Home renovation has been a dream of mine for over a decade. When my husband and I were finally in a position to buy our first home earlier this year, we were thrilled to find a house that had enough things to do to make it ours.

In the ten months since we bought it, we have already undertaken so many projects, from painting to wallpapering to replacing the floors and lighting.

Here are six of the best home renovations we’ve done this year.

Purchase of new kitchen appliances

If there’s one thing I’ve absolutely hated about renting apartments in the past, it’s using old, run-down refrigerators and ovens that have seen who-knows-how-many tenants use them before me. They never feel clean, and that’s one aspect of renting that always makes me feel like the space isn’t completely mine.

When we moved in, we thought we’d see how long we could live with the old white refrigerator that came with the house, but after a while the lack of space started to push both my husband and I up against the wall. After we replaced it, the old white dishwasher died, so we ended up having to replace it too – and the new appliances in the kitchen were a game changer.

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Installation of new floors

The faux wood laminate in our new home has seen better days. with chips and warping everywhere and it wasn’t the color we would have chosen either. So, before we even moved into the house, my husband tore out the floors in the living room and dining room, replacing them with beautiful hickory hardwood that completely transformed the space.

We had to wait a few months to replace the same laminate on the stairs and upstairs hallway, but now that we’ve finally said goodbye to the last of that laminate, the whole house feels more cohesive and comfortable, and much more ours.

Bathroom vanity update

I describe the bathroom in our house as “sad beige”. While you can tell it’s at least been renovated since the house was built, it’s clearly been renovated without any style in mind: the floors and shower are beige tiles from about 20 years ago, and the toilet was white with a brown laminate that was clearly the cheapest option available. .

And don’t get me started on the mirror and lighting.

Unfortunately, I don’t have the budget for a complete bathroom remodel right now, so I did what I could. I initially painted the walls a crisp white (goodbye sad beige), replaced the mirror and recessed lights with stylish brushed brass options, and painted the sink green.

Then, about a month ago, we replaced the countertop with faux marble laminate and installed a more modern sink and faucet alongside it.

While I still have to live with the beige tiles, the rest of the bathroom is so much brighter and more modern that I’m starting to forget it’s even there.

Replacement of lighting fixtures

Along with the floors, before moving in, we also replaced all the ceiling lighting in the house. The existing ones completely lacked any personality. Instead of the oddly placed matte black ceiling fan in the dining room, we opted for a sputnik chandelier made of brushed brass.

In the corridors and the entrance, we replaced the building lights with stylized built-in elements. And in the bedrooms, we’ve replaced the alarmingly low ceiling fans with a rattan option – the material and accent lights distract from the fact that they’re still fans.

Transformation of the yard

To say that the yard of our house was muddy when we moved in would be an understatement. Apart from the tall grass that completely occupied one side of the yard, there was not a blade of beautiful grass to be seen.

We started by building a shed in one corner of the outdoor space, then replaced the waist-high fence on one side with a wooden fence that matched the other two sides. My husband built a gate (the previous one was leaning against the side of the house), so we finally had a nice fenced yard for our puppy.

Over the spring and summer we filled the yard with sod, garden beds, shrubs and trees, and now it looks like a completely different yard.

Adding wood paneling to the basement ceiling

When we bought our house, the basement was recently finished (a blessing for a 1930s house in our area)—except for the ceiling. The whole thing was left exposed and the beams and wiring added such an eyesore to the overall look of the space.

But since our vision for the basement was to turn it into a cozy karaoke/movie zone with a retro feel, having a blank slate on the ceiling to do our own thing was actually pretty exciting. We replaced the fluorescent tubes with recessed lighting, and my husband installed wood paneling instead of drywall — and we couldn’t be happier with the result.