’69 Bronco Makeover

Angela Rose standing next to her restored 1969 bronco.

If you’ve been following me on Instagram at any point during the last two years, you’ve probably seen a bunch of posts and stories about my beautiful ‘69 Bronco! Restoring this car is a project that is close to my heart and I’m so happy with how she turned out. This process has taken a long time (690 days to be exact!) and with the help of some truly amazing people we were able to finish my 1969 Bronco Makeover! 

Making a High School Dream Come True

I remember seeing a vintage bronco as a teenager and instantly falling in love. It was such a cool car and I thought to myself, “One day I want a rad old Bronco. It’ll happen.” It’s been a dream of mine ever since to own one. Restoring this car has been one of the most fun adventures of my life!

 

 
 
 
 
 
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Getting the Bronco

The first thing I needed to do was buy a vintage bronco to fix up. Luckily I was able to find and purchase one from a sweet family that lives an hour away from me. Not going to lie, I was nervous to close the deal because it was such a big purchase, but I walked away happy with my new (to me) 1969 bronco. 

Angela Rose standing next to a red vintage 1969 bronco.

The next step was to figure out how to get the car to start. We took it to three different mechanics and still couldn’t get it running. My dad and Craig were determined to get my bronco to start so they ended up swapping my engine with our friend’s engine and putting it into my bronco. Our friend is restoring his bronco too and no longer needed the engine so it worked out great!

Now that the car was up and running, I just needed to relearn how to drive stick. It’s been 20 years since I last drove a stick shift in high school, but with some lessons from Craig, I got the hang of it. Eventually I mastered how to reverse, go up a hill, and pull into the garage, all without stalling! That time I spent driving my bronco around town was really special for me. I really wanted to experience the car in her full original glory before we started fixing her up. I wanted to get to know her and appreciate all she’s been through.

A profile photo of a red vintage 1969 bronco.

I know it may seem like just a car but this bronco means a lot to me. It came into my life at exactly the time I needed and serves as a metaphor for so many things in my life. What a history she’s had in her 54 years! Beautiful, but definitely could use some love. So much potential with so many good memories ahead. I couldn’t wait to start restoring her.

Restoring the Bronco

Time for the makeover! It’s actually a funny story, a woman named Danielle reached out to me on Instagram and said “I don’t have a bronco but I know a guy who could restore yours.” I met up with her and her friend, David, for drinks one night and left knowing I had met the PERFECT person for the job!

David is an entrepreneur from Australia with a thriving business (he invented a machine that sucks up horse manure, how crazy is that?!) and he restores cars as a hobby and is always working on a restoration.

Instagram story screenshot about David.

First we removed the red paint and stripped the car down to its frame. Then we took the body of the car (the doors, tailgate, hood, etc.) off the chassis. I had never heard of a chassis before and I learned that a chassis is the base of the car that consists of the engine, transmission, frame, suspension, steering, brakes, and wheels. The chassis of my original bronco was pretty old and worn so this great shop, Velocity, built a brand new one for me!

Instagram story screenshot of bronco frame.

Instagram story screenshot of original bronco chassis.

Instagram story screenshot of new chassis.

The next step was to paint the body of the car and then bolt it down to the new chassis. Choosing a paint color was quite a process, but more on that later. It took two forklifts and several pairs of hands but we were able to lower the body of the car down onto the new chassis and secure it with the 8 bolts on the frame. I had never seen anything like it and I was fascinated to see how cars are put together. 

Instagram story screenshot of frame being bolted to chassis.

Customizing the Bronco

Then it was time for the fun part, picking out every detail from the bronco! I wanted the car to feel personal to me and I wanted to have as many bronco symbols and logos on the car as possible. 

Paint Color 

Like I mentioned earlier, deciding what color to paint my bronco was a big deal. I had two visions in mind for this car and I just had to decide what vibe I was going for. I loved them both and it was so hard to choose one. 

Option 1: Stain Glass Stripes

Instagram story screenshot of paint color option 1.

This option was actually inspired by my jacket and the sunset stain glass I made. It feels hopeful and bright, but also feels like it could be just a snapshot of this particular moment of my life. I was worried it would feel too trendy. 

Option 2: Mint Stripe

Instagram story screenshot of paint color option 2.

This option feels like old me with the green, plus current me in the stripes, plus future me. It feels fun, tough, fresh, and kinda beachy! I don’t think I’d ever get tired of it. It feels happy and relaxed, like it could be old, current, and future Ang. 

Mockups of the two paint color options.

In the end I went with the mint stripes and I’m SO glad I did. It’s perfect. Watching David paint my bronco was actually really fun to watch. He was such a pro and made sure to spray the paint in these smooth, sweeping motions. He did three coats of paint and then three coats of clear coat. I remember when he first started painting the body, I turned to Craig and said “I love the color, it makes me want some mint chocolate chip ice cream!”

Close up of green painted bronco frame.

Air Vents and Dashboard

When we were designing the dashboard and picking vents, I learned that most vintage broncos don’t have AC. Well, I live in Las Vegas so you can bet that we figured out a way to have AC in my car, and LOTS of it. We were able to squeeze in 4 AC vents and I decided to go with vent option 3 because I liked the overall look and with the smaller circle I knew I could squeeze in several vents.

Instagram story screenshot of AC vent options.

Interior

I knew I wanted leather for the interior of my gorgeous bronco, but I just had to decide on a color. The goal was to pick something with some warmth but that wasn’t too orange or hot. Option 2 was the winner and it looked amazing with the diamond stitching.

Instagram story screenshot of interior choices.

Close up of diamond stitching on leather bronco seats.

Wheels

Who knew that the type of wheels you have on your car can totally change the overall look? I found myself deciding between two types of wheels. The first option was white and cute and the second option was black, bubbly, and tough. I went with option 2 because I wanted a touch of cuteness, but I really wanted that tough look on my bronco.

Instagram story screenshot of wheel options.

 

Close up of Angela Rose's restored bronco.

Other Finishing Touches

Remember when I said I wanted as many bronco logos and symbols on this car as possible? Well, I wasn’t kidding! I have a bronco silhouette on my steering wheel, bronco logos on different parts of the body, and even a light that projects the bronco logo onto the ground when you open the car door. How rad is that?! 

Close up of bronco steering wheel.

Close up of bronco logo.

Instagram story screenshot of bronco projected light.

We made a custom grill for the front of the car and I seriously love it. The grill is white with a chrome trim and the big “FORD” letters in red. Best decision ever! 

Close up of bronco grill.

1969 Bronco Makeover 

I’m obsessed with my ‘69 Bronco and love how she’s already bringing my little family closer together. I remember when we first brought the bronco home from the previous owner’s house, my daughter ran up to me and asked if we could wash it together. That first family car wash with our Bronco was so special to me, it felt like this car was already helping us create happy memories together. I can’t wait to make more memories in this bronco with family and friends for years to come!

Angela Rose sitting in the back of her 1969 Bronco.

Interested in seeing other makeovers I’ve done over the years? Here are some of my favorites:

To see the many, many stories of my bronco makeover journey, check out my highlights on Instagram and if you’re looking for some cute bronco merch, look at these amazing shirts Velocity made for me!

Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission. Read the full privacy policy here.

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Fireplace Room Decor

Image of Angela Rose's front fireplace room with decorated floating shelves.

Remember that one time I gave my front room a makeover and transformed into a cozy, inviting space with a stunning fireplace? I definitely do! I love it so much and seeing it everyday as I come down my new staircase puts a big smile on my face. 

Since completing my front room project, I’ve received several DMs asking how I went about decorating the space and for links to the specific products I used. So I decided to put all my fireplace room decor items in one place!

The Front Room

As a refresher, here’s a little more info about the space. 

For years and years I had dreamt of a gorgeous built-in fireplace for my home, but never quite had the right layout for one. When I bought my new house and saw the front room, all I could see was how much potential was in that space. That’s when I knew it would be the perfect room for a gorgeous fireplace design!

The fireplace makeover was quite the process, but it was completely worth it. Here’s the step-by-step process of how I created the front room of my dreams. I wanted the fireplace to really stand out so I did my own DIY fireplace tiling and I’m in love with the results. All there was left to do was decorate the space to give it that polished look. 

Image of the fireplace front room with empty shelves.

The Furniture

Furniture is obviously essential for a sitting room, but that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice style for function. I found the best sofa and arm chairs for this space and made sure that they’re comfortable and look great. I paired these furniture items with a beautiful geometric rug and the room came together beautifully!

Photos of the Hamilton leather couch.

Hamilton Leather Sofa from West Elm

I love the Burnt Sienna color of this sofa and the leather has a timeless look while being durable enough for a house filled with three kids! 

Photo of West Elm arm chair.

Cane Arms Chair from West Elm

I actually have two of these amazing arm chairs that sit directly across from the leather sofa. With that furniture configuration, the room feels intimate and elevated.

Photo of checkered rug in front room.

Ivory & Pebble Rug from The Amira Collection by Loloi x Angela Rose  

I absolutely adore this Moroccan-inspired rug and not just because it’s from my collab collection with Loloi! The extra-plush rug is so cozy and easy to maintain, plus I love the pattern.

The Shelf Decor

I’m a big fan of floating shelves and the shelves in my front room are the perfect place to add some decor. You can find a list of all my favorite decor items here, but I’ll highlight a few below. 

 

Photo of marble candle holders.

Modern Marble Taper Candle Holders – This set of 6 candle holders is great for displaying mood-setting candles and I love the different styles. 

 

Image of boho terracotta planter used in decoration.

Boho Terracotta Footed Planter – This planter is perfect for showing off some fresh greenery and I like how the little feet give it some height. 

Close up image of Kenya Bone Beads for decoration.

Kenya Bone BeadsThese beads have a unique look that I just love and they add dimension to the shelves. 

Photo of 3 ceramic vases.

Ceramic Rustic Vases –  These terracotta vases work great as decor pieces on their own, but sometimes I like to add faux or fresh flowers. 

Image of walnut wood frame.

Walnut Wood FrameYou can always find a framed picture of my family somewhere in the house. It adds that personal touch to any space!

Photo of decorative walnut wood book ends.

Walnut Wood Bookends – Another way to add a personal touch to your space is by displaying your favorite books with these nice bookends. 

Seasonal Decor

One thing I love about decor is how you can switch out pieces to match the season or celebrate an upcoming holiday! Put some fresh wildflowers in one of your vases for Spring, swap out your throw pillows with some patriotic ones for the Fourth of July, or add an adorable little pumpkin to your shelf for fall.

Like so many of you, I love having my house decorated for Christmas! It’s such a magical and cozy time of year and I like to bring all those holiday vibes into my home. Here’s how my shelves looked during Christmastime, don’t you just love it? All the different Christmas pieces come together for the perfect holiday look. Here are some more of my favorite Christmas decorations.

Photo of floating shelves decorated for christmas.

Modern Fireplace Room Decor

So much time and effort went into transforming my front room into the amazing space it is now and decorating it was really the cherry on top! I could just be cozied up in this room all day long. If you have a room you’ve been meaning to decorate, do it!

Corner of the front room with decorated shelves.

Looking for more decorating ideas? I’ve got more blog posts for you to check out :

For more DIY inspo and tips along the way, follow me on Instagram @angelarosehome

Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission. Read the full privacy policy here.

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Modern Staircase Design Project

Angela Rose showing off her new modern staircase.

We’re already a few months into 2025 and you guys this year I’m focusing on CELEBRATING PROGRESS! I decided to focus on progress because even though it’s super fun to swipe through after photos, it takes a lot of time and effort to create a home and I really want to slow down and enjoy the process! 

My first project of the year (and one I’ve wanted to do for 2 ½ years!!) was renovating my staircase! I’ve been dreaming about a modern staircase design since the kids and I moved in a couple of years ago and I finally got around to it. Better late than never, right?

Simple and Sleek Staircase Reno

I DEMO-ed the staircase myself which was fun, but so exhausting! For the stair installation, I decided to hire some local professionals to help me to speed up the process. The last time I renovated a staircase it took me about 3 months to complete and this time around I wanted to finish up the project faster for the safety of my kids. Call me crazy, but I don’t love the idea of my 3 kids using stairs that are under construction and don’t have a railing!

That’s where Alex and his team from Nevada Stairs comes in. He helped me bring my staircase design to life in less than a week! SO much faster than the 3 months it took me last time (and 3 less months of me worrying about a kid falling off the stairs). 

Stick with me and I’ll walk you through what the team and I did to create this beautiful modern staircase.

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Angela Rose | DIY and Design (@angelarosehome)

Picking a Staircase Design

Like I said, I’ve been waiting for this project since the moment we moved in, so I knew exactly how I wanted my staircase to look. I wanted something modern, sleek, and simple and it came down to these two inspo staircases. Shoutout to @wedovisuals for creating these two renderings of the different styles. Having these visuals helped me SO much in the decision-making process!

Option #1 – Sleek and Simple

Sleek and Simple Staircase rendering photo.

Option #2 – Simple with a Twist

Simple with a Twist Staircase rendering photo.

After thinking about it a ton and getting feedback from my AMAZING followers on Instagram, I decided to go with the simple and sleek design. 100% the right choice. I love it! 

Removing the Old Staircase

Guys, it took me 11 HOURS to demo this staircase! Honestly it was pretty fun and very satisfying, but I was dead! The entire demo included railing removal, glued down trim removal (this was by far the most time consuming part), carpet/tack strip removal, and final nail and staple clean up. The whole thing made for a great workout and I highly recommend demo work as an addition to therapy if you’re looking for one. 

Pro Tip: Use a small sledgehammer for knocking down the railing, it worked way better than a large one. Also, crowbars are great for loosening up tough pieces!

Angela Rose ready to demolish her old staircase.

Pile of demolished staircase railings on the floor.

One extra step I had to do for this particular staircase was getting rid of the volutes. Volutes are those curly pieces you see at the beginning of a stair handrail. They’re supposed to add an elegant look, but I’ve never liked them and they just made my house feel outdated. I wanted a straight, modern edge on my staircase so I had to remove the railing and carefully cut off the bottom and square it off. With some power tools, crowbars, and help from reinforcements we were able to get rid of the volute piece! 

Close up of Angela Rose's old staircase.

Installing the New Staircase 

This isn’t my first rodeo when it comes to staircases. I’ve renovated a staircase before and it was one of my favorite projects! I learned so much during that project and it gave me SO much perspective as I approached this staircase reno. 

After going back and forth, I decided to do a wooden staircase instead of a carpeted staircase. At first my kids were bummed about losing the carpet on the stairs. They loved using the stairs for their marble runs and wood stairs would make that a bit trickier. But eventually they forgave me and now they love the look of the new stairs as much as I do!  

The floors in my main room are by Hewn Flooring in the Aurora color (which I LOVE) so I wanted to create a staircase that matched my floors. Unfortunately, I ran into a little issue. Hewn Flooring makes great stair treads and materials in the same gorgeous Aurora color, but given my layout and the difficulty of the exposed sides of my stairs, they weren’t going to work for this particular project. So I had to pivot and I had Nevada Stairs make custom treads to match my Hewn floors. They also helped me out with the handrail and railing.

Photo of a custom stair tread.

Then it was time to install everything and I have to say, I’m so grateful for the talented professionals at Nevada Stairs! I was constantly amazed at the great work they did and had to take a moment to appreciate the amount of measurements and thought that went into this handrail work. They were recommended by some of my friends and I can totally understand why! Although this might seem like a sponsored post by now, it’s not, I just really like their work! 

Photo of the new treads installed on the staircase.

Close up of the newly installed staircase handrail.

Close up of newly installed handrail on staircase.

After Alex finished up, there were only two things left for me to do: patch up the stair corners and add baseboard.  Now here’s a fun fact about me, I try to avoid extra trim AT ALL COSTS and that’s exactly what I did on the stair corners for this project. I had drywallers telling me that I couldn’t use mud on those spots because it wouldn’t hold up, but I knew the look I was going for and I was curious to see if I could make it work somehow. 

So you guessed it, I went with my heart and used the mud!! If or when it doesn’t hold up, I’ll figure it out. Just like in life, I’m not sure what’s going to happen next, but I can trust myself at each step to make the next best decision. Just a cute little DIY life lesson for you.

With the stair corners all patched up, it was time to add the baseboards as the finishing touch. I measured and cut the baseboard, nailed it into place, and then caulked along the top of it. Just like that, my beautiful modern staircase design project was finally complete!

Modern Staircase Design Project

Even though it took 2 ½ years, my gorgeous new staircase was TOTALLY worth the wait! I love the look and what it adds to the whole space. Doing the demo myself was a blast and I’m so thankful for the great work by Nevada Stairs with the new tread, risers, and railing. If you’ve been waiting years to tackle a project, this is your sign to get started!

Wide view of Angela Rose's new staircase.

View of small handrail on Angela Rose's staircase.

View from the top of the new modern staircase.

The view of the stairs from the second floor.

If you’re looking for more home renovation inspo, check out some my other projects:

For more DIY inspo and tips along the way, follow me on Instagram @angelarosehome

Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission. Read the full privacy policy here.

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2024 DIY Project Round-Up

Brown bathroom vanity with gold hardware and a gold framed arched mirror to match featured in a newly renovated guest bathroom.

2024 came to a close and I am excited to welcome 2025! But before I do…I want to reflect on what I accomplished this past year. We need to celebrate the wins before moving on to the next big thing. Looking back at all the DIY magic made in 2024, I hope it sparks some ideas for your next project and maybe even helps you take a moment to appreciate your own creative wins—big or small!

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2-Day Laundry Glow-Up

A newly renovated laundry room with an LG washer and dryer, green cabinets hanging on the wall, and a picture that reads, You glorious, beautiful mess.

Do you have a space in your house that is in desperate need of a makeover, but you don’t have the time to spend weeks committing to a major reno? If so, I’ve got an inspo post for you!

My laundry room desperately needed a little upgrade, so I decided to give it a 2-day laundry glow-up! Best of all? It only took me a weekend to complete! This space looks totally transformed with a new LG washer and dryer, fresh cabinet doors, and some artwork hung on the wall. I’ve never been so excited to do laundry!

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Colton’s Boy’s Bedroom Makeover

Angela sitting on a bed in her boy's bedroom.

While on vacation, I saw some super rad headboards painted on the wall. They were amazing, and I just knew I wanted to recreate something similar in my own house. So for Colton’s 13th birthday, I gave him a super fun boy’s bedroom makeover. And it provided the perfect opportunity to create a DIY-painted headboard wall that I was dying to make!

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DIY Kids Space Closet

Make your own under the stairs space closet with this tutorial from Angela Rose. www.angelarosehome.com

You guys, nothing brings out my inner nerd more than making fun themed spaces for my kids. It makes me so happy! Remember the DIY Hogwarts Great Hall? And the Giant Lite Brite? And did you see the way I geeked out over my dad’s Eclipse photos? I’ve always been fascinated by space!

Over the last two years, both of my boys have become OBSESSED with outer space. As in, they put together their own space presentations for Aubrey and me. It’s the best!

Hence, the reason for this under the stairs space closet!

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DIY Built-in Mudroom

Check out my DIY mudroom transformation at www.angelarosehome.com

Sometimes when I start a project, my vision for it changes along the way. For the most part, this DIY built-in mudroom project turned out pretty close to what I imagined. I combined a few different elements from the inspiration photos and put together a list of my must haves: moody paint, a stained bench, vertical planking, gold hooks, and the finishing touch – arches! While I debated doing open or closed lockers, I figured the extra step to open the lockers and hang a backpack wouldn’t work well for my kids. So I went with open dividers and I love the way it turned out!

I’m sharing with you all the steps I followed to create a DIY built-in mudroom for my kids (and myself!) in our house. 

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