Well, my sweet friends, we made it. Our toes are officially fully dipped into the experience of 2017. If you're like most of the people I've come across, 2016 wasn't a very great year for you. But we can't simply dwell on the negative. And it also doesn't do us much good to mentally block it out. Today's post is a focus and reflection. By looking at the top 5 most popular posts of 2016 and the least popular posts of 2016, I hope to get a better understanding of what it is you enjoy seeing here.

A Reflection On 2016: 5 Faves & 5 Flops

I've joined in on this reflection with a few other bloggers. So once you've perused what 2016 looked like for A Designer At Home, make sure you stick around and check out the other posts at the end.

Let's get the bad out of the way first, shall we?

10 Ways To Save On Summer Utility Costs

One of the biggest disappointments on this list was my series that included our hot water heater replacement journey, tips for utility cost savings, before and after cost comparisons, etc. I had high hopes for the series. If you missed it and want to hear more about how we explored comfort beyond the pretty things in our home, here's the list of posts.

Holiday Gift Guide For The Homebody

I'm not going to write off shopping guides entirely, and you'll see why when we get to the top 5 ;-), but maybe an eclectic assortment of things I'm personally jonesing for isn't what you guys care to read about so much. To be fair, I wasn't here much in December. I was spending more time with my family. And you guys probably were, too. And a post that recent isn't likely to out rank posts that are months old anyways, right?

Art From Other Cultures: Get The Global Boho Look

Another post I'm not happy to see do so poorly. I loved partnering with my two good friends to bring you loads of tips and advice for creating a globally inspired boho look in the home. This particular post focused on using art inspired by and from around the world to add a global flavor to the home.

Dog Best Friend Essentials

Okay, that's fair. Everyone always things the world is obsessed with their beloved pet. And I find pet care to be a very, very personal subject. Dietary needs vary from dog to dog just like with people to people. And some dogs love fetch while others would rather chew on a squeaker. The next time I chat about my sweet pup, I'll be sure to avoid those kinds of topics.

Gypsy Maximalist $1000 Living Room E-Design

I'm personally not really willing to give up this series I took on. I love creating affordable, stylish imaginary spaces. This particular space is so full of color and fun, bold design choices. So far, it's my favorite space I've shared. If you missed them, or want to look back on them, here's the previous $1,000 room designs.

And then what you DID like...

How & Why We Removed Our Shower Doors

This post wasn't even from 2016. But for the second year in a row, you guys were enthralled with the nasty mold situation that we uncovered when we removed our shower door frame. I can't really blame you. I oftentimes find myself in the weird part of YouTube. I'm not really sure how to kind of thing could be applicable to future posts, but if I run into something gross and it leaves me feeling like I'll never have something installed, I'll be sure to share that!

My Biggest Bathroom Remodel Regret

You guys like the gross... And you like it when bad things happen? ¡Bromeando! But really, I think the real life ups and downs are something you guys find relateable. And guess what? I love that stuff, too. So when I've got a story or two like that, please make sure you're chiming in with your experiences in the comments. It helps us all when we're not feeling alone and crazy.

Free Watercolor Download

Everybody loves free things. Even myself. So again I'm not surprised that for the second year in a row, this post is in the top 5. Between craziness with my old job, mom life, and a printer/scanner that just abso-freaking-lutely refused to cooperate, I didn't get any more of these fun freebies up. 2017 is a new year though and I hope to have more goodies for you! Let me know what kinds of downloadables you'd like to see in the comments, capisce?

Where To Buy Bohemian Pillows

Amidst doing some shopping and research, I found a gold mine of fantastic bohemian style pillows. And I had to share what I found. This guide breaks gorgeous pillows down by color and they're all super affordable. When you're in the market for new pillows, don't forget to reference this guide!

Eclectic Bohemian Summer Home Tour

Spoiler alert: Next week my favorite challenge comes back and I have big plans for a space I've gone back and forth on a lot last year. If you like tours, before the end of the month you'll have a brand new one. I especially enjoyed this tour and I'm glad you did, too. My summer home is my favorite because I just love summer!

Well my friends, that wraps up my first post of 2017. Looking back on 2016, I can tell you there will be more full room and home tours. I'll be sharing more "Where To Buy" guides when I find a great source for something I and you will love. To the best of my non graphic design having abilities, I'll bring you printables and downloadables in line with the style you've come to expect here. And as much bad news as I can- hopefully I'll disappoint and won't have any bad news but rather experiences that maybe we all could learn a little something from. I'd like to get back into some of the old favorite crafts, too. I did see many of my macrame posts hit pretty high on the list. Let's bring that back!