Kristi here…lover and doer of all things DIY, home improvement and home decor, and recent transplant to NC. I’m the voice behind Chatfield Court where I share the budget-friendly projects that my husband and I dream up and tackle so that we can turn our little 1946 stone cottage into a cozy and comfortable space.

I began this blog in 2013 as sort of a DIY journal to document the home projects and decorating my husband and I did in our Illinois 50’s ranch. We did everything from painting all the rooms to a full kitchen remodel, entirely on our own and on a budget.

Now we’re living in North Carolina and starting over in our little 1946 stone cottage.

My Passion

I have always loved getting lost in a DIY project and painting and decorating a room to give it a new look. Now with our little cottage, we’re learning how to live in a small space. It’s not always easy but it’s been fun.

Along with my husband, we’ll build, paint, repair and decorate our way to a home that we both can love, doing all the work ourselves, without spending a lot of money. We’ve done everything from putting a metal roof on our house in Florida, to building and installing a complete bedroom set in our townhouse in Pennsylvania, and, just recently, completing a kitchen remodel on a tight budget. There’s no project that we aren’t willing to try to tackle ourselves.

 My Family

I am a mother to two daughters, the wife of a “Jack of all trades” and the owner of an energetic Peekapoo named Finn. My oldest daughter lives in Denver and my youngest is living in San Francisco. We have lived in 6 different states and in 10 different homes during our marriage, so I have a lot of experience in renovating and decorating my home on a budget.  In 2010, after my youngest moved away to college, I began reading home decor blogs and became instantly hooked.  After we moved to Illinois, I felt inspired to start one of my own, documenting our home projects and decorating to inspire others to jump right in and do their own.

My husband and I approach diy, home improvement and even painting a room differently so it’s always interesting to see who will win how our projects will actually turn out. I hope you’ll come back often to see our progress and check out what we’re working on. You can also follow along with us on Facebook and Pinterest, or peak into our behind the scenes antics on Instagram.

Want to know more?

Check out house tours. You can see where it all began in our Illinois brick ranch, here, and our current stone cottage in North Caroline, here.

Got questions?

I love to hear what kind of projects my readers are in the middle of as well as answering any questions they might have about our home. Please feel free to email me anytime. [email protected]

Oh, and don’t forget to sign up to get updates on our latest projects (either in the sign up box at the end of the post or in the sidebar). I have also added a Shop My House tab so you can check out some of my home decor sources and fave places to shop.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

~Kristi