Two years on...
It seems like just the other day that we made plans to renovate our home. Where has the time gone?
Life has just been moving along, sometimes easily, sometimes not. And the one thing that gives me comfort day after day, is coming home to my family and our home. It felt like such a big decision to up end our lives a couple of years ago and put ourselves through what seemed like a scary period of change, but it has been so rewarding for us as a family.
Life has just been moving along, sometimes easily, sometimes not. And the one thing that gives me comfort day after day, is coming home to my family and our home. It felt like such a big decision to up end our lives a couple of years ago and put ourselves through what seemed like a scary period of change, but it has been so rewarding for us as a family.
After such a major renovation, it was easy to say "let's just take a break from house stuff", and we thoroughly enjoyed each others company and some vacations away from home to reconnect as a family.
Eventually, however, the "little projects" that still needed doing got the better of me, and I found myself back in mini renovation mode, doing all manner of things from bathroom makeovers to mini shelf projects! Luckily, I have a very patient husband who is happy to do the heavy lifting while I potter around and renovate spaces for function or just pure pleasure in our home.
Here are some of the mini projects that kept me busy over the last 2 years, in between work, study and the kids :-)
1. Black wall in the study. I had been wanting to have a mood wall for a long time and being lucky enough with all the light spilling into our main spaces, decided that I could take a risk and darken one space and create some cosiness. The only space I could see it working in was the study area under the stairs - off a main area so if it was a disaster I could fix it away from the hidden eye! So I was pleased when my eldest volunteered to do the painting, and even more pleased with the end result. The wall is dramatic and moody, but with a tryptich of mirrors to bounce the light works better than I thought it would. When I am in the study I feel cocooned and safe, and the fact that it houses some much needed storage and hanging hooks means it has become one of the most used spaces in our home.
2. Installed a fireplace. There was some contention over this fireplace mainly because it was electric. Hubby was not in favour of a'fake' fire but eventually came around to the idea because at the end of the day, while it doesn't have the crackle and flicker of a real fireplace, it still provides function (heat) and form (central point of the living room). We also have a few small children in the family, and the idea that a toddler could potentially hurt themselves from a real fireplace, was a major deterrent for me. So, in the end, this faux fireplace has brought warmth and comfort to our home, and really, isn't that the point?
3. Downstairs bathroom makeover. This space bugged me for years. It was old and green. YES, GREEN. So, when I bit the bullet after many a youtube video, and decided to tile paint this space, it was like a new space. Paint is a gamechanger, it transforms spaces quickly without breaking the budget. I never envisaged this space could be light and airy, because it was always GREEN, so finishing off this space just before Christmas time was the best gift ever!
4. Our bedroom got some love. I never intended to do much to our bedroom space, but a couple of pins on Pinterest convinced me to update our headboard and lighten up some of our bedroom furniture. It still amazes me how much you can achieve with fabric, a glue gun and a little inspiration. Other little touches to compliment the lighter headboard included investing in a decent reading chair and lamp so it could be a space either me or hubby could escape to, and I am happy to say, it does just that.
5. More shelves, art and plants. I read articles all the time about what makes a house a home, and hygge (hooh-gah) is a word that has been thrown around alot since shows like The Block and Grand Designs have graced our television screens. Art, plants and books for me, is hygge. It represents our lifestyle and the things we love in our home, and the space we share with family and friends. It is one thing in the home that should always reflect who you are as a family and the people and things you hold dear.
6. Black entry door. This was an impromptu project. I had black paint left from the study wall project and was becoming annoyed by the finger prints on a white door. A few Pinterest searches later, and I fell in love with the idea of a darker door, for its practical reasons but also for the way it offsets everything around it. My youngest did most of the painting, and I look at it now and I wonder why I even hesitated because it looks like it was always meant to be black. Go figure!
My husband said something to me other other day, about how this house will never be done, because I love to tinker with it. That is perhaps true, but I can't think of a better way to spend my free time than to create spaces that make my family feel their absolute best.
images: © copyright Shelley Stephens for Little Elm House
