Happy almost New Year! As the year closes, I wanted to share a selection of favorite posts and highlights from 2014. It was a wonderful year full of projects, milestones and inspiration. I’m taking a short break to finish up holiday tasks and prepare for an exciting 2015 — including my annual Home Goals review and a fresh list of intentions. Stay tuned!
There are many plans for The Inspired Room in the year ahead. Some projects are already underway behind the scenes, and I’m eager to tackle new home projects, share helpful posts, announce a few fun things, and introduce ideas I think you’ll enjoy. I’m also thrilled (and a bit nervous!) that my books will be published soon. I’m so grateful for this community — you make this space feel like home — and I can’t wait to continue our conversations in the new year.
A few favorite posts from The Inspired Room in 2014:
1. Get To Know You: Home Sweet Home: We loved learning about your homes and hearing your stories — every comment brightened our year. We’ll share another “get to know you” post soon.
2. Secrets to Success and Longevity in Blogging: This was a fun post to write. Thank you for the thoughtful comments — I plan to expand on this topic in the coming year.
3. The Truth About White Slipcovers: Pet Edition
4. The Unraveling: A lighthearted account of Jack and Lily’s ornament incident.
A few favorite cookbooks we acquired in 2014:
The Forest Feast
Sunday Suppers
A Boat, A Whale, and a Walrus
The Kinfolk Table
My favorite inspiring design book in 2014:
One Man’s Folly
A few favorite home improvements in 2014:
Painting our front door gray
Laundry room refresh
Getting organized in the dining room with entertaining cabinets
Home office progress and a rattan bookshelf that refreshed the space
Master bedroom updates showcased in the fall house tour
Updating our son’s room
Creating a reading corner in the gathering room
Adding a family-friendly gray Sunbrella wingback chair
Wicker wingbacks for the front porch
Planting and caring for my garden
See my April progress report for more updates
2014 House Tours:
Summer House Tour
Fall House Tour
Christmas House Tour: Part One and Part Two
Favorite accomplishments in 2014:
Voted Reader’s Favorite Decorating Blog by Better Homes & Gardens — thank you for your support!
My kitchen featured in Better Homes & Gardens
Celebrated seven years of blogging and announced my book contracts
Hiring my daughter Courtney to work with The Inspired Room full time
Keeping my fiddle leaf fig thriving longer than expected
A few favorite family memories from 2014:
My oldest daughter buying her first house
Celebrating the holidays with family
Welcoming Bella and introducing her to our home
Favorite recipes featured in 2014:
Favorite recipes featured in 2014:Pink Juice
Veggie Panini
Fruit Tart
Mulled Cranberry Apple Cider
Winter Cider Sangria