Welcome! Today is finally the day. It’s home remodel reveal day! I’m head over heels in love with the cozy and modern home Cameron and I have created together; here are a few before and after photos of our place, if you’d like to see…
When we began our house hunt, we surveyed the greater Olympia area looking at a myriad of homes from new construction to fixer-up’ers and everything in between but we weren’t able to find our goldilocks, something that was just right More importantly, we couldn’t find a house in the right location. We began hearing rumors that the woman who owned our home previously was being relocated to Texas and began eyeing the house across the street from my parents. We loved the size of the lot and I couldn’t imagine a better neighborhood than the one I grew up in, so despite the lack of an open concept and finishes being admittedly a bit dated we knew it was the one. So! Just over one year ago Cameron and I returned from our honeymoon and got the keys to our first home together – a home that was all ours. In all our infinite wisdom, two months later and with a 7-week old puppy to boot, we began demo-ing.
Our top priority when making design choices for our home was that we wanted things to feel comfortable and inclusive. We wanted one person to be able to cook dinner and chat with guests in the living room or keep an eye on the puppy on the couch. Nothing could be too precious – I wanted to know that if the dog rolled around on the rug or we spilt coffee on the floor it wasn’t a big deal.
After ensuring that everything was both cozy and easy to clean, we were able to move into the more creative stages of the remodel. An industrial modern theme was the name of the game, guiding the majority of the design decisions. From the Edison-bulb pendents to the clean lines of the cabinets; the stained cedar shelves above the coffee bar to that oh-so-beauitful brick wall (made with re-purposed bricks from Chicago and mortared to the wall). The brick, of course, is my favorite element but I’m also completely crazy for the under-cabinet lightening and subway tile backsplash. Did I mention how luxurious it feels to be able to watch TV as I’m fixing dinner, worlds away from the wall I used to stare into.
While this was mainly my design vision, it truly took a village to realize the transformation. I cannot thank my husband enough for actually making it a reality – there were many, many late nights and weekends that he spent slaving on the house. My parents were also unbelievable in every sense of the word – teaching us how to do everything, letting us borrow all of your tools, cooking for us while we had no kitchen for months, and the sweat equity they put in alongside us. THANK YOU is not enough to all three of them but, truly, thank you.
When my grandma was over a few weeks ago she mentioned that our house now reminds her of “those modern, hip coffee shops”. I’m fairly certain that she meant that as a neutral statement but it was truly the biggest, heartwarming compliment she could have given me. With the majority of the heavy lifting of the remodel, thankfully, finished I’m having a blast decorating. While those far wiser than I have told me that a home never feels concretely finished, I’m thrilled to be dust and nail-gun free for the time being! Speaking of dust, no remodel post would be complete without some demolition photos to prove just what a disaster our house was. Enjoy!
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What a great adventure for you two – well done? Love all the cookbook titles that you did post?
Can’t wait to see how creative you will be when decorating your wonderful home for Christmas, since I know it’s one of your favorite times of the year. I love you both!