Reader OMG! is a series showcasing home tours from my favorite people…The DIY Playbook readers! Every month or so, I highlight the home of someone with some serious design style. I hope that these swoon-worthy spaces will make you say “OMG”…hence the name! It also gives me a chance to feature home styles outside of my own, so you can take away some fresh ideas for your space.

So far we’ve featured these amazing homes in the series…

• Jan’s Feminine Condo
• Ryan & Sarah’s Contemporary Condo
• Kristin’s Eclectic City Condo
• Liz’s Mid-Century Modern Condo
• Brittany’s Family-Friendly Home
• Erica’s DIY Townhome
• Kerri’s Vancouver Home for Five
• Tracey’s Beach House
• Sarah’s Victorian Across the Pond
• Jon & Christina’s Modern Home
• Lauren & Kam’s Renovated Chicago Condo
• Vanessa’s DIY Cabin in the Woods
• Cindu’s Historic Chicago Home
• Britney’s Modern Farmhouse
• Jacob’s Budget Bachelor Pad
• Ranjini’s Modern Bohemian Home
• Alesha’s Farmhouse Condo
• Jody’s Moody Condo
• Lydia’s Historic Whimsical Home

Hey friends, it has been a while since I’ve brought you a Reader OMG! home tour. (Ya know…pandemic life!) But I’m happy to announce that I have a few lined up for the coming months. I love these features and they’re not going away any time soon. And now that everyone is home more than ever, it’s fun to gather new inspiration for your own house!

Dina’s DIY Farmhouse Style

• Homeowners: Dina & Shane (they have two adult sons)
  
• Location: Port Moody, BC, Canada
• Home Type: 4 bedrooms, 4.5 baths, 3,500 square feet
• Year Built: 2001, purchased in 2005.
• Describe your Home Style: My home is very warm, full of neutral, earthy colours and textures as well as lots of black and white.  My home is unique as a result of my DIY’s and thrifted treasures.  My home is comfortable and relaxed and I love to surround myself with things I love and cherished family pieces with a history and story to tell.
• Favorite Spot in your House: Honestly, my favourite spot in my home is constantly changing and probably depends on what project I’m working on!  My latest favourite spot is my living room. The colour palette is so soothing and calm and it is a great place to kick back and relax!

Last spring, I featured the gorgeous home of photographer Tracey Ayton. I was emailing with Tracey after having Rory (she was checking in on this new mama) and she mentioned that one of her Instagram followers, Dina, was a DIY fanatic with a stunning home full of her projects. I was immediately intrigued, so I hopped on Dina’s Instagram account and was blown away by her projects. I asked Tracey if she could photograph Dina’s home since they’re both based in Canada. Tracey said “Yes”; Dina said “Yes”; and the rest is history!

Dina’s story makes my heart so happy. She has lived in her home since 2005 as a stay-at-home mom with two boys. When her sons left for University, she was eager to reinvent herself and she threw herself into her passion for interior design and woodworking. Ever since, she has been transforming their home from builder-basic to custom, all on her own! Her boys even urged her to start an Instagram account to document all of her projects. (You can follow her here!) Dina proves that it’s never too late to pick up an interest in do-it-yourself projects and I’m here for it!

Entryway

Paint Color: Benjamin Moore, Edgecomb Gray (Walls), Benjamin Moore, Cloud White (Trim), Benjamin Moore, Metropolis (Door)

Is this not the cutest little spot? The little mudroom was a recent project that Dina completed and I watched the entire thing go down on her Instagram stories. This entryway originally had mirrored doors and she removed them to create this mini mudroom space. She built a floating bench, added shiplap, along with hooks and cute decor. What a great little spot for guests to sit and remove their shoes and hang their coat.

And notice that stunning console table? It’s an antique table that she thrifted for $60 and painted with charcoal chalk paint with a barnwood finish on the top. The vase was even thrifted and she painted it and added dark wax to patina it. This girl sure knows how to get the look for less!

Living Room

Paint Color: Benjamin Moore, Edgecomb Gray (Walls), Benjamin Moore, Cloud White (Fireplace)

The updates in Dina’s living room all started with the fireplace. She had a basic builder-grade mantel with a dark slate tile surround. She beefed up the mantel and wall above with trim to make it a stunning focal point. She also added a simple piece of wood on top of the mantel with a driftwood stain and painted the tile white. It’s now the showstopper in her family room.

As for the other DIYs in this space…Dina built the coffee table (inspired by a muuuuch pricier one at Restoration Hardware), the blanket ladder, and the cute wood beads. I’m telling ya, this mama is a woodworking master! The other furniture in the space is from The Hudson’s Bay, Urban Barn, or antique store finds.

Dining Room

Paint Color: Benjamin Moore, Edgecomb Gray (Walls), Benjamin Moore, Cloud White (Trim)

I love a good board and batten wall, so I was so pleased to see one in Dina’s dining room. This weekend project helped tie in the woodworking on her fireplace since the two rooms are attached. The dining room table and chairs are over 12 years old, but she gave them a new life for $25 with mineral paint. This room really showcases her DIY farmhouse style.

Kitchen

Paint Color: Benjamin Moore, Edgecomb Gray (Walls), Benjamin Moore, Cloud White (Trim)

Since I’m knee-deep in our own kitchen renovation, I can appreciate Dina’s gorgeous kitchen remodel that they completed eight years ago. They saved money by keeping the original slate floor as well as the layout. Everything else got an upgrade! I’m talking new quartz countertops, appliances, subway tile, and a larger island. Hubba, hubba.

While the kitchen renovation was hired out, Dina still did lots of DIY in this room. Her kitchen table is her absolute favorite thrift store find for only $80!! All she had to do was add a coat of varathane and it was good to go!! She also made the chalkboard out of an old window from her grandparent’s house that she salvaged before they tore it down. How freakin’ cool is that?!

Family Room

Paint Color: Benjamin Moore, Edgecomb Gray (Walls), Benjamin Moore, Cloud White (Trim), Benjamin Moore, Metropolis (behind TV area)

Dina says the family room is really the hub of their home where they cozy up as a family. I adore the built-ins that hold all of their books and other treasures. Dina actually made the large piece of art by painting over a thrifted canvas, adding glue and spackle for texture along with dark wax for dimension. It turned out amazing. The antique secretary desk was passed down from her parents and she refinished it to hold her vintage crock collection. It’s so special to incorporate family pieces and have them work for your own space and lifestyle!

Home Office

Paint Color: Benjamin Moore, Edgecomb Gray (Walls), Benjamin Moore, Cloud White (Trim)

It’s always fun to see home offices, since so many people are working from home these days! For this room, Dina added shiplap to make the space light and bright (you can see my tutorial for shiplap here). She uses the room for sewing and her projects, so she even created a little desk nook for that. It’s crazy how a few simple weekend projects can make a space look much more custom, while adding tons of character.

Main Bedroom

Paint Color: Benjamin Moore, Edgecomb Gray (Walls), Benjamin Moore, Cloud White (Trim)

Dina’s DIY career all started here with the board and batten wall. This was her first-ever woodworking project and she added all of the wood the old fashioned way…with a hammer and nails. (I can’t even imagine how long that took! I’m surprised she wanted to keep on going with the DIY projects after that one. Ha!) That wood wall kicked off the rest of the room. She painted the bed black, built the farmhouse style bench, and rebuilt the nightstands so they were the appropriate size for the bed. (They were too small before!) This is the room that started it all. Pretty amazing!

Shop the Look – Dina’s DIY Digs

It’s hard for me to link exact pieces in Dina’s home because so many are built by her (like the TV console in her basement!) or they are thrift store finds! But all of the below items are inspired by her gorgeous home so you can recreate the look in your own house. And I’m sure Dina will answer any specific source questions in the comments below.

Baskets // Windowpane Pillow // Farmhouse Style Wood Bench // Jute Rug // Wood Paddle Cutting Board // Plant // Black Dining Chair // Black Sconce // Black Console Table // Wood Bead Decor // Gold Planter Mister // Large Vase // Gray Pillow // Fresh Olive Branch Bunch

A big thank you to Dina for inviting us into her home and Tracey for the gorgeous photos. I love how this series shows us different homes all over the world. It makes us feel a little more connected despite the distance.

Submit Your Home for Reader OMG!

Want to see your home featured on The DIY Playbook? Send an email to [email protected] with the subject line “Reader OMG!”, including lots of photos of your gorgeous home. I’m starting to book homes for 2021, so please submit your space!

Casey