I've made a lot of changes to this house over the last 16 years (Cruise around this blog a bit...you will see quite a few!) Usually I spend a lot of time looking at inspiration, planning and second guessing before I actually start a new project. I think the "indecisiveness" helps...it forces me to REALLY think about what I want (and don't want) and I really envision the process and the change before the first hammer flies!

One of my favorite changes has been my kitchen "reset." I call it a reset because truthfully I didn't really "remodel"....I just moved cabinets, added trim and built open shelving.

I wasn't sure I would LOVE open shelving. But I do! I love having the things I use every day in my line of sight and at my finger tips! I like being able to display my dishes and change them up for the holidays! I like that I kept the cabinets for storage for things I only use occasionally.

I LOVE the reeded glass inserts in the cabinet doors above the dishes!!!

Rhoda at Southern Hospitality posted an entire photo inspiration of beautiful "open shelf" projects...I have no doubt one would work in just about any kitchen.

I can NOT stress enough the importance of "finding your inspiration" before you start making any changes in your home! Big or small! Start every project with A LOT of research! You may fall in love with a concept, but it may be completely wrong for your space and a paint process could be all wrong for a specific style of furniture (one time I tried to "shabby chic" a "modernish" coffee table...huge mistake!)

Fortunately we have some great bloggers like Rhoda who can make that job super easy with their "one stop shop" posts! Also, "google" and Pinterest are your friends when the bug to add or change hits you! You can find a world of inspiration just by googling or searching "open shelves" or "teal walls" or "farmhouse decor." There is nothing new under the sun...if you want to change it, someone else has probably posted a picture of it online! Look at LOTS of photos and do your homework! That is no guarantee you won't run into problems, but if you have the "final vision" in your head, it will be a lot easier to work through those issues!

Realistically know what you can and can not do...or even what you don't want to do. I knew I wanted under counter lighting, but I also knew it was something I did not want to tackle myself...especially since my super awesome son-in-law, Joel, is an electrician! He installed my under counter lighting in a matter of hours...it took me ALL day to add two lights when I reset my kitchen! If you can't or don't want to do something, make sure you get several bids on the cost of labor. Always know what your cost will be for materials. Remember the beautiful reeded glass I fell in love with for my laundry room door? One of my ALL TIME favorite projects, but I neglected to get a bid on the glass...that was a pretty big unexpected hit in the ole' pocket book.

Does open shelving fall under one of those dreaded "fads" that may fall out of favor in a few years? Very possibly. But in my case, I made sure to construct the changes in a way that can easily be changed in the future! I didn't actually tear up any cabinets, or paint them, or rip out walls. (I even kept the original doors that were replaced with glass doors!) I just did a little "rearranging." If or when open shelving becomes a thing of the past, mine can somewhat easily be removed and the original cabinets moved to their proper place!

If you THINK you want to make a change, whether it is an entire room or just a piece of furniture, take time to do a little research. Look at photos, read blogs, read reviews, study tutorials, get bids. I even suggest people go to open houses to look at what is "new" in home construction if they are considering a remodel!

It took me many years to finally know what I wanted in my master bathroom! But when it was all said and done, it was exactly what I wanted. Four years later I still love it!

Don't fall in love with a picture of someone else's kitchen or dresser. Find a vision for what YOU have and fall in love with that...then JUST DO IT!