Our home before renovations
The Reality Check
Even though our house works perfectly for us, it does need some sprucing up to become marketable.
My husband and I have always been DIY people. I have always said I have a magic house. I talk about what I want changed and go shopping for materials and it “magically” gets done when I am not looking. Due to my husband’s health issues, I am now part of the magic. I have to say, I like it better this way. Not his health issues. I pray for his healing daily. I like taking a more active role.
Every year during summer or spring break we tackle some kind of home project. Being a teacher actually works perfectly for that schedule.
It also happens to line up nicely with tax refund season, which has funded more than one home improvement over the years.
If you own a home, I believe you should take pride in it.
You don’t have to be rich to make a house fit your life.
We certainly aren’t doing $20,000 renovations.
This isn’t that kind of blog.
I’m a teacher.
My husband is a disabled veteran.
We raised two boys.
We love to travel and live life.
Our renovations happen on a budget that works for us.
The Laundry Room Rabbit Hole
My perfectly ugly laundry room
Like most people, I wash my clothes, dry them, and then stack them somewhere to be folded.
Sometimes that happens on the same day.
Sometimes… the following week.
I have socks in the laundry basket that probably think they’re divorced because they haven’t seen their mate in so long.
One day Eric suggested that having a folding area in the laundry room might be nice.
He even showed me a picture of one of those wooden tops that goes across the washer and dryer.
OMG, I love it! I really want it now.
I know.
A little much.
But remember something about me:
I believe in finding joy in small things and can be a “little” extra.
Down the Design Rabbit Hole
So, I took that idea and ran with it.
Straight to my advisor Chad. (Chatgpt)
I deeply admire people who can close their eyes and visualize an entire room—exactly where everything should go.
That is not me.
I am special, not spatial.
So down the design rabbit hole I went. Me uploading a picture of the room I wanted to change, along with the new things I wanted to buy, and paint colors, then Chad making a mockup image. This way I can “see” what it will look like. Love this! Keep it. Hate this! Change it. Chad, don’t move the door!.
Just Chad and me.
While my husband and I are sitting on the couch, I am “watching” a show with him. Sure, I’m watching. I’m not sitting here redesigning my utilitarian (another word for ugly) laundry room with Chad. “What happened? Why are they shooting at him?” “What do you think of this blue, honey?” I think my husband is getting jealous of Chad.
Chad says this will improve rental appeal.
But of course, I can’t stop there.
Right across the hall is my “lipstick on a pig” kitchen.
So naturally we start redesigning that too.
Then I realized the paint color from the laundry room should continue into the hallway.
And if it goes into the hallway…
Wouldn’t it look nice above the chair rail in the living room and dining room?
Chad enthusiastically agrees.
My husband rolls his eyes, even though he agrees with the design concept. He can foresee all the work coming, and from past experience, the realistic possibility that this project will snowball.
The Bribe
So, to get him on board, I designed something just for him.
The ultimate car enthusiast garage.
A garage worthy of his Contusion Blue Challenger Scat Pack.
Instead of our current garage, which mostly functions as a waiting room for things I need to organize or get rid of.
Probably more of the latter.
And just like that…
Down the rabbit hole I went again.
Laundry room.
Kitchen.
Paint colors.
Garage.
Patio upgrades.
A shed.
Luxury vinyl plank floors in the bedrooms.
Did someone say a Hollywood Glam bedroom?!
You might be thinking:
“That’s a lot.”
You’re right.
The Six-Year Plan
But life is a journey, not a destination.
And so is DIY renovation.
I have six years before my planned retirement.
That gives us plenty of time to gradually make improvements until our house becomes what Chad describes as:
“A resort-style snowbird retreat in a walkable amenity community.”
Sounds pretty nice, right?
I can’t take credit for that description.
Those were Chad’s words.
And So, It Begins…
This blog is the story of how we get there.
The plans.
The projects.
The budget decisions.
The occasional disasters.
And hopefully… the eventual Dolce Vita.
And it all started with a folding table.
And somehow… a simple idea turned into a six-year plan.
Spoiler alert: it didn’tstop at a folding !
