Professional headshot of Tamarah at AFRO AND REno. She is wearing overalls with a black shirt and purple sweater

Hi I’m Tamarah! I am a Software engineer by day and DIY all the things in my free time. 

Image of Tamarah posing in front of a closet holding a brad nailer. She is wearing a white floral dress
Image of Tamarah posing in front of a closet holding a brad nailer. She is wearing a white floral dress

My Story

I have 13 years experience building Web Applications/Websites and discovered my love for all things tech in College. I enjoy building, websites  in React, Python, Javascript, and now I enjoy building projects in my home from shelves, tables and making my house a home.

Afro and reno using a drill to screw in a drawer
Afro and reno using a drill to screw in a drawer

My DIY journey starts in High School

but I rediscovered it in 2020

I created Afro and Reno because I was not seeing a lot of representation on my feed, I wanted to add to the diversity of home/DIY accounts and be be the change I wanted to see. Along the way I have found a supportive community of other DIYers and woodworkers who like to learn and build cool things.

I would describe my style as colorful and Nerdy. When you see my interiors you will notice I love color on my walls, geek/pop culture memorabilia and Halloween. These themes are reflected all over my home and in the decor I choose. Growing up my mom was the main DIYer in our home. I helped her on may projects including adding popcorn ceilings with a dash o pizzazz by adding glitter! It’s cringe worthy now but at the time I thought it was so cool!

My first bid DIY project of course was painting my childhood bedroom, blue! I was in denial at the time saying my favorite color was blue instead of what I knew was true…I’m a purple woman at heart! Now in my home I am doing the opposite, removing the popcorn and getting things smooth. While DIY is what I do outside of work, one of the main tools in many DIYers toolbox is also having a blog or a website to showcase projects.

The future

The goal of this blog is to show that anyone can take DIY projects big and small. Just FAFO, most projects like painting, tiling or hanging a door won’t make your house fall apart. So why not try your hand at it, and who knows you might learn a new skill or 5.

  • Painting aluminum patio AFRO AND RENO covered in paint spots from rolling the ceiling
  • Afro and reno showing off that a large egg chair fit in her car (Honda Fit)
  • AFRO AND RENO cleaning patio to prep for a refresh. The space is full of patio furniture, and is a mess.
  • AFRO AND RENO cutting yellow Van Gogh wallpaper on the floor for bedroom makeover
  • Tamarah of Afro and reno standing infant of he now large open closet without a divider
  • AFRO AND RENO removing a nail from the floor using an oscillating tool
  • AFRO AND RENO building custom recycling drawer built out of pine. She is holding a craftsman drill
  • AFRO AND RENO infront of finished custom recycling drawer built out of pine
  • AFRO AND RENO sine she building a closet holding a brad nailer
  • Afro and reno dressed as Rey from Star Wars exiting a Tardis
  • Hallway Refresh Reveal Full view with wallpaper, purse, jacket and paint with Tamarah @afroandreno
  • DIY patio refresh prep. Tamarah @afroandreno is taking down the fan blades from a ceiling fan while standing on a platform