The Good, The Bad and Would We Do It Again?

I get frequent emails, comments and facebook messages about certain purchases we've made, or how things are holding up that we've DIY'd. Sometimes these things we bring in our home, we talk about once and then live with forever and you only ever see it again popping up in photos--so, I get it. You want to know if we still like it after the honeymoon phase. Here are some updates about 7 specific items you've asked about with photos snapped just yesterday in their natural (aka untouched and unretouched) state.

1. Crate & Barrel Baxter Indigo Rug (10x14)

the good: We are so happy we upgraded our jute rug to this spacious, cush one. The color is beautiful and adds a big punch to our great room. There's lots of room for the girls to play, too. It's so soft and pretty much all of our guests comment on it and/or bend down to touch it.

the bad: I have to vacuum it every day (see below).  Which, honestly, I don't really mind. Charly sheds a ton and she loves this rug as much as we do, so we knew that when we got the darker rug, we'd be doing a lot of vacuuming. Fortunately, it vacuums up beautifully.

would we do it again: Absolutely yes!

2. Nordic Brown Wood Tile Floors 

the good: Every time Charly comes barreling through the house, sliding to a halt when Chris walks through the front door I am so grateful we went with these floors. They are so durable! I love not having to worry about them getting wet, scratched or damaged.

the bad: Besides the grout color (which I'm still working on), walking on them all day in bare feet can be tiresome on my ankles. Slipping on a pair of house shoes helps.

would we do it again: Do we still have a 150lb dog and small children?  Haha--then yes!! These are truly the best floors for our family right now. In 10-15 years, that might change.

3. Our Painted Cabinets

the good: Painting outdated wood cabinets is always a good idea. It brightened up our kitchen and we got the tuxedo look out of our systems so we can move on to a darker color when we get new cabinets. (I wrote a whole post about that here).

the bad: While we were painting our cabinets (aka getting a closer look at them) we noticed they were in bad shape. Some aspects are more noticeable painted. Where the cabinets don't fit together well anymore, there's chaffing. (Chaffing in cabinets? It's a thing!) And the paint has rubbed off the sides.

would we do it again: Oh yeah. Even with some chaffing, our cabinets look so much better now. It's definitely going to tide us over until we get new cabinets.

4. Backless Barstools from Wayfair

the good: No doubt, these look good. The white wood and industrial legs combination is right up our alley. Also, the seats are nice and wide and have wiped up very easily.

the bad: They are pretty lightweight and have tipped a few times which is not good for this mama's heart. Also, I don't like how they only have a footrest in the front.

would we do it again: No. I could get past the absence of a footrest if they were a little more bottom-heavy. I'd really like something more sturdy when we renovate the kitchen.

5. Crate & Barrel Lounge Sofa

the good: This couch is the comfiest! It has worn well with barely any sagging in the cushions. We've cleaned it with just a damp rag and it looks new again. Very happy with this purchase.

the bad: Because it is very deep (the reason we bought it), it can be uncomfortable for some people. We usually stuff at least three pillows behind our moms' backs when they are over chatting. It truly is for lounging and we plan to move it downstairs to our media room as soon as we get some chairs for the living room that are better for conversing.

would we do it again: In a heartbeat!

6. DIY'd fluffy footstool

the good: This thing cost almost nothing to make and it has held up wonderfully. I use it multiple times a day to prop my feet up but it has also served as extra seating for Greta and Chris and a step stool for Greta.

the bad: Sometimes my feet have to give it up? Haha.

would we do it again: Sure. I like the soft texture it adds to the nursery and it is comfortable. No regrets.

7. DIY Faux Soapstone Countertop

the good: It was cheap to make and has held up really well. Like, surprisingly well. The paste wax we used to seal the surface has done a good job protecting it and there aren't any scratches or dent to report. None! We're surprised and thrilled about that.

the bad: As a few of you pointed out, it doesn't really look like soapstone. Haha. In some lighting you can see the plywood grain underneath, as well.

would we do it again: Sure! It was a fun experiment that has been a great interim countertop until we renovate the kitchen. If we did it again, I might use an mdf or something with less visible grain.

Hope this provides you all with some answers. If you have additional questions about these or other things we've added to our home, feel free to ask below!