The Modern Renovator
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The Modern Renovator
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The Modern Renovator

A twenty something girl DIYing her first home on a twenty-something budget.

DIY | Home Renovation | Interior Design

The Modern Renovator
  • Blog/
    • ALL
    • DIY
    • Decor
    • Inspiration
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Featured
Make a Luxury Custom Scrabble Board
May 28, 2025
DIY
Make a Luxury Custom Scrabble Board
May 28, 2025
DIY

Create your own luxury custom Scrabble board with this detailed DIY guide—includes free PDF printout and 3D grid file downloads for a premium game night upgrade.

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May 28, 2025
DIY
How to Build a Fence Gate Pergola
May 24, 2025
DIY
How to Build a Fence Gate Pergola
May 24, 2025
DIY

DIY your own fence gate pergola with this step-by-step guide—an affordable way to add style and structure to your outdoor space.

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May 24, 2025
DIY
A Roundup of Wooden Tall Dressers
Feb 28, 2025
Decor
A Roundup of Wooden Tall Dressers
Feb 28, 2025
Decor

a roundup of my favorite wooden dressers

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Feb 28, 2025
Decor
A Roundup of my Favorite Shaded Chandeliers!
Nov 17, 2024
Decor
A Roundup of my Favorite Shaded Chandeliers!
Nov 17, 2024
Decor

A round up of my favorite shaded chandeliers!

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Nov 17, 2024
Decor
How to Install Thin Brick Pavers to your Porch
Jan 26, 2024
DIY, Renovation
How to Install Thin Brick Pavers to your Porch
Jan 26, 2024
DIY, Renovation

This week on the blog I’ve put together guide on installing thin brick pavers on your porch!. It's a no-fuss approach to sprucing up your outdoor space – perfect for anyone looking to dive into a simple and effective DIY project that has a big impact on curb appeal!

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Jan 26, 2024
DIY, Renovation
Roundup of my Favorite Upholstered Dining Chairs
Dec 22, 2023
Decor, Inspiration
Roundup of my Favorite Upholstered Dining Chairs
Dec 22, 2023
Decor, Inspiration

A roundup of my favorite upholstered dining chairs.

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Dec 22, 2023
Decor, Inspiration
Renovation under $5k! Before/After Photos
Jul 7, 2023
Renovation
Renovation under $5k! Before/After Photos
Jul 7, 2023
Renovation

The Kitchen is done! This has been a long time in the making. I’ve done this gradually over the years, adding in the backsplash, changing the light fixtures, adding new countertops, changing out the hardware, and finally putting in new cabinet fronts. I wanted to do this kitchen on budget, but still look high end, so here’s where we landed!

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Jul 7, 2023
Renovation
round-tables.png
Jun 30, 2023
Decor
Roundup of Round Pedestal Dining Tables
Jun 30, 2023
Decor
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Jun 30, 2023
Decor
Office Before/After Reveal! +Cost Breakdown
Jan 15, 2022
Renovation
Office Before/After Reveal! +Cost Breakdown
Jan 15, 2022
Renovation

Hi everybody! It’s finally time for the office reveal! I can’t believe this is my office now and that I did most of it myself! I honestly wasn’t sure I could achieve this. I looked at my office everyday for 4 years knowing that everything done in it was so poorly done

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Jan 15, 2022
Renovation
Office Mood Board + Plans for the Room!
Oct 14, 2021
Renovation
Office Mood Board + Plans for the Room!
Oct 14, 2021
Renovation

We are well underway with the renovation to the office! I’ve completely gutted it, redone the electrical, and sanded the floors. Now is the time we get to start on the fun stuff! I wanted to show you guys some inspiration shots of what i’m going for as well as a mood board of the finishes I’m thinking about!

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Oct 14, 2021
Renovation
Before/After: Basement Laundry Room Renovation!
Mar 26, 2021
Renovation
Before/After: Basement Laundry Room Renovation!
Mar 26, 2021
Renovation

The time has come! The basement laundry room renovation is finally done! This has been a long time coming. I’ve slowly done projects over the past year and it’s finally come together. I’ve been waiting to do the last finishing touches and we are finally there! Today I’m going to show yall all the angles and finished photos of the laundry room!

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Mar 26, 2021
Renovation
DIY Frame TV
Jan 3, 2021
DIY
DIY Frame TV
Jan 3, 2021
DIY

Today i’m going to show you guys how I made my own frame tv! I’m obsessed with the frame TV, but I just couldn’t justify the cost. So I decided to make my own. I got a new TV, and chose the Samsung 55in QLED TV. It’s the same brand as the Frame TV and actually the same picture quality, so I think I can get the same effects as far as the “art mode” that the frame tv offers.

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Jan 3, 2021
DIY
2020 Project Updates: Did I Complete Them All?
Dec 31, 2020
Renovation
2020 Project Updates: Did I Complete Them All?
Dec 31, 2020
Renovation

It’s that time of year to do a round-up of 2020 projects! At the beginning of the year, I made this post about everything I wanted to accomplish this year, and crazy enough I completed every one of them! It’s crazy to think some of these things were all this year, but I guess quarantine kinda warped my perception of time haha. So let’s do a recap of these projects and I’ll show you an update of what they look like now!

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Dec 31, 2020
Renovation
Easy DIY Board & Batten Wainscoting
Dec 8, 2020
DIY
Easy DIY Board & Batten Wainscoting
Dec 8, 2020
DIY

Hi friends! This week I’m going to give ya’ll the tutorial for how I did my easy board and batten in my dining area. I’m not kidding you guys, it was so easy, and I can’t believe I didn’t do it sooner! It adds so much character to my house and was super affordable too!

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Dec 8, 2020
DIY
A Breakdown of Rug Types
Oct 14, 2020
A Breakdown of Rug Types
Oct 14, 2020

If you’re like me, you may have gone through your fair share of rugs. Especially with everything being online these days, you buy a rug thinking it looks one way, and get it and its completely different. Then you just learn to live with it because it’s a nightmare to return. Well today, I’m going to try to save you from the headache I ensued by breaking down all the different rug types, and what to look for when buying a rug. Trust me it’s important!

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Oct 14, 2020
Roundup of Black Dressers
Oct 7, 2020
Inspiration, Decor
Roundup of Black Dressers
Oct 7, 2020
Inspiration, Decor

I have been on the hunt for the perfect black dresser the past few months, and still haven’t settled on one, but wanted to share some of my favorites I’ve come across! They are actually harder to find than you would think, so thought it might be helpful to have a resource for them

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Oct 7, 2020
Inspiration, Decor
Yearly Expenses That Come with Being a Homeowner
Sep 18, 2020
Personal
Yearly Expenses That Come with Being a Homeowner
Sep 18, 2020
Personal

Today we’re going full on adulting and talking about the expenses that you don’t foresee when buying a house that are annual, ongoing expenses. Me being a naive 24 year old buying her first house, I didn’t know about a lot of the expenses that I would have to pay yearly. I’m not talking about something breaking, but things like pest control, insurances, stuff like that, that you need to factor in when budgeting for a house.


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Sep 18, 2020
Personal
Latest Amazon Favorites!
Jul 6, 2020
Inspiration
Latest Amazon Favorites!
Jul 6, 2020
Inspiration

Today I’m talking about a few of my favorite Amazon finds lately. While I am a huge proponent of shopping locally and not buying something from Amazon everyday, they do have some good finds with the best price for that particular item.

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Jul 6, 2020
Inspiration
How to Make DIY Bifold Doors
Jun 24, 2020
DIY, Renovation
How to Make DIY Bifold Doors
Jun 24, 2020
DIY, Renovation

This week we’re talking about how to make bifold doors! Specifically bifold doors with cane in the middle! Feel free to customize with a different material, but I’m going to show you guys how I did it!

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Jun 24, 2020
DIY, Renovation
All the details on my new staircase! PLUS how to stain/paint stairs
Jun 8, 2020
Renovation, DIY
All the details on my new staircase! PLUS how to stain/paint stairs
Jun 8, 2020
Renovation, DIY

Hi friends! Today’s blog post is all about my brand new staircase! I’m breaking it all down for you guys including the paint sources as well as the process and how it went for the actual stairs getting built.

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Jun 8, 2020
Renovation, DIY
Easy DIY Cabinet Doors for Shelves
May 1, 2020
DIY
Easy DIY Cabinet Doors for Shelves
May 1, 2020
DIY

Today I’m sharing with you guys an easy way to make cabinet doors for shelves! Whether you have existing shelves or want to make shelves and put doors on them, this is an easy and cost effect way to make them! I made these doors for under $75 and that included buying the hardware, wood, and drill bit.

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May 1, 2020
DIY
Plans for My Basement/Laundry Room
Apr 24, 2020
Renovation
Plans for My Basement/Laundry Room
Apr 24, 2020
Renovation

Today I’m sharing with you guys a space you never see. Everyone who comes over tends to find it creepy haha. And while it’s come a LONG way, it still needs a lot of work. With my house being so small, I’m trying to utilize all the space I can. My basement is actually pretty spacious…

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Apr 24, 2020
Renovation
Mar 23, 2020
Renovation
5 Essentials for a New Homeowner (and their projects)
Mar 23, 2020
Renovation

Someone asked about making a list of essential tools to be able to do projects and I thought it was a great idea for a blog post! While I’ve been accumulating things over time there have been purchases that have been essential to being able to do a lot of my projects, and things I think every homeowner can benefit from having!

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Mar 23, 2020
Renovation
Renovating a Basement Staircase on a Budget
Feb 12, 2020
Renovation
Renovating a Basement Staircase on a Budget
Feb 12, 2020
Renovation

As I have been transforming my basement to a more usable space, I wanted the stairwell leading downstairs to give off less creepy vibes. Before, it was all exposed beams, so it was also really dark and hard to see. I was able to renovate the space with new paneling throughout, added a light fixture, and closed the attic space to keep the cold air out…

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Feb 12, 2020
Renovation
Projects I Want to Complete in 2020
Jan 21, 2020
Renovation
Projects I Want to Complete in 2020
Jan 21, 2020
Renovation

So I talked about everything I did in 2019, so now it’s time to talk about the projects for 2020! I’m excited to continue to improve my house and make it what I want to be.

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Jan 21, 2020
Renovation
Answering all your Questions! Replacing a Front Door
Jan 17, 2020
Renovation
Answering all your Questions! Replacing a Front Door
Jan 17, 2020
Renovation

I thought it would be fun to do a post answering all your questions about replacing a front door! The cost, the options, replacing just the door vs. the whole thing, so keep reading to learn all about replacing your front door!

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Jan 17, 2020
Renovation
My Biggest Projects from 2019!
Dec 31, 2019
DIY
My Biggest Projects from 2019!
Dec 31, 2019
DIY

2019 was a big year for my house! I did so much! I wanted to take the time to show you all of the projects that got completed in 2019! From the shutters to the finished stairwell, I was definitely busy. A separate post will be coming about what I want to do for 2020 and that will be fun to help keep me accountable for next year and completing even more projects!

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Dec 31, 2019
DIY
How to Make a Solid Wood Framed Mantel (in two hours!)
Oct 30, 2019
Renovation, DIY
How to Make a Solid Wood Framed Mantel (in two hours!)
Oct 30, 2019
Renovation, DIY

You guys - this project was SO easy! I was shocked and kinda wish I had done it sooner! I have always wanted a wood mantel, but my mantel is solid brick. It’s not going anywhere. So I came up with the idea of making a wood frame to fit on top of it. This gives it the look of a solid wood mantel but is much cheaper and took way less time!

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Oct 30, 2019
Renovation, DIY
Guest Room Makeover Reveal for a $150!
Oct 25, 2019
Decor, Inspiration
Guest Room Makeover Reveal for a $150!
Oct 25, 2019
Decor, Inspiration

My guest room has always been an eyesore ever since I moved in. It’s one of those rooms that was just kind of thrown together, but recently I was over it and ready for a change! Let me just tell you though I hardly spent ANY money on this makeover! You can do so much from just pulling pieces from other rooms that might not be getting used or utilized to its full potential! Take a look below at the before and afters!

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Oct 25, 2019
Decor, Inspiration
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Oct 4, 2019
Renovation
What's Next? Projects for this Fall
Oct 4, 2019
Renovation

You might be thinking, your house looks great what else do you need to do? I still have a lot of projects I want to do! Some are small and some are a little bigger, but here’s a list of things I want to tackle by the end of the year.

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Oct 4, 2019
Renovation
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The Modern Renovator

The Modern Renovator - Just a twenty something girl renovating her first home on a twenty something budget.

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Lindsey Drennan

Just a twenty-something girl DIYing her first home with a small budget and a creative mind.

The Latest on Instagram

Fresh new paint and so cozy 💕

Color is Salt Wattle Lime Wash by @sydneyharbourpaints
The floor this room was meant to have! The original floating LVP I had in here was just not holding up after only a couple years, so decided to replace it! I’ve been holding onto these tiles for minute trying to get the courage to tackle this p
Front porch revamp is done! I added bricks around the border and step, refaced the posts with nice sapele hardwood, changed out the light and added some fresh plants! It’s looking so much better, except I think my pittosporum plants aren’
My little storage console is built! Got some fun knobs for it too! Wish i had made it slightly taller, but I think it still works. 🤗
Welp, after 3 years COVID finally caught me, so you’ll find me on my new couch for now. 😅 I ordered this back in April, found out the company was in shambles in December, then another company took over and the couch I never thought I’d s
I made this! Is not the most beautiful thing, but excited to have this functional rolling miter saw table, that has these pop out wings to make cutting wood so much easier! Just look how much room it’s taking up in my basement 😂 def going to n

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PAST BLOG POSTS

  • November 2018
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  • January 2019
  • February 2019
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  • July 2019
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  • December 2019
  • January 2020
  • February 2020
  • March 2020
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  • May 2020
  • June 2020
  • July 2020
  • September 2020
  • October 2020
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  • January 2021
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