2016 Rewind: Best of Our Modern Farmhouse Renovations

While the focus earlier this week was to set goals and look forward to 2017, I want to throw it back to last year! 2016 for us can be summed up into two words – home renovations. We worked so hard to turn our 90s fixer upper into the modern farmhouse of our dreams. So far, it has paid off! Our downstairs received a total makeover, with the exception of the laundry room. I’d say that’s pretty good for one year’s time. Let’s dive into this 2016 rewind: best of our modern farmhouse renovations.

I had a lot of fun compiling this post because I forgot about some of the projects that we completed earlier in the year! There are before photos included in each individual post that I linked below, but you can get a full (before) home tour here.

Our first project of the year was to convert our front coat closet into a mudroom. I showed Ryan a few photos, and he designed this all on his own! We turned an eyesore into something beautiful and functional, which always is what I strive for. We use this space more times in a day than I can count!

Closet Mudroom Reveal

Next up was to finally reveal our new family room space. This project took what seemed like forever at the time, but it was worth the wait! We spend 90% of our time in this room, so we wanted to take our time. Although, I have to laugh – I already have plans to replace the chairs in there, and I’ve switched the decor on the built-ins one too many times. Maybe I’ll have to do an updated post soon!

Family Room Reveal

When we returned from vacation at the end of February, we decided that it was time to dive in and tackle the ultimate renovation – our kitchen! Can you believe that we started this process last March, and the final pieces were just delivered/installed the Tuesday after Thanksgiving? Whew, it was a long haul. But, again – worth it and rewarding at the end.

There were a lot of moving parts to this renovation. This was the first time we hired professionals to tackle a renovation – we definitely know our limits – so it also was a learning experience. It all started with our design plans, which remained pretty spot on throughout the project.

Kitchen Renovation | Before & Design Plans

Then it was time for (cue Chip Gaines) DEMO DAY! Bless Ryan and my dad for all their hard work. We saved a lot of money by taking on the demo ourselves. It took my dad and Ryan about a day and a half to get it all finished.

Kitchen Renovation | Demo Day!

Once installation day came and went, there was a bit of a waiting period since a lot of our cabinets arrived damaged. So, I shared our progress at seven weeks thinking that we almost were done. Ha! What a dreamer I am.

Kitchen Renovation | 7 Weeks In

Then, finally many weeks later … it was reveal day! I continue to fall in love with our new kitchen practically every time that I’m in there. Working in a space that you truly love makes all the difference. I find myself cooking more or just simply hanging out in the general area. It’s so fun to decorate the floating shelves for the different seasons and holidays, and I find myself inspired to keep changing up the decor and to add more farmhouse flair.

Modern Farmhouse Kitchen Reveal

After that, it seems like the rest of our projects went pretty quick. Our neutral farmhouse dining room came together in a breeze and is still one of my favorite rooms to-date. I kind of wish I could keep the fall decor on the table all year. I don’t want to toot my own horn or anything, but I thought it came out pretty well. 😉

Our Modern Farmhouse Dining Room & Neutral Thanksgiving Table

Ryan wrapped up our half bathroom renovation just in time to host family for Thanksgiving. I’m probably most proud of this space because we salvaged what we could to cut costs. A coat of paint and a handmade vanity top can make all the difference in a small space!

Budget-Friendly Modern Farmhouse Half Bathroom Renovation

And, last but very not least, we finally pulled together our informal sitting room. The design plans and furnishings for this room had me wracking my brain for months. I just couldn’t get it together! Finally, with the purchase of a couple tufted chairs (which I LOVE), my vision started to come together. We have a few more projects on deck for this space, so stay tuned for another update or two!

Our Neutral Christmas Sitting Room

That’s it! Kudos to you if you made it to the end of this 2016 rewind: best of our modern farmhouse renovations. I never thought that home renovations and decor would be something that I enjoy doing or sharing, but 2016 proved me wrong. Plus, I’m thrilled that I have all our progress documented so I can look back to see just how far we’ve come. If you ask me, the downstairs of our house looks like a new house!

We have a lot more planned and in store for our home in 2017, so I hope that you’ll stick around to share in our journey and progress!