A Just Right House (BEFORE & AFTER!)

Have you ever dreamed of living in just the right neighborhood…

in just the right house?

All too often we find just the right neighborhood, but the house situated there is definitely not the stuff of our dreams.

My clients called me for just this reason—they loved the location of the 1970’s rancher they had found, but knew that the house itself needed a lot of sprucing up to make it a forever home they could settle into and love for decades to come.

Here’s some of the problems we tackled:

• The house had a nice family room addition, BUT the kitchen was stuck in the past… like, totally.

• The house had the potential for one floor living BUT the master bedroom was cramped with a closet-like bathroom.

• The house had LOTS of space, BUT not at all configured in the way that would serve two professional people working from home most every day.

• The house was going to be completely renovated BUT they wanted to be sure they could reuse all their original furnishings when the project was complete.

As you can see, the house went through a major transformation:

The family room was large and awkward, and completely cut off from the kitchen…

so, the plan from the start was to open these spaces to one another, and seamlessly incorporate a dining area for entertaining—since the original dining room was now slated to become a home office.

We reworked the kitchen to make it feel more spacious and be more functional for a family who loves to cook…

And tucked the kitchen table into a sweet little window seat/banquette—one of my favorite tricks to add coziness AND more storage to an eating area. :)

We incorporated vintage/salvage windows that I sourced from one of my favorite antique shops create interior views and bring light to previously dark interior walls—both in the kitchen and back hallway.

The existing living room was reconfigured to make room for a new front entry hall and second home office/sitting room—

And longer sightlines were created throughout the house, adding light and architectural interest.

After much rethinking, reconfiguring and redesigning, this lovely house is now a just right home to be enjoyed for many, many years to come!

Me, The Corgis, Our Farmhouse, & THE BOOK!

This month has been filled with so many delights and surprises—

not the least of which was the wonderful snow we got this week!

It is rare that we get snow before Christmas around here, and it made it all the more picturesque that our Christmas decorations were up, lights all aglow and all that good stuff. :)

Hermione, Rudy and I trudged out into the yard to play and snap some pictures. We had so much fun.

Another delightful surprise of the past few weeks was the arrival of this:

It’s here!!

Back in August, a publisher reached out to me and asked if they could use a photo of my work in an upcoming book they were publishing this year,

and I just received my very own copy now that it is out!

Woo hoo!! So proud! :)

I hope you also are finding things that delight and surprise you at this special time of year.

Wishing you every joy this season!!

Happy Holidays!!

Love,

Erin

Starting....and FINISHING (Before & After!)

“There are two errors that keep great projects from coming to life:
1) Not finishing
2) Not starting”
― Buddha Gautama

I am not sure if the Buddha actually said this…or if the internet just thinks he did (hahah), but there is a lot of truth to this quote either way.

In life—and with our houses—not getting started, and then not finishing once we do start —are the two things that stand in the way of us truly having a house that nurtures and supports us each day.

The picture above shows how my journey with a space usually begins.

A client asks for help because a room needs a little love or just doesn’t feel “right,” —and I show up with my notebook, measuring tape, and a lot of fresh ideas for a house-altering transformation.

This master bedroom suite was one that had undergone a renovation that I had been a part of—but family needs had to come first for awhile as construction was wrapping up.

So for a time, the construction phase came to a close….but the room itself was never truly finished.

I was so excited to come back and work for one of my favorite long-time clients again, and put all of the lovely meaningful details into place.

There were empty corners to fill….

and lots of items to select and place…

Here is how the finished room now looks, and I think it looks so much more inviting…

What are the projects around your house that you haven’t started yet?

What about projects that may be almost complete, but aren’t truly finished??

Take heart, roll up your sleeves and dive in.

A house that nurtures and supports the way you really want to live is a game-changer and can bring so much more comfort and satisfaction to your life.

If you aren’t sure where to start—or how to finish—to create just such a home, give me a call…

And I will show up with my notebook, measuring tape and a ton of positivity & fresh ideas for a house-altering transformation. :)

Keep Taking Small Steps!

This week I came across this quote from one of my favorite authors, Martha Beck:

"Never in my life have I felt that I was doing big things. At most I can do a few small things before I have to lie down for a while. But it’s amazed me how these small things have added up over time."

This really hits home for me.

It is easy to feel that we are just getting by, putting one foot in front of the other--especially with all of the complexities that this year has thrown at us.

BUT all of these seemingly small steps really do add up to big things. That is why I wanted to encourage you this week to keep going. Keep doing "small things"--in your house and in your life-- because BIG, MEANINGFUL THINGS will be the result. :)

Time for a Retreat (BEFORE & AFTER)

An old soaking tub, a tired room, and the chance to refresh the whole space?

Yes please!

My client reached out to me because she knew it was time to rethink her old master bathroom—the one that had seemed so luxurious when the house was built decades ago—but now just felt really dated and cramped.

Large tubs (I know we have talked about this before) that rarely get used, take up A LOT of space in a bathroom— and this bathroom really needed that space back to create more elbow room and a lot more storage.

I got to work planning how the space could be reconfigured and rejuvenated—and here is the end result:

The room now has a lovely window seat, complete with LARGE drawers underneath that can store lots of toilet paper (so important these days!) and towels.

The vanity area which had frustrating cabinets and small drawers …

was replaced with lovely new cabinets that provide so much more definition and organization.

AND the shower area, which used to be a dark cave like space….(its behind the large mirror here)…

is now light-filled and lovely, complete with a bench to sit on.

Before the colors were dark and moody, and there was so little space to store necessary items…

but now the space is bright and airy, and we even carved out space from an adjacent guest room’s closet to create a new large linen closet! (*see the barn-style door below next to the toilet.)

Updating tired spaces like these are just a joy to work on, and I know that this room will bring so much ease, beauty and enjoyment for my clients for years to come!