• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Partner with Taryn

Taryn Whiteaker Designs

DIY and Interior Blog

  • My Home Tour
  • Shop My Pics
  • Home Styling
    • Room Reveals
      • Our Current Home
      • Our First Home
    • Seasonal Home Tours
  • DIY Projects
    • DIY Home Decor
    • Crafts & Sewing
    • Before and Afters
    • Before and Afters
    • Furniture Builds and Makeovers
  • Seasonal Decor
    • Christmas
    • Easter
    • Fall
    • Fourth of July
    • Halloween
    • Spring
    • Valentine’s Day
  • Printables
  • Entertaining
    • Parties
    • Tablescapes
  • Fashion
  • Travel

July 7, 2021

First 6 Months of 2021!

Thanks For Sharing!

My goodness, how are we already halfway through 2021?! Part of me feels like I haven’t tackled nearly as much I as had planned. But the other part of me knows so much has happened in just 6 short months. Every January I put together a list of project goals for that year and outline everything I plan on working on over the next 12 months. Sometimes it goes according to plan, sometimes I get less done than I hoped and other years I get way more done than I had hoped! It’s time to do a six month check in and see where we are at this year!

Like most of 2020, 2021 has also been a very different year for us. This year I decided to homeschool our two older kids which has definitely cut into project and work time, but I know I will make up for it this summer and the rest of this year! I’m already on a roll!

Ok here are the big projects I’ve tacked this year so far this year and I’ll give you a peek into plans for the next six months!

First 6 Months of 2021!

I kicked off the year with a mini refresh in my son’s room. I originally shared his room reveal last year and it just didn’t seem right, so I decided to make a few tweaks including painting the wood accent pieces black and then switching a few decor pieces around to create a more modern skiing bedroom design.

Backyard Progress!

Our big backyard renovation has been my main focus of 2021! We started it last September, right before our rainy season hit here in Seattle and this spring I have been working non-stop on pulling the whole space together! One step at a time! We’ve actually done a lot more back here than we expected to this year and I don’t regret it one bit.

First things first, we finished up our fire pit seating area, and then put in this DIY PaverTurf project! I LOVE how the turf brings a pop of pattern and dimension to the backyard. We’ve been enjoying this space as I slowly finish the other areas.

I put in the paver pathways throughout the backyard. I haven’t done a full blog post on them yet, but you can watch the video here!

Our latest project on the backyard was hanging our DIY String Lights! After a failed attempt a few years ago and having the poles snap, I did a ton of research and came up with my own way of hanging lights that were sturdy and will last over time! I love the extra sparkle it gives our backyard! It truly makes it fee like a little escape!

The other small project we did back here was update our covered back patio! Last year I painted the ceiling white and then this year I added these decorative brackets to give it a more custom look. Something simple that added a lot!

Dark Exterior Makeover

Our other BIG renovation project this spring as been painting our exterior dark! I have yet to do the full reveal post on it (I’m a little behind on writing blog posts!), but should be up soon. I have revealed parts of it though, as you can see in the backyard photos and the ones below!

I love the dark contrast of our front porch. These tall wood planters make such a statement. You can see what our porch looked like with our previous house color here!

Watch These Projects In Action!

What’s Next On The Project List?

Bathroom Renovation

I’m smack in the middle of a (big) small bathroom renovation! I literally took this bathroom down to the studs and have been slowly building it back together! You can see the progress and design plans here! I’ve actually made a lot more progress on it since this pic, you can follow along on my IG highlight for the most current details! I was hoping to be completely done by now, but I’m taking my time to do it right.

Backyard Landscaping!

We have several more projects planned for the backyard this year and for years to come, but the last big one is installing all the landscaping to really finish off the space! We have several areas where we will be laying new plants down, and will also be building out a large planter box for this square space behind out outdoor living space. We will have a climbing plant up the back and will be finishing it off by adding deck skirting.

Those are my next two big projects! But I have a lot more coming in the fall, including our primary closet renovation, finally finishing the family room makeover (that I started almost a year ago!), and making some adjustments to the kitchen.

About Taryn Whiteaker

Taryn Whiteaker is the voice of style behind TarynWhiteaker.com (formerly Design, Dining and Diapers) ! Taryn is a previous PR/Marketing professional who got back to her creative roots after becoming a mom and now shares her passion for home decor and design for the world to see. Taryn lives in the greater Seattle area with her husband and three kids and loves coffee, the outdoors, and exploring with her family.

You May Also Like:

  • Gift Guide For Him 2021
    Gift Guide For Him 2021
  • 2021 Neutral Holiday Decor Finds
    2021 Neutral Holiday Decor Finds
  • Before and After Home Projects from 2021
    Before and After Home Projects from 2021
  • 2021 Project Plans
    2021 Project Plans
  • Fav Home Products From 2021
    Fav Home Products From 2021
  • Gift Ideas for Her 2021
    Gift Ideas for Her 2021

Filed Under: ALL POSTS

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Looking For Something?

CONNECT

Meet Taryn

Taryn Whiteaker

Hi and welcome! I'm Taryn and the voice of style behind Taryn Whiteaker Designs. Recent transplant from Seattle to Dallas. Sharing our journey of modernizing our European style home. Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to subscribe to my mailing list to get all the latest updates! Read more...

Join The Mailing List!

Follow On Instagram!

Footer

THIS SITE

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Partner with Taryn

Privacy Policy

If you are interested in learning more about data that might be collected by this site you are encouraged to read the Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy for TarynWhiteaker.com 

COPYRIGHT POLICY

All images on this site are copyright of Design, Dining and Diapers, LLC. Unless otherwise noted. You may not use these images without written permission. If you would like to feature a project shown on Design, Dining and Diapers you may use a maximum of 2 images and include a visible link back to the project.

Copyright© 2023 · Brunch Pro Theme by Shay Bocks · Hosting by 3116 Digital