Just under a year ago, I had no idea what power tools were! I did not know transforming my home did not need expensive stuff and an architects brain. All I needed was plan, paint & power tools! And let me tell you this, there will be many mistakes. It’s called human error! And that’s ok! Because that’s what makes the house a home. Your home! There is power in DIY! So what are you waiting for ? Come join me as I transform my house into a luxurious home one room at a time & let me show you my tips and tricks so we can turn your home into a custom built home too! Team work makes the dream work!!

Spring is just around the corner. 🌸🌿Cannot wait for evening tea traditions and never ending conversations outdoor. ☕️🫖

It’s winter and most of your plants need to be sheltered from the frost bite. What do you do ??? You bring them indoors and arrange them as your decorative pieces. A live decorative plant instead of stems in a glass jar( which is my go-to decor in summer) Lime plant made it to the foyer decor! It will hibernate on the entryway console with grow lights Until next summer. #foyerdecor #entrywaytable #limeplant#upcycled_brain #winterdecor

Thankful and grateful for everything!

Sunroom! 😻💗 This room takes a lot of beating! From the fur baby to toddlers and adults, we all crash here at some point of the day. At times, this room has been upside down too! Pillows thrown on the floor, jumping jacks on the day bed, pots shattered and even stolen sugar jar gets devoured here! Thank you @lusuriellophotography for capturing this so beautifully! It looks so lively and like out of a magazine to me. #sunroom #sunroomgoals #upcycled_brain @apartmenttherapy

Caring for our houses, plants, spouse, kids, pets, work is all considered as our top priority. Amidst all these responsibilities do we forget ourselves ? Yes, we do! Self love is as important as our love for everything else. #ootd #weddingguest #fallwedding

A little “About Me” post. For those who don’t know me, my name is Suroor. I go by Su because i have learned that it’s hard to roll all the r’s and o’s 🤷🏻‍♀️ I am an Engineer by profession, mom to really cool twins, an adorable cat and a zillion plants. I am married to Zabir( an extremely supportive, extroverted, handsome man) Also the hidden face behind my projects doing all the electrician stuff and my personal handyman who helps me nail things to walls and drill all the holes. You don’t get to see him a lot here because he does not like getting filmed. Apart from being a full time mom with a full time job, I somehow have this urge to find a channel to let my creative juices flow. Although I have done different kinds of DIY’s as a child - like embroidery, crochet, painting etc. One thing I had never done was home improvement. I never used a power tool before spring of 2021. But ever since I picked it up, I guess there’s no letting it go! I am in love with the way these tools let me transform a very dull space to something bright, exciting and interesting. I am learning on the go and showing you all what I do, all my bloopers, all my lessons and my joys. Thank you for staying here for a while. ❣️ Tell me something about yourself in the comments below, let’s be friends.

Boy Girl Twin bedroom reveal 💙💗 One month of heart,soul, brain and sweat! Worth every single minute!!! So happy to see this outcome and so satisfied with the hard work! It turned out wayyyyy better than I imagined it to be! ❣️ Swipe right to see the before and the mock up I imagined. @apartmenttherapy

Why spend $400 on a frame when you can make it for under $50!? Literally 4 main items, some measurements, cutting, painting and nailing! I only paid $30 for the trim, used my old miter box ($10), Used left over paint samples that I had at home and my Brad nail gun. #upcycledbrain #pictureframediy #paintingframediy

Love how bright and happy this painting makes me feel 🤍 bought this from an artist in Ukraine @karinamirzoeva.art Thank you so much for being so patient and working with me on this! I absolutely love it! #bedroomdecor #andeslaqueredlinenbed #cb2 #wayfair #upcycledbrain

Rainbow Rose Garden 🥀 3 days of labor and the result is this beautiful rose garden.

Carrot cake in under an hour. Ingredients : 1 cup chopped pecans 1.5 cups packed light or dark brown sugar 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 cup vegetable oil or melted coconut oil 4 large eggs room temp 3/4 cup smooth unsweetened applesauce 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 2.5 cups all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled) 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 2 cups fresh grated carrots (about 4 large) Whisk the brown sugar, granulated sugar, oil, eggs, applesauce, and vanilla together in a large bowl until combined and no brown sugar lumps remain. In another large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves together. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and, using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, fold the ingredients together until just combined. Fold in the carrots and bake at 350 F for 40-50 minutes. And voila! Super moist carrot cake is ready! I only added brown sugar and skipped granulated sugar since we are not a big fan of super sweet stuff. I usually also replace AP flour with oats flour. The cake becomes a little denser but the flavor remains the same and we enjoy it guilt free!! Do not use Pre grated packed carrot, It will be dry, use a freshly grated carrot it will have a lot of moisture in it to make the cake moist.

Calm before the storm !??? Perhaps the toughest part of any house keeping is keeping that Island clean and clear!! It’s like the worlds most short lived dream ever!! Are you one of those who is obsessive about having the counter and island clean clean clean at all times!? P.S: plants on top of the cabinets are Dracaena marginatas, they are low light plants and don’t need a solid green thumb to keep them alive. Just feeding them water regularly and a little bit of sunlight every now and then is sufficient. #kitchenislandgoals #joshualargevase #potterybarn #wayfair #trentaustindesign #upcycledbrain

Part 2: Bedroom chair moment - is now complete. My favorite corner, the reading corner 💗📚📖 #oneroomchallenge2021 #oneroomchallenge #anthropologie #kershawchair #hudsondrinktable #upcycledbrain

Winter vs summer blooms. Next up is a Rose Garden project 🥀 It took me a week to dig out this clay/construction debris land 3’ feet deep in fall last year. Can’t wait to have all the rose plants in the front yard mixed with winter plants to enjoy year round foliage.

Splurge on books over makeup? Yes!!! I chose to splurge on books today. Growing up I watched my parents collect books of all kinds, both my parents are avid readers even today and I remember they collected A book A month! I grew up reading books, I don’t remember playing with dolls or toys. May fav in home design for textures and patterns is Books! They just bring life and sophistication to the decor. Plants and books.. and you just cannot go wrong. P.S: realistically it’s impossible for me to keep my coffee table like this at all times with my twin toddlers. I arrange this when they are sleeping or when I have friends over and I put things away when they are awake and storming around. Mama’s gotta make some dreams come true even if it is for a few minutes. #upcycledbrain #coffeetabledecor #booksfordecor #verandadecoration #cb2 #potterybarn #joshuavase #suspendIItablecb2 #hudsondrinktable

They finally made it to my house from my parents house which is thousands of miles away.. in one piece!!! Almost 50 years old! These are my dad’s collection from his 20’s and growing up I remember we used to play this on our old gramophone and dance with my mother to Tina Charles, Whitney Houston, Abba etc etc. I still follow that tradition with my kids and we dance Sunday mornings to random music.. even Bollywood. Can’t wait to create a dedicated space for these beauties and have them spinning to have us dancing to their tunes.

My “Designer corner” is now complete. It is everything I dreamed of in my head and I am so happy it came out exactly as I imagined it to be. Boring dead corners are so painful to watch.. at least for me. I have wondered at least for a year what to do with this space since I don’t want built ins on my TV wall (though they are a rage of late). Pedestals are not only for museums. They can even be used inside the house to spice up dead corners/areas. They are quite underrated. Designers use them ALL the time! Just style it with a bunch of wild branches in a vase or even an indoor live plant and voila! It’s a sight for sore eyes! I decided to plant my arrow head plant in my teak wood vase. Saves me the trouble of switching branches every now and then. This house has strictly no fake plants policy! Finished with my personal photography printed and framed. #pedestals #westelm #woodenteakvase #upcycledbrain #elementsofstyle

A huge shoutout to @hangoutlighting lighting for bringing my imagination to life. I had been looking for dining lights for 6+months and nothing out there made me happy. Until I found the artwork of @sweethomewiscago and I realized that art can be converted to a lighting fixture with the help of hangout lighting team. I designed this in March of 2020 with gold, gunmetal, white and wood tones.. And had it delivered in a few months. Hangout lighting team was really amazing, they worked with me on my custom design and made it happen! I must say.. this is the focal point of my dining room. I love this light fixture so much!!

One of my fav designers. These neutrals are so light and airy. Not a dull moment here. @changoandco

Still obsessed with the organic shape of this mirror! It’s definitely a conversation starter 🧡 love that it is that perfect muted gold. Not at all flashy and overwhelming. #mycb2 #abelmirror #entrywaydecor #entryway #joliepaintnoir #joliepaint #upcycledbrain #cb2

A favorite place for humans and non humans in this house, age no bar! Either sipping on a cup of coffee or a bottle of milk to start the day ☕️, napping and bird watching 🪟during the day or unwinding with a cup of green tea 🍵 towards the end of the day 🧿🧿🧿 A house full of green plants is a natural decor win-win!🪴 🌱 💚 Textures, patterns, fabrics.. I love all of that mix! #sunroom #anthropologie #westelm #articlefurniture #bohosunroom #soldaybed #parirattanchair

Unwinding after a long day at work or home ? Love this sunroom Inspo from r.house_😍 so bright and airy.

Labor of love! ❤️ Makeover without breaking your bank ?? Yes, it’s possible! Part1 complete a lot more to be done still. Art, furniture, fixtures.. everything is back ordered due to the pandemic. But for now, we are super happy with the transformation! Hubs likes super modern so we liked this beautiful linen textured platform bed which is low and makes the room feel so much bigger than our previous bed which had a tall headboard. Mixing styles adds personality and interest to the space ❤️ Check highlights for details. #mycb2 #potterybarn #mcgeeandco #diy #masterbedroom #masterbedroommakeover #upcycledbrain #andeslaqueredlinenbed #cb2 #andesbed

Ever had a piece of furniture that was your absolute joy and love, you couldn’t get enough of it and then it started falling apart leaving you with no option but to part with it ? These beautiful Rose wood bone Inlay accent chairs form Anthropologie were my absolute pride and joy. They recently had a crack and have to go back to the manufacturer. Anthropology customer service has been amazing through out this entire process. I hope I can replace them with something similar. I am heartbroken at this point 💔 😭 This was a little bit of India 🇮🇳 in my home. It added so much personality and style to my living room. #anthropologie #accentchair #livingroomdecor #upcycled_brain

If your house could talk, what would you want it to say when you got home? I would want mine to say let’s have a bright, peppy and a happy day everyday! Me. Leia welcomes us most of the times and that’s my fav! And yes.. we’re awesome 😀❤️ Tying in the blues and maroons from our exterior into the foyer with this beautiful vintage rug and books for decor with some fresh wild greens. ❤️💙💚 I love how the organic shape of the mirror stands out against the clean straight lines of the console table and the stair case. #mycb2 #vintagerugs #entrancedecor #foyer #upcycled_Brain #buckinghampalaceinteriorsbook

Here’s an after of this beautiful smooth finish modern entryway console table. 😍❤️ It’s silhouette is so clean and neat that it had to have something as chic as black on it. I painted this console table with the color Noir by Jolie Paint and sealed with their wax. Such a pretty black color that coordinates well with warm or cool toned decor. If you are looking for a quick make over, this is a great black paint that helps you transform your piece completely! 😱 #joliepaint #mycb2 #furnitureflipprogress #diyhomedecor Entryway makeover on its way!! Steps to makeover/paint a console table. 1. Take out hardware and wipe down the furniture with a piece of cloth dipped in warm soapy water 2. I sanded the entire piece using a 120 grit medium sand paper from Jolie paints 3. Apply 1 coat of Jolie paint in Noir and let it dry 4. Sand with a fine grit sand paper before 2nd coat if you have any imperfections, apply 2nd coat of paint and let it dry. 5. Apply Jolie wax to small sections and rub it in, let it dry for 8 hours and repeat once again. 6. Let the piece cure for 2 weeks and don’t place anything on top of it.

This table with it’s beautiful silhouette caught my attention and I had grand ideas of flipping this one into a modern entry way console table. This is a new buy from wayfair. I have searched for a very long time to buy a console table for my foyer. When I saw this table I was instantly in love with it for its petite structure. The only issue was the color. So I decided to up-cycle it! Watch out for this beauty making it’s debut shortly.