How Do We Like it Now? Take 2


Over the past 4 years, weโ€™ve both documented just about everything that has happened within our homes. From DIY projects to new furniture purchasesโ€ฆyou guys have seen it all!

letterfolk-thanksgiving-hallwayBut what happens long after we publish that blog post? How do we really like living with those projects & purchases 24/7/365? Today, weโ€™re giving you updates on some of those popular posts and answering the question,ย โ€œHow do we like it now?โ€

Casey’s Nightstands (10 out of 10)nightstand-master-bedroom

I’m so happy to report that I still love our campaign style nightstands from Megmade. First let’s chat function. These nightstands are really large and hold so much. I keep all of my socks, underwear, pajamas, and workout clothes in these 2 nightstands with room to spare! Plus there is lots of surface area for items on top. I always have our lamps and frames up there, but then enjoy changing out the other accessories on a regular basis.ย nightstand-bedroom-master

Aesthetically I still love these pieces. The white and gold is a classic combo and they add a bit of glam to this space. I think these nightstands are definitely still my style and I’m excited to keep them for a long time!

Frames in B’s Hallway (9 out of 10)white_counterstools_kitchen

It took me almost a whole year to get these picture frames hung. I always knew I wanted these frames lining our hallway but I didn’t hang them as quickly as I wanted because I wasn’t sure what pictures to put in them. Pages from a book? Family photos? Seasonal photos? I just couldn’t decide but eventually filled them with photos from our travels as a temporary solution that turned permanent because I LOVE them so much.

I thought about adding even more frames because it’s such a great daily reminder of our travels, but I recently found out that Michaels no longer carries this exact style frame! That’s the only reason why I gave this project a 9 out of 10.

Lesson learned: Buy extra frames next time just in case one breaks or you want to add to your collection.ย Bridget Frames Hallway Board and Batten

Sidenote: I have Christmas photos under these travel pics that I display for the holidays and really love the subtle change (and extra cheer) around the holiday season!

Casey’s Dining Table & Chairs (10 out of 10)

built-in-dining-room

Another 10 out of 10 for me with our dining room setup! I’m still so happy with our dining room table and chairs purchase for our condo. Because we lived without a table and chairs for so long, I was determined to really make a thoughtful purchase with these. I’m happy to report that we are still obsessed.dining-room-stools-6

The marble tabletop is gorgeous and has held up perfectly. No stains or marks to be found (thanks to sealing it immediately!). I also use the marble as a background fairly often for blog photos, so it gets extra credit for convenience!ย dining-room-augusta

We still adore the dining chairs too. The white ones are surprisingly comfortable and still look pristine. Such great chairs for the price. And the gray ones are the most coveted seats in the house…seriously so cushy on the booty. All in all, glowing reviews for our entire dining room setup!

B’s Kitchen Faucet (7 out of 10)ย Zillow Faucet Gif

I installed a touch-sensor kitchen faucet almost a year ago and really like it. This faucet was my first experience with touch-sensor technology so it definitely took some getting used to. Now I love using this faucet, but it is very confusing when we have people over and they’re trying to help in the kitchen. It’s not impossible but there’s definitely a learning curve.

If you do a lot of cooking and baking and have ingredients on your hands from all of your hard work, then you would probably LOVE this sink. But since I don’t do a lot of either of those things, I don’t appreciate the touch-sensor abilities nearly as much as I should… and I think that’s why I give it a 7 out of 10 instead of a 10 out of 10. If my next house had a touch-sensor faucet, I’d be excited about it, but I don’t know if I would go out of my way to install one.

Casey’s Letterfolk Sign (9 out of 10)letterfolk-signs-2

My Letterfolk sign gets 1 point off, but it’s not because of the product. The board itself is fantastic…such great quality and such a fun addition to our household. But I do have to dock 1 point because I don’t change-up the quotes on there as often as I thought I would. Coming up with a new quote and then physically changing it can sometimes seem like a lot of work for me, so it will often have the same quote on there for about 2 weeks.ย letterfolk-welcome-2017

But I still highly recommend this piece of decor and think that it would be a great addition to any household!

B’s Bedroom Headboard (6 out of 10)bedroom-navyheadboard-roundmirror-pillows

Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE my headboard right now. I also really love our bedroom. Spending time in there drinking coffee in bed while watching the TODAY show (or Sunday morning on CBS) is by far one of my favorite parts of any weekend.

However, I’m going to give our headboard a 6 out of 10 NOT because it’s a faulty product, but because it has taught me that dark-colored furniture is not my forever style. For the actual piece of furniture, it deserves a very high score because the velvet navy is so soft and is holding up really well. BUT if I have to do it all over again I would probably stick to aย more neutral headboard that would be more versatile for the long haul. I love the color navy butย I’ve come to the conclusion that I love any room more when the large pieces of furniture are neutral and the accents are bolder (like the navy). <— am I so boring for admitting that!?ย 

Casey’s Nest Thermostat (8 out of 10)2-nest-thermostat-heating-cooling

I’m still so happy that we installed a Nest thermostat in our home and I do believe it’s helped us save money and energy over the last year. Our old thermostat was pretty ancient, and this one is so high-tech. ย But I do have to take off points because I don’t utilize this device to its full potential. You can fully schedule out each and every day and change the thermostat based on your work days. However, we just have a pretty generic schedule set up.

I do love that you can access the thermostat from your phone, and I will often check to see the temp at home when I’m away, or to warm up our house before I get home! Sometimes when I’m in bed and it’s cold I’ll heat it up a few degrees before it’s time to hop in the shower. So there are some great features that I utilize, but as someone who isn’t super “techy” I can’t say that I use our Nest thermostat to its full potential.

B’s Bedroom Bench (10 out of 10)Room-4

I’m stillย obsessed with my bedroom bench! It’s sturdy, it was affordable and the look is “so me”. This bench has taught me that I need to hold out on buying anything until I find items thatย I LOVEย and items that feel like they are “so me”.

Casey’s Hallway Board & Batten (10 out of 10)board-batten-entryway-1

I would give this project an 11 out of 10 if I could…that’s how much I love it! But how could I not? This was a blank wall before, and with some time & DIY muscle it is now a functional space! The board & batten adds so much interest to this otherwise boring space. We use the black hooks daily and I now always have a spot for my umbrella, purse, and pretty scarves. One of my favorite DIY projects that we’ve tackled in our home. ย If you’re considering doing this project, consider this your push to make it happen!

B’s Bathroom Shiplap + Dark Paint Combo (9 out of 10)bathroom-round-mirror

Casey inspired me to try a darker paint color in my bathroom, especially after she tackled her dark navy guest room. I LOVED the look of her bold guest room, but I was still nervous to try such aย bold paint color in my own home. So instead of painting the entire bathroom dark, I added bright white shiplap next to the dark paint as a compromise… and I’m so glad that I did.

I love, love, love the shiplap paired with the darker paintย (Behr’s Creek Bend) and feel like I’d be open to try dark paint again (probably not until the next house though). And spoiler alert: I love the shiplap so much (and love how easy it was!) that I have another shiplap project on my agenda soon. #makingchipandjoproud

bridget-home-tour-wide-shots-family-room-kitchen-dining-4Itโ€™s kinda fun to look back at all of the DIYโ€™s and big purchases we made in our homes. Itโ€™s crazy how we put so much time and energy into something, and then once itโ€™s done we really donโ€™t think about it that often.

We really enjoyed taking a look back at some of the decisions weโ€™ve made over the last few years in each of our spaces. If anything, this review will help guide our future design decisions and hopefully allow you guys to learn from our mistakes!

casey-master-bedroomTo read how we like even more products and projects in our homes (like B’s painted front door or her board and batten projects OR Casey’s black-out shades and built-ins) be sure to check out this How Do We Like it Now post.

Bridget&Casey


The Year of Casey

Hey there!

Iโ€™m Casey Finn, the voice behind The DIY Playbook. I’m a Chicago gal teaching you how to design, DIY, and maintain your home…by yourself! Learn more about me right here.