NewlyWoodwards

an unconventional home

Installing a subway tile backsplash

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In the fantasyland inside my head, elves come into my house while I’m getting my much-needed beauty sleep and finish all the projects I dream of. It’s like my own version of The Elves and the Shoemaker. Only I’m not a shoemaker and the elves need to be skilled carpenters.

When I wake up in the morning, my hair looks perfect and my projects are fully completed and cleaned up.

I’m not sure what’s less likely to happen – waking up with perfect hair or having a fully completely project overnight.

(Psst: Probably the hair.)

All of this build-up is to explain that projects in real life can take time, money and lots of begging. (It can’t just be me who has to beg.)

Adding a tub to a tiny bathroom

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Sometimes, home projects escalate quickly.

That’s exactly what happened recently in one of our rental properties. We started with a bathroom that needed a little help.

A past owner had made some questionable renovation decisions and we had been band-aiding them for the past five years. We knew we wanted to make some bathroom changes to make it function better for renters and prevent us from having to constantly make repairs.

An updated color on the kitchen island

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It’s been almost two years since we finished installing and painting our kitchen cabinets. When I first painted them, I considered choosing a different color for the island. 

But I didn’t want to do something I’d regret and I wanted the room to feel cohesive. Plus, everyone recommended sticking with white since we had the wood panels and countertop on the island already. 

But it was time for a little change. The island gets a TON of use and the drawers starting to look worn in spots – especially around the slide-out garbage can. I thought a darker color would mask some of that wear over time. And since I had to do some touch ups anyhow, I figured now was as good of a time as any.

Ideas for a multipurpose room

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With the holidays on the horizon, finishing the multipurpose room in the basement has been at the top of our priority list. It will be a great space for our family – and another spot I get to decorate. That means I’ve also been pulling together all my inspiration and ideas for a multipurpose room. […]

Installing wood flooring on walls

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Unfortunately, real life home projects don’t always progress like those you see on t.v. Or, at least, home projects at the Woodwards’ aren’t made for television. (Seriously – how do they finish projects so fast? Oh right. Paid professionals and lots of money.) So while we’ve been making slow and steady progress on the basement […]

Avoiding decision paralysis: How to decorate when you can’t visualize the final product

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It’s very easy to get stuck in home décor paralysis. When you begin designing a room, you’re given a blank slate. And that means there are tons of options. TONS OF OPTIONS AND YOU HAVE NO CLUE WHERE TO BEGIN. When you sign up to be part of our email tribe at NewlyWoodwards, I send out […]