home, in progress
A behind-the-scenes look at our renovation: from design decisions to layout plans to early reveals of the (not-even-close-to-finished) finished product.
Hellooooo there, my friends!
It’s been ages since I’ve written a Sunday1 edition - thanks in part to the chaos of summer, but also because I tend to avoid sharing things that are still in progress. I’ve mentioned a few times that for the past six months, our home renovation and restoration has been the biggest thing on my mind. It uprooted our family into temporary housing for five months, and required near daily efforts from my husband and I to get the project across the finish line. I had to remind myself - early and often- what a privilege it was, even and especially on the days it didn’t feel like one.
If you’re newer here, a little backstory: last summer we moved into a 1908 Seattle craftsman in a neighborhood we love after nearly a year of searching (and several heartbreaking near-misses). This is the house we plan to stay in for the long haul - -I’ve joked you’ll have to bury me in the backyard because I am never leaving. It’s truly a dream home I still can’t fully believe is real.
That said, the dream came with a hearty dose of reality: the home needed some serious work. Some of it was for safety and health, some for restoration, and some to make it function for our family long term.
So, we spent last fall planning, budgeting and preparing for a renovation so major we couldn’t live in the house during the construction. I used to say I hated wedding planning because of all the decisions it required that I had no context for – and a renovation is the same but somehow more intense. You have to learn, choose, and pay for things like backflow toilets and plaster repair, and then live with those decisions forever.
But! The happy news (as the title might suggest) is that we’ve made it. The big work is done, we are back in the house, and while there are some lingering cosmetic things to finish, the hardest parts are behind us. It was a labor of love, and certainly one of the most creatively challenging projects I’ve ever taken on.
We’ve got a lot left to do to put finishing touches on things, but I’m so proud of the results so far. It feels deeply personal (literally… inviting you into my home???!) but I’m excited to share a little peak into the design process, and a few photos.
Welcome home,
Xx
THE PROJECT:
