It’s the last friday of the year and that makes it a really big FRIYAY! I thought it would be fun to jump on the top-post-bandwagon and share all of my top posts from the last year. 2016 was a CRAZY year in more ways than one and for the blog, it was a GIANT. We tackled more DIY projects in the past 12 months than any year before…and we got to share so many here on Bower Power! And it inspires me to share so much more in the coming days.
If you are looking for some home improvement inspiration for 2017 – you have come to the right place! According to analytics, these are the top 12 home-related posts for Bower Power in no particular order. May you all have a safe and fun New Year and a wonderful 2017!
Our upstairs sitting room got an amazing makeover just in time for Christmas and we have enjoyed it SO much. Literally it is my little haven away from the kids. Check out this post to see the befores, instructions on the shelving, and how I laid the stacked stone tile to transform this space into a comfortable and perfect tv space.
Every blogger knows that what you see online is not necessarily what is real life. It’s rarely that perfect and if it is…it’s short-lived and the mess is stashed in the closet 🙂 Join in the fun on this messy house tour as I share photos of our house in real life. It’s not picture perfect, it’s not pin-worthy, but it reminds us that living life in your home is more than pretty photos..it’s about counting your blessings.
Our basement is a space that we have used for many things – my sister’s wedding, baby showers, housing friends, putting up friends and it’s a pretty epic ping-pong space 🙂 Check out this basement tour – it’s over 1500 square feet of space so it’s like another house down there!
Our garage gym was one of Jeremy’s favorite transformations of 2016. He loves CrossFit and being able to work out in our own garage is very convenient with four little ones! I like that the rack folds away and we can use the bench as a spot for the kids to put shoes on. And the fact that the storage units hide all our junk!
This was a huge shock to see that our garage door opener was such a hit! But honestly – it really is one of my favorite features in our garage/gym/workshop. It has some amazing modules that I couldn’t live without now….the extension cord, the bluetooth speakers, and especially the fan! You can see how we installed this ourselves!
Our garage makeover is amazing. I don’t say that in a braggy way….just in a humbling-I-get-to-work-in-there and I’m so honored kinda way. It truly is my dream workshop. And the response to the floor has been mind-blowing! This shiny floor coating is the number one thing I get compliments on. Our neighbors called us to tell us how much they love the whole space. Our family literally stroked the floor. It’s an amazing showroom finish and I can’t wait to see it in all your garages in the future.
I turned a thrift store cabinet into an amazing faux card catalog and it’s never leaving my grubby little hands 🙂 It’s one of my favorite up cycles to date and it is capable for anyone to tackle! Check out the befores and the easy process in this post.
Our basement kitchen got the full monty and we revealed it in the beginning of 2016! Before this space was a completely empty room and we had installed cabinets, tile flooring, and open shelving in this amazing space. Our friends were able to use this space when they stayed with us in 2015 and in the beginning of 2016 we revealed it to the world! Come check out all the details.
This past year we visited Magnolia and it was so fun! A friend just told me she is visiting this coming year and I can’t wait to hear how much it’s changed. In our post, we shared boatloads of photos, recapped some of our favorite features and talked about things that surprised us about our visit in this home-decors Disney World. Fixer Upper is a great show and they prove with this establishment that they are more than just a HGTV hit, the Gaines are now a household name and a city-changer.
If you are looking for an alternative backsplash that is affordable and super easy to install – consider using laminate flooring! We installed this backsplash for CHEAP and it was super easy and fast. Plus, it is durable….and if you like the look of pallet wood, this is the cousin but with wipe ability. It’s a win-win-win-win! Check out the DIY!
Our concrete countertops were shared in 2016 and we still think that they are an amazing cost-effective alternative to traditional countertops. We shared the DO NOTS and the DOs and you can see the final result in our post. If you like the industrial vibe, cottage look or simple material of concrete – this DIY is something that requires minimal tools and has fantastic results!
And make sure you come back in 2017 – we have the reveal coming for the Pedraza Project and a new bathroom update that you guys are gonna LOVE. I also can’t wait to share the story about Max’s birth…I’ve been sitting on that post for a while…and I’m sorry it’s so late…but the pictures were trapped on a dead laptop! Now I can finally share them all 🙂 Love you guys! See ya in Twenty-Seventeen!
Love this roundup Katie! Happy New Year to your super sweet, cute family. I can’t wait to continue following along next year. Thanks for always being real, inspiring and innovative
Lots of fun posts this year! Wondering if you’ll be sharing a final reveal of the Pedereza kitchen?
I really wanted to reveal in 2016 but it got pushed back…so now we are aiming for in the next ten days. I just have to go style it and take pictures!
xo – kb
Katie,
I am going to follow this one closely. Kitchen remodeling is a key project for us this year and love the idea of the concrete counter top; wish I was more DIY oriented 🙂 Did you ever consider quartz for it?
Quartz is really expensive per square foot…so no. I do want it in my upstairs kitchen but for this particular area, we were going with more affordable DIY options.
xo – kb