Although many people have said it would be easier to go room-by-room through the house, we have taken the approach of starting several projects simultaneously. Originally this was accidental—literally every projected we started took longer than anticipated.
For example, changing the light bulbs in the kitchen ceiling fan lead to the discovery that the lighting portion of the fan is completely broken! That “quick” task turned into a hour of fiddling around, probably several F-bombs, and then eventually realizing we just need to replace the whole fan (which by the way is still on the docket). When things like that happened we started saying, “You win house!” Sometimes it feels like the house wins A LOT!
The other reason, we have working in a several rooms at a time, is that it has given me more time to “treasure hunt.” I absolutely love thrifting, yardsaling (yes, it IS a verb), digging through my parent’s rejects, and browsing Nextdoor for furniture, art, and décor. It honestly brings me joy giving a second life to a “reject,” and makes me feel like I am doing my part to keep things out of landfills. It has also helped to stretch the budget—remember moved from a one-bedroom apartment into a four-bedroom house! We have some serious space to fill!
So, while we have not “finished” any rooms lately, we have made a lot of progress around the house. The guest room is nearly complete (a post to follow!), the kitchen cabinets were re-arranged to better suit my cooking needs, and several pieces of art are now up.
Here are a few pictures of some of my favorite treasures:
Gold Inked, map of Boston. List price: $130, we paid $5 at the Habitat for Humanity Warehouse Sale + $25 for a frame at AC Moore.
Why I love it: The gold catches the light creating movement in the room and it reminds me of my summer as a camp counselor outside of Boston and several trips to visit my aunt and cousins.
Corner Cabinet. List price: unknown, paid $200. I could not find anything new on Target, Wayfair, or similar sites for less.
Why I love it: This piece has character, is solid wood, and was surprisingly light to carry into the house! The deep shelving provides a great place to display some of my favorite keepsakes: grandma’s pink luncheon set, crystal glasses from my grandparents, and our wedding china.
XOXO,
Kari