Hello There. Welcome To Restore, Decor & More!

I’m Brooke, a suburban homeowner and mom who is on a mission to update our builder-grade home – turning it into a house I love……and inspiring others to as well.

Restore, Decor & More is all about updating, decorating, creating, repurposing, and making your home truly yours…all on your real-life budget. If you have expensive taste and live on a budget, you are in the right place.

You CAN transform your house into a place you love coming home to without breaking the bank. I believe that a room can impact how you feel and when I am at home I want a calm, peaceful, relaxing environment.

My hope is that you will find some ideas to inspire you, taking bits and pieces and using them to create your own style. You don’t have to be a trained designer to create a space that you love. If I can do it you can do it!

OUR HOME

My husband and I moved into our builder-grade home in the suburbs of Chicago almost 14 years ago. I liked our house but never “loved” it.

Since then I have painted & stained countless times (walls, doors, trim, fireplace, cabinets, furniture, etc) Added accent walls, redid our stairs, finished our basement and so much more. I have also learned so much about how to pull a room together design-wise. 

We have done much of the work ourselves and have learned so many tricks and tips along the way. We had no special skills when we started but through trial and error, we have learned a lot along the way. I hope to share some of the mistakes we have made (can we say busted water pipe while trying to hang a picture?!) to make it easier and less expensive for you to do. 

When you visit Restore, Decor & More, I hope you come away with some great ideas and inspiration. I firmly believe that you don’t need to spend a fortune to live in a Pinterest worthy home 🙂 

A little about me: I have lived in the suburbs of Chicago my entire life and have been with my husband for 22 years. We have 5 beautiful children (4 here on earth and one in heaven #angelmom). And if our house isn’t crazy enough we have a 4-year-old lab named Captain. 

I’m in a place in life where my kids are getting older (2 in college!) and that has been a journey in and of itself. My husband Marc and I owned our own small business for 20 years but decided in 2019 that it was time for a change. I never thought my path would lead me to this. When the pandemic hit and the kids moved to online school (my youngest is in 5th grade) I decided to stay home. Of course, the first few months were filled with home projects, but I needed a creative outlet to keep me busy as well. I hope to help others along this journey. 

FUN FACTS

I love 80’s music, coffee, and an occasional glass (or two) of Moscato. I am not a fan of cooking yet somehow manage to feed my kids & I never ate mashed potatoes until recently (big fan now). I despise velvet and any material that resembles it (it’s like nails on a chalkboard to me…ugh). Christmas is my favorite holiday (how many trees are too many?!) but I also love a good fireworks show. I can’t put an outfit together to save my life but I can decorate the heck out of a living room. (Most days you will find me in a t-shirt and leggings) I prefer real in-depth conversation over small talk and am perfectly content chilling with good company. I love to travel although I haven’t been doing much of that lately with everything going on in the world! 

Now that you know a little bit about me, feel free to take a look around! I would suggest starting with my ultimate guide on decorating on a budget or check out some of our DIY Projects. 

You will find a mix of home decor, DIY, and inspiration to help you get started. Above all I want you to come away with knowing that if you are willing to put in some time and a little effort you can make your house look amazing without spending a ton of money!

I’d love for you to connect with Restore, Decor & More on Pinterest. Of course, if you have any questions, I’d love to hear from you! Just shoot me an email through my contact form. Thanks so much for stopping by!

FEATURED IN:

  • Forbes
  • Reader’s Digest
  • Realtor
  • Greatist