flex playroom/living room, which you can see here. And already this room has changed again thanks to the biggest project we did…
The Renovations This Year
Coming in just under $60,000 and taking almost seven months from when we started planning it and talking to contractors to when it was completely finished, renovating the kitchen at The Cozy Cottage was clearly the biggest project we did this year and also ever. If you aren’t caught up on the kitchen renovation, here is where I break down the final costs and sources, here is where I share the materials and finishes we planned to use in the project, this is where I show the initial renderings, and here is where I introduce the project and our process for getting started.
And while the kitchen renovation was going on, we also asked the construction guys to replace our front door. It has become a little amusing seeing postal and delivery workers through the new front door and waving at them as they’re dropping off mail, packages and food to acknowledge that we received it. The new front door certainly has changed how we interact with others now!
Talking to Experts
As always, I loved talking to experts in the DIY and home and design spaces this year. ICYMI, check out my interviews with designers and organizers sharing their tips on how to get started on a project, interior stylist and DIYer Kate Pearce on how she and her husband turned a part of their basement into a speakeasy, and interior designer Danielle Montgomery on how she transformed her outdoor space and more.
DIY Projects
I started off the year strong with a couple of DIY projects before turning my attention to the bigger renovation that would come to dominate the year. The first project was replacing one DIY stair runner with a new one (see here) and the second was DIYing a headboard for the main bedroom (first photo).
Even though I’m so surprised that it’s already mid-December, I’ve enjoyed this opportunity to look back and see how much we were able to do in our home to make it better work for us. Anything you’re particularly proud of in your own home life this year?
