Here’s a glimpse inside our home. We moved here in May 2018 and have been slowly tackling projects and rooms as we go.

Click here to tour the rental home that we lived in for 5 years before moving into our “forever home”.

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The details

  • Where: Just outside South Minneapolis, MN
  • Size: 1500 square feet
  • Rooms: 5 beds/2 baths; a 1940s Cap Cod style home, with a dormer roof addition

These numbers may not seem like much, but I am floored that we were able to find this house (yes, the bedrooms are small). We were shopping in early 2018, in the hottest housing market in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.  It was painful. Factor in the fact that most homes in our area are 1940s builds, with 3 beds/1 bath. I am tickled pink!

Now… the downside. This home was previously a rental property… Ugh. We are basically going to have to go room-by-room and replace all of the trim and finishes, re-paint, and eventually consider a kitchen/mudroom addition. No biggie!

A “Fixer Upper” Home Tour from The Crazy Craft Lady

I am NOT one to label my home decor style. I like what I like, and as long as I like all of it, it must go together… right?!?! But if I had to put a “label” on our style, it would probably be “cottage farmhouse.” I love light and neutral colors, natural wood tones, and a home that can be lived in. So, here is a down-and-dirty summary of our “Cottage Farmhouse Home Renovation Plan”.

Here are all of the rooms I’ve completed so far:

Painted Stairs

Paint Colors: Magnolia Green (by Joanna Gaines) / SW Pure White

Stairs before and after

Magnolia Green by Joanna Gaines Paint - DIY Painted Stairs

We ripped up the carpet, added a faux stair skirt and painted the stairs in “Magnolia Green”

Board and Batten Living Room

Paint Colors: SW Repose Gray / SW Pure White

board and batten entry

Updated the living room, entry, and back hall with Board and Batten.

This room makes the house. The light is incredible! And those hardwood floors run throughout the main level. Now, about that popcorn ceiling…

Before:

living room before

After:

board and batten living room

Projects pictured above: DIY Industrial Pipe Curtain Rods  /  DIY Farmhouse Sofa Table  /  DIY brown paper bag planter bags

entry before and after

Main Level Bathroom

You guys, this bathroom is about the size of a postage stamp. With a tiny budget and a tiny timeline, I gave this space a quick and easy makeover.

Before and After:

a budget bathroom makeover
$200 Bathroom Makeover

Painted Kitchen Update

Paint Colors: SW Patience (cabinets) / SW Pure White (shiplap back splash) / SW Snowbound (walls)

cottage style neutral kitchen

How I updated our kitchen for just $350.

cottage kitchen cream cabinets and pegrail with open shelf

P.S. I added NEW peel-and-stick floor tile. I think it really makes the room pop!

I also updated the counters with a concrete overlay:

Dining Room

cottage farmhouse dining room before and after

I added a shiplap chair rail to the dining room, as well as painted a mis-matched dining set to look custom. Also, it’s difficult to tell from the pictures above, but we widened that opening between the dining and kitchen on the right.

Kids Playroom

They won’t have a playroom forever, but for now (since they still share a bedroom) we have a dedicated play space – complete with a chalkboard wall.

Kids Playroom Artroom with giant navy blue chalkboard wall

Home Office

This room has been a complete mashup of garage sale and Ikea funds.

craft room tour from The Crazy Craft Lady

Oh, and don’t miss my update with peel-and-stick shiplap wallpaper:

Upstairs Hallway

We replaced all of the upstairs doors and trim. They just couldn’t be saved.

upstairs hall before and after

Paint colors: SW Snowbound and SW Repose Gray

We also added a hall bench and accent lighting:

New Master Bed

Neutral farmhouse style bedroom decor

Read all about the fiasco of not being able to fit a Queen box spring up our stirs, and how that led me to buy a new bed online.

So, there you have it: Our big, exciting to-do list!

Stay tuned!!