In a couple of months my husband and I will have lived in our home for ten years, a whole decade. And the fact that we built this house ourselves, like actually built it, with my husband as the GC, while we both had full time jobs, while I was a full-time student, and while we were planning our wedding, still feels slightly unreal when I say it out loud.
We got married in January of 2017. The house came first. When I say we were planning a wedding I mean I was planning a wedding while also picking out flooring and fixtures and finishes and trying to make a thousand decisions on a budget that required us to constantly choose between this thing and that thing. Something always had to give. You cut corners here to get what you wanted there. That is just how it works when you are 26 and building your first home from the ground up.
We did a lot ourselves. Including our stained concrete floors, which at the time felt like a great decision and now I look at them and think about what I would do differently. That is the thing nobody warns you about when you build a house young. Your taste is going to change, a lot. And you are going to be living with the decisions you made at 26 for a very long time. Honestly, even if someone did warn me, I was probably too stubborn to listen.
The 2016 version of this house –
If you built or bought a home around 2016 you already know exactly what I am about to say. Bronze fixtures on everything. Busy granite, the kind with so much movement and color in it that the counter basically had its own personality. Knock down texture on every wall. Dark stained floors. Everything matching, everything coordinated, everything very much of its moment.
I would completely overhaul it now. And slowly — very slowly — I am.
Where my taste has landed –
I have changed my decor probably ten times since we moved in. My husband would confirm this without hesitation. I think I have finally landed somewhere that feels right, or at least right for now, because I am self-aware enough to know that in two or three years, I might be back here telling you I changed everything again.
Right now, I love clean and minimal, straight lines, whites, blacks, and wood different color wood. Mixed metals, which in 2016 was genuinely frowned upon, now feels like the most natural thing in the world. I want every surface to feel intentional. I want every corner to look like it was considered. I also very much want my home to look like nobody lives here one hundred percent of the time.
That is my ultimate goal; I am fully aware that I have three children, so it is also slightly delusional, but the goal remains the same.
Last year’s kitchen overhaul –
Last year we redid the kitchen and it was the update I had been waiting for the longest. Out went the busy granite, in came clean white quartz. The difference is huge! Every time I walk into that kitchen, I feel like it is exactly what it should have been all along, simple, bright, minimal, clean lines.
I am trying not to push for another big project immediately since my husband has been a very good sport about all of this and I am aware that there is a limit, but there are several smaller things I am working on and excited to share.
Currently in progress –
My bathroom is the current project. As much as I would love to gut it and start over, I am not doing a full overhaul. What I am doing is making intentional updates with what I can, decor, accessories, the details that shift the feel of a space without requiring a contractor.
The lighting situation in there is honestly terrible and I am working on that. It definitely makes starting a blog and an Instagram account more challenging when your pictures all have terrible lighting. The MAIN reason I haven’t shared any OOTDs, is the damn lighting in my bathroom!
The walls are beige; I want to paint them immediately but also… painting is my least favorite thing to do. And truly, I wouldn’t even know what color. I LOVE looking on insta and seeing all these cool projects, moody paint colors, wallpaper…love it. Me, not brave enough to do it. I feel safe with one color across the whole house. I suck at making decisions, I get too overwhelmed. So, Accessible Beige from Sherwin Williams is protecting my peace and keeping me from spiraling. It’s a work in progress and I am going to share the updates here as I make them – the before, the process, and whatever it looks like when I get it to a place I am happy with.
Here are a few photos of things I am trying and playing around with. I ordered new, more modern mirrors with backlighting that we will hopefully hang this coming week. I am thinking new hardware FOR SURE! I don’t know, it’s all TBD. Let’s see what I can come up with!
What is on the list next –
A backsplash in the kitchen is on my list for the next couple of months (my husband doesn’t know this yet). Something small and doable that makes a noticeable difference. I considered watching some YouTube videos to see if it is a DIY project I could take on… so we’ll see. My wheels are turning.
The floors are the big one. Our stained concrete is fine, but it’s dark and dated and in a perfect world I would redo the whole thing with something light. I adore soft colored stained concrete and really, it is the way to go. Stained concrete is so durable, hardy, and very low maintenance overall. Realistically, floors are a project for when my kids stop spilling things constantly, so maybe in a few years.
Smooth walls are the dream that lives at the very bottom of the list, unfortunately. The knock down texture throughout the house is not something I love. I would genuinely consider moving out for a week if a contractor told me that is what it would take. However, I am fairly certain that is an expensive undertaking so for now it waits.
Beyond the specific projects, what I am really doing is just slowly curating. Finding what belongs on empty walls. Figuring out what pieces have intention, purpose, and place. Making our home feel like the version of it I have always had in my head.
Why this matters to me –
If I sit down and write out the things that genuinely bring me peace, curating my home is on that list every time. Looking at Pinterest for inspo, finding the right piece for the right corner, watching a space come together the way you imagined it… that is totally, my thing!
I am excited to share this part of my life here. The projects, big and small, the things that work and the things that don’t, the before and after photos, the budget decisions and the splurges. All of it.
If you have been on a similar journey with your home – updating, evolving, trying to make it feel like you, while working with what you have, I would love to hear your stories, advice, and see your photos. 🤍
XO, Sabrina
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