I went from homemaker to home MAKER
Hi, I’m Kelsey! Four years ago, I traded in conference calls and office coffee for playdates and peanut butter sandwiches when I left my job to raise my kids. Somewhere between nap schedules and snack requests, I realized I didn’t just want to keep a home – I wanted to make one.
And not just in the traditional sense. I literally roll up my sleeves and build it – from custom built-ins and bold paint projects to one-of-a-kind furniture and DIY spaces that fit our family perfectly.
What started as “just trying to make our house work on a budget” has turned into a passion (and let’s be honest, sometimes an obsession) for designing and creating a home that’s both beautiful and functional. Every project is a mix of sawdust, color swatches, and a whole lot of heart.
Now, through The Berry Home, I share our journey – the wins, the fails, the power tools, and the paint brushes – to inspire others to see their homes as a canvas, too.
The Unfortunate Birth of a Beautiful Life
When we bought our house, I thought I was doing the responsible thing by hiring a contractor. Spoiler alert: he nearly destroyed it. Ceilings were raining, trim was uneven, and one project left me wondering if my “dream home” had turned into a DIY horror show.
That disaster taught me two things: (1) sometimes paying someone isn’t the safer option, and (2) I’d better learn how to fix this mess myself. What started as patching up contractor mistakes quickly became an obsession — from power tools to paintbrushes, I realized I loved the process of creating.
Fast forward a few years, and I’m now a full-blown DIY home renovator. I build furniture, design custom spaces, and tackle projects that once terrified me. What began as a contractor nightmare became the spark that lit my love for DIY home improvement, design, and renovation projects — and now I share every success (and fail) so you can skip the scary contractor bills and feel confident making your own house a home.
A Different Way Around
Confession: I don’t use traditional measuring the way the pros do. Fractions, angles, and all those tiny marks on a tape measure? Honestly, they used to make me want to give up before I even started. Measuring felt scary, intimidating, and like one wrong number would ruin the whole project.
So instead, I found a way to play to my strengths: templates. Instead of stressing over math, I trace, mark, and cut using real-life guides. Need a perfect shelf bracket? I make one, then use it as a pattern. Want evenly spaced trim? I create a spacer block and repeat it down the wall.
It turns out that DIY doesn’t have to be complicated to look professional. Templates not only saved my sanity, they gave me the confidence to tackle bigger and bigger projects. And the best part? The results look just as polished as the pros — without needing a math degree to get there.
Now, whether I’m building custom furniture or installing wall molding, my “no-stress template method” has become my go-to. If measuring makes you panic, you’re not alone — but trust me, there’s a creative (and totally beginner-friendly) way to build the home you love.
Want to see how it works? Give this one a try. I used it to build this simple two sink mud Kitchen.