The Top 12 Things *You* Loved The Most In 2021

After 12 months of home renovations, furniture flips, walks by the lake, talks on our porch, long work days, and a few trips to our favorite places…I find myself at that time of year where I look back on the year and reflect on what worked and what didn’t. What I’m so grateful for and what I hope to do next year. For us enneagram 3’s with anxiety, this is a dangerous place to be. 🙂

What I find most fascinating is seeing what resonated most with you! Sometimes a long extended home renovation project with a massive reveal at the end gets you the most excited about design. Other times a quick weekend flip that feels attainable is far more inspiring than a tour of the world’s greatest homes. Sometimes it’s design tips, or hacks, or products that you’re loving. It’s different every year and you guys keep me on my toes.

So, with that being said…these are the top 12 things *you guys* loved the most this year –

I made this guide a year or 2 ago but Google notified me that it’s resurfacing on the internet. There must have been a lot of paint projects happening this year. Sometimes straight forward design advice is nice and my paint sheen guide aims at doing exactly that. From the sheens I recommend for your trim, doors, and cabinets to WHY it’s important to use the right sheen on the right thing. It’s all laid out in this post.

For a minute there I got really passionate about redefining the word “trendy” and you guys seemed to agree! I even made a chart explaining Trends vs. Fads vs. Timeless design elements! (Where are all my Type A personalities at!?) Then I decided to take it a step further and break down a few popular styles into “Trendy” “Fad” or “Timeless” categories with the intention of clarifying how we can all identify styles that arise in the future. But most importantly, I wanted you all to know that creating a home YOU love is more important than doing what other people say you should or shouldn’t do.

Last Christmas I did a whole blog post highlighting one of my favorite local candle companies and this year one of the photos from that post is going viral on Pinterest! Perhaps it’s the best smelling candle I’ve ever owned, the thrifted sketch art, or the Juniper stems that are drawing attention. Regardless….it’s fun to look back on last years Christmas decor.

When it comes to the most requested links of 2021, our custom roman shades made the top of the list! I shared a glimpse of our dark woven shades in my stories earlier this year, and that was the moment I noticed *you guys* shifting your interest from light colored/natural woven shades (which have been the more popular choice over the years) to dark woven shades like we have.

By the way, there is no right or wrong choice, but it did further confirm that rustic design (and dark woods) are on the rise!

Over the Summer I did a quick porch refresh with cement paint and all new seating/decor. It was a gentle reminder that you don’t have to spend a fortune to have a beautiful space. And with that reveal came an abundance of love for our budget friendly outdoor rockers – the $140 set that’s more comfortable that our $500 chairs. Shhhh I won’t tell if you don’t.

EVERY time we take on a large paint project we use this sprayer, and EVERY time I’m asked for the link. We’ve used it to paint our exterior, bedroom walls & ceiling, a closet door, furniture, and I’m sure I’m forgetting more. I just can’t seem to go back to my brush and roller after using this sprayer. It’s a time saver worth every penny.

I shared a photo of our exterior peeking into our living room on Instagram and was so encouraged by your love for our home! You laughed with me at my desperate attempt to photoshop our dead plant to look a little more lively. But beyond that, we started a conversation about whether or not the exterior of your home should blend with the interior style of your home in the comment section and it was fascinating to hear your thoughts. I gathered my own thoughts and shared them in a blog post if you’re curious where my head’s at.

A couple months ago I tackled this quick (and relatively easy) DIY and you guys were so kind when I revealed the finished look. But when I shared a tutorial video on Instagram….*that’s* when it blew up because the video was saved nearly as many times as it was liked which is unheard of for me! What I loved to hear most was that this looks like a DIY project you could actually do, and you can! So, click here if you want to see the video that so many saved. OR if you prefer the reader friendly version, I shared all the info for my DIY antique mirror in this blog post.

I love style quizzes! I love to see which styles are represented. I love to see how the quiz creator defines and differentiates interior styles. And even though I know what my design style is, I love to see if the quiz says the same!

My original interior design quiz was over 4 years old and styles have shifted so much in that time so I gave my quiz a complete polish from head to toe. My updated style quiz helps you define your style…or styles I should say because no one likes just one style, most of us like a beautiful blend of 2-3. It’ll give your unique style preferences a name and an explanation of what defines your taste. And from what I’ve been told, it’s pretty spot on. Are you intrigued?

I rarely get DM’s about the clothes I’m wearing. Probably says something about my wardrobe choices! But I swear the minute I wore my Mango sweaters on Stories, my DM’s started filling up with, “where’d you get your sweater from!?” I’m flattered really….2 out of 50 articles of clothing I have intrigue you! (Insert a sarcastic wink here)

Who remembers The Great Paint Debacle of July 2021?? (Catch up here if you don’t know.) Who am I kidding, every project I do has a paint color problem. But picking a paint color for our bedroom was especially difficult between finding colors that neutralized the green cast from outside to finally finding a color we loved only to realize the paint store suddenly couldn’t replicate it.

We ended up making our own custom color and Chris and I were just talking the other night about how much we love it. It’s the perfect putty white for our bedroom…not too yellow…not too gray. Because it’s a custom mix, it doesn’t have a name but I’ve been referring people to this post where I shared the color code. (Just bring that code to Home Depot and they can mix it up for you!)

Speaking of our bedroom, last week I FINALLY wrapped up my 6 month long facebook marketplace dresser flip that had me confuffled. That dresser and I went on an emotional rollercoaster from feeling like it had all the potential, to hating how stubborn it was being with stain, to abandoning it unfinished, to painting it black as a last ditch effort, to LOVING the final look. (Watch the transformation here) It was quite literally a labor of love and I couldn’t be more happy with how it turned out. And based off your response, I think I need to incorporate even more Facebook Marketplace flips into my regularly scheduled programing. 🙂

On a personal note, I am so grateful to YOU for hanging out with me this year and every year. For laughing with me during my flops, for celebrating with me during a win, for inspiring me, and for learning with me as we dive into the world of interior design every week.