On June 3rd of last summer, we moved into our 6th home in Leavenworth, Kansas. As a Marine Corps family, the news of moving to an Army base/area came as quite a shock; and to this day, I can STILL remember my exact words and reaction when I learned that we’d be moving to Kansas. Everyone told us we’d love it; and while I’m not convinced it was “the best year of our life” (Army joke), I can now say that it sure was a wonderful year full of great new friends and fun times, and was an all-around enriching experience for our entire family. In addition to some great family time and exploring as much of the midwest as we could, I filled a lot of my time making this house into our home and sharing all my temporary and renter-friendly solutions with you all along the way. In just under one year of living in this house, I shared 8 room makeovers, 3 home tours, and 60+ project tutorials and more across 133 blog posts! Before I officially close this latest chapter in our military journey, I wanted to share one final tour of our Kansas home so you can see how it came together from top to bottom (mostly!). And just like our North Carolina Home Tour last summer, you might want to grab a drink and settle in…because it’s a big house 😉

You can catch up on previous tours of this home here:

WELCOME TO KANSAS | BEFORE

WE’RE HERE FOR A YEAR | 3-MONTHS IN TOUR

WE’RE HERE FOR A YEAR | 6-MONTHS IN TOUR

This military family rented this house for only 1 year. You won't believe everything they did to it!

This house is a split-level, 2,200ish square foot home in Leavenworth, Kansas. It has four bedrooms, 2 family rooms, 3 bathrooms, and a great backyard. It is easily the most space we’ve ever had (and likely will ever have!); and although I wasn’t crazy about the split-level layout when we first moved in, over the year I learned to love and appreciate how functional of a floor plan it really is!

As you enter in the front door, you are greeted by a small landing and an opportunity to go either up or down. Although the space was tight, I made the most of the space we did have to install a mini command center, complete with a shelf for dropping mail, keys and other items, a bulletin board, and a series of hooks for bags, coats, and hats. Even though this was one of the very first projects I completed in this home, it was something we used all year long and was probably the best use of a single wall in the entire house!

You can see the full Command Center Tour HERE!

Command Center Before

Kansas | Command Center Redux

Command Center Bulletin Board Mail Organization

Command Center Redux-16

Command Center Final

Let’s go upstairs first!

As you come up the half flight of stairs, the spacious living room is just off the to left. We chose to make the upstairs living space more of the “adult” family/living room and the downstairs living space the playroom. As such, we filled this room with more “mature” pieces and finishes, but everything was still kid-friendly since Henry often played up here too. Instead of painting in this home, I embraced the neutral walls throughout the home…and this room really showed me what all can be done when you have a simple and neutral base! This room was easily my favorite space in the entire home thanks to the striped fireplace detail, state artwork, and fun combination of fabrics and patterns around the room!

You can see the full Living Room Tour HERE!

Neutral furniture and colorful accessories transform this boring rental living room into a preppy and playful family space!

Neutral furniture and colorful accessories transform this boring rental living room into a preppy and playful family space!

Neutral furniture and colorful accessories transform this boring rental living room into a preppy and playful family space!

Neutral furniture and colorful accessories transform this boring rental living room into a preppy and playful family space! Neutral furniture and colorful accessories transform this boring rental living room into a preppy and playful family space! Neutral furniture and colorful accessories transform this boring rental living room into a preppy and playful family space! Neutral furniture and colorful accessories transform this boring rental living room into a preppy and playful family space!

Neutral furniture and colorful accessories transform this boring rental living room into a preppy and playful family space!

Neutral furniture and colorful accessories transform this boring rental living room into a preppy and playful family space!

On the other side of the wall in the living room is the shared kitchen and dining spaces. If you look diagonally from the couch, you look right into the dining room. The hardwood floors, nice big window, and high ceilings made this an effortless place to furnish and decorate…using all things we had from previous homes!

You can see the full Dining Room Tour HERE!

Simple updates and affordable accessories transform this bland and boring rental kitchen into a fun and functional space to dine, cook, and entertain!

Simple updates and affordable accessories transform this bland and boring rental kitchen into a fun and functional space to dine, cook, and entertain!

Simple updates and affordable accessories transform this bland and boring rental kitchen into a fun and functional space to dine, cook, and entertain!

Simple updates and affordable accessories transform this bland and boring rental kitchen into a fun and functional space to dine, cook, and entertain!

Simple updates and affordable accessories transform this bland and boring rental kitchen into a fun and functional space to dine, cook, and entertain!

Just next to the dining space, within the same room, is the small but mighty kitchen. I was initially worried about the size of the kitchen and the amount of cabinets (I may be a #dishhoarder), but thanks to extra wide and deep cabinets and drawers, everything fit just fine! The all-brown finishes were not my favorite, but a few DIY details and organizational solutions made this a great place to prepare meals, eat, and entertain!

You can see the full Kitchen Tour HERE!

Simple updates and affordable accessories transform this bland and boring rental kitchen into a fun and functional space to dine, cook, and entertain!

Simple updates and affordable accessories transform this bland and boring rental kitchen into a fun and functional space to dine, cook, and entertain!

Simple updates and affordable accessories transform this bland and boring rental kitchen into a fun and functional space to dine, cook, and entertain! Simple updates and affordable accessories transform this bland and boring rental kitchen into a fun and functional space to dine, cook, and entertain! Simple updates and affordable accessories transform this bland and boring rental kitchen into a fun and functional space to dine, cook, and entertain! Simple updates and affordable accessories transform this bland and boring rental kitchen into a fun and functional space to dine, cook, and entertain!

Just off the kitchen, out a door between the kitchen and dining spaces is a very large and lovely deck that leads out to a very spacious backyard. We hemmed and hawed so much about giving this deck space a quick and budget-friendly update since we would only be here a year. We ultimately decided to take advantage of end-of-season sales last Fall and transformed the deck into a space we used every chance we got! Between the brutal sun and heat, the canopy was one of the best things we did out here. The other? That green astroturf on the deck. We never needed shoes to walk outside, essentially making the deck an extension of our indoor living spaces!

You can see the full Deck Tour HERE!

Outside space before

Preppy Deck Makeover

Kansas | Pretty & Preppy Deck Makeover

Deck Makeover

The Homes I Have Made - 6 Months In Home Tour - Deck

The Homes I Have Made - 6 Months In Home Tour - Deck

Back inside, let’s head down the hallway from the living room/dining room/kitchen area…

Make the most of every inch you have in your linen closet by using these smart and savvy storage solutions for table linens, batteries, medicine, towels, blankets and more!

The first door on the left is a coat closet, which never got any special treatment. The second door on the left is the linen closet, which did get a spiffy little makeover in our final months here!

You can see the full Linen Closet Tour HERE!

Make the most of every inch you have in your linen closet by using these smart and savvy storage solutions for table linens, batteries, medicine, towels, blankets and more!
Make the most of every inch you have in your linen closet by using these smart and savvy storage solutions for table linens, batteries, medicine, towels, blankets and more!

Make the most of every inch you have in your linen closet by using these smart and savvy storage solutions for table linens, batteries, medicine, towels, blankets and more!

The first door on the right is Henry’s bedroom…a nice-sized room that was easy to setup and decorate thanks to many of the projects that were completed in our previous home. This was the very first room unpacked and the very first room “finished. The mix and match of furniture, bright happy colors, and subtle theme all make this room another favorite!

You can see the full Henry’s Bedroom Tour HERE!

Check out this adorable jungle-themed little boy's room! It's full of easy and colorful DIY projects, playful accessories and fun decor ideas...perfect for a growing and active little boy!

Check out this adorable jungle-themed little boy's room! It's full of easy and colorful DIY projects, playful accessories and fun decor ideas...perfect for a growing and active little boy!

Check out this adorable jungle-themed little boy's room! It's full of easy and colorful DIY projects, playful accessories and fun decor ideas...perfect for a growing and active little boy!

Check out this adorable jungle-themed little boy's room! It's full of easy and colorful DIY projects, playful accessories and fun decor ideas...perfect for a growing and active little boy!

Check out this adorable jungle-themed little boy's room! It's full of easy and colorful DIY projects, playful accessories and fun decor ideas...perfect for a growing and active little boy!

Check out this adorable jungle-themed little boy's room! It's full of easy and colorful DIY projects, playful accessories and fun decor ideas...perfect for a growing and active little boy!

The second door on the right down the hallway is Greg’s office, which I never touched and therefor never photographed 😉 But across the hall was our master bedroom. This room was the largest and brightest of all the bedrooms, which was definitely a luxury after our previous cave-of-a-master-bedroom. While the light-colored walls in this room didn’t quite flatter our light furniture, we still really enjoyed this spacious retreat at the end of each day!

You can see the full Master Bedroom Tour HERE!

Simple and sweet DIY details transform this master bedroom into a serene and peaceful retreat!

Simple and sweet DIY details transform this master bedroom into a serene and peaceful retreat!

Simple and sweet DIY details transform this master bedroom into a serene and peaceful retreat!

Simple and sweet DIY details transform this master bedroom into a serene and peaceful retreat!

Simple and sweet DIY details transform this master bedroom into a serene and peaceful retreat!

Simple and sweet DIY details transform this master bedroom into a serene and peaceful retreat!

Right off the master bedroom is the master bathroom, which like the bedroom, gave us more light and space than we’ve ever had in a bathroom. There’s just something to be said about a non-builder-basic bathroom (which is all we have known until this point); and thanks to a few simple accessories, this bathroom felt like a spa-like retreat to get ready in each day!

You can see the full Master Bathroom Tour HERE!

Simple and sweet DIY details transform this master bedroom into a serene and peaceful retreat!

Simple and sweet DIY details transform this master bedroom into a serene and peaceful retreat!

Simple and sweet DIY details transform this master bedroom into a serene and peaceful retreat!

Simple and sweet DIY details transform this master bedroom into a serene and peaceful retreat!

With the upstairs tour complete, let’s head back downstairs to go through the lower level!

This is the very first time living in a house with steps (which definitely took some getting used to in the beginning!). The extra living space downstairs was transformed into a fun and vibrant playroom/bonus room for Henry (and family moving watching). While this space has been a true luxury in terms of size and function, we have felt a bit spread out across the house this year. There might be such a thing as too much space for us!

You can see the full Playroom Tour HERE!

Check out how this military family transformed their rental basement into a fun and functional playroom complete with smart toy storage and whimsical DIY decorations!

Check out how this military family transformed their rental basement into a fun and functional playroom complete with smart toy storage and whimsical DIY decorations!

Check out how this military family transformed their rental basement into a fun and functional playroom complete with smart toy storage and whimsical DIY decorations!

Check out how this military family transformed their rental basement into a fun and functional playroom complete with smart toy storage and whimsical DIY decorations!

Check out how this military family transformed their rental basement into a fun and functional playroom complete with smart toy storage and whimsical DIY decorations!

Check out how this military family transformed their rental basement into a fun and functional playroom complete with smart toy storage and whimsical DIY decorations!

One of the things that really sold me on this house was the large fourth bedroom downstairs off the play space. Not only did this allow me ample space to spread out with crafting and work (again, maybe too much space!), but also put me downstairs with Henry while he is playing. The vibrant wallpaper and amount of space sure made this a wonderful place to create all year long; but at night, I often felt like I was always by myself “down in the dungeon” (as I would say!) This room really allowed me to spread out, which I think will prove a sizable challenge for any future homes. Still…I’m fully aware of what a truly #luckygal I am!

You can see the full Home Office & Craft Space Tour HERE!

Check out this modern home office and craft space full of smart storage solutions, a hardworking layout, and vibrant design details!

Check out this modern home office and craft space full of smart storage solutions, a hardworking layout, and vibrant design details!

Check out this modern home office and craft space full of smart storage solutions, a hardworking layout, and vibrant design details!

Check out this modern home office and craft space full of smart storage solutions, a hardworking layout, and vibrant design details!

Check out this modern home office and craft space full of smart storage solutions, a hardworking layout, and vibrant design details!

Using an armoire is a clever and effective way to store office supplies!

Check out this modern home office and craft space full of smart storage solutions, a hardworking layout, and vibrant design details!

Check out this modern home office and craft space full of smart storage solutions, a hardworking layout, and vibrant design details!

Check out this modern home office and craft space full of smart storage solutions, a hardworking layout, and vibrant design details!

Check out this modern home office and craft space full of smart storage solutions, a hardworking layout, and vibrant design details!

Last but not least, let’s take a quick peak at the laundry room! Our laundry room sits at the back corner of the house, through a bathroom that never got any love. Even though it is tucked so far back, like any laundry room it certainly sees it’s share of hard work, so I couldn’t resist turning it into a charming place to sort and do laundry! The spur-of-the-moment flamingo paper I put on the walls sure was one of the funnest details in our entire home!

You can see the full Laundry Room Tour HERE!

Laundry Room Before

Laundry Room After

Kansas | Simple & Sweet Laundry Room Reveal

Rolling Laundry Cart

Laundry Cart

Wow! What a year, right?!?!? Admittedly, it can become all-too-easy in the day-to-day life of running a blog to forget about certain projects and makeovers, as well as underestimate the power of easy home decor, smart organization systems, and the fun and personalized details that truly make a house a home. Because we were here for just a year, I certainly was willing to take risks and try things I perhaps wouldn’t do in a longer-term home; but I also think it was these exact risks that made this house so fun and unique and one we will always remember! There are spaces and moments in this home I know I will work hard to replicate in the next; and yet there are others I am willing to let go of forever. You”ll have to wait and see which is which 😉

Our time in Kansas has been so special, and one we will look back on with very good memories. There were indeed times it felt like the year would never end (and the temperatures would never cool!); and yet, it all came to a close so, so fast. In what seems to be in a blink of an eye, this house is yet again empty…returned to its original state, as all of our homes eventually are. All those moments around the house, good and bad, are down and boxed up and sent on their way…and I now only have these pictures to remember it all by. We were only here for a year…but what a good, good year it was!

See You Soon!
Megan