Hello hello, and welcome to Episode 109 of Life On the Brink!
It’s now been one year since I moved into my first house, and so much has changed! Josh and I have slowly but surely been renovating, furnishing and decorating this place and have watched it become our home. While there’s still so much we’re working on in 2024 (hopefully before Baby Girl arrives), today I’m sharing a 1-year update on our home renovations.
What’s in my teacup? A comforting chai latte. My love for real chai has been reinvigorated lately (see: this week's Little Joy)
HOME RENOVATION: FIRST YEAR UPDATE!
*Note: I go into more detail in the podcast, so I highly recommend listening to get the full picture!*
LIVING ROOM:
-We had the walls of this space painted before we moved in, just because they’re so so tall and it would have been super intrusive to do once living in it.
-I also painted the inside of the front and garage doors, which totally opened up that area of the room.
-I’ve slowly been adding things to the walls, including the gallery wall above the couch.
-The PIANO that we found last March absolutely makes the room, in my opinion. I love the elegance that it brings to the room!
-Future projects:Â I plan to keep curating the walls, including a plant gallery wall on the slanted wall by the staircase.
DINING ROOM:
-The feature of this room is definitely the wallpaper. We did contract out some of its application, but wow, what a difference it makes!
-I also found curtains at the thrift store that kind of match the same brocade pattern of the wallpaper, so I figure it was meant to be.
-Aside from the dining set that I love, we've furnished with a bar cart, a hutch, and our record table.
KITCHEN:
-Most of the transformation here was through paint. Two walls have been painted yellow, while the soffit above the cabinets is now white to blend into the ceiling.
-I love the addition of the faux tile backsplash. They're vinyl wallpaper pieces, but the effect was exactly what I envisioned.
-I'd say the features of this room that make it special are:1
the vintage teacup display shelf, making such a special collection part of the decor.
the cookbook shelf under the kitchen window. It took a while to find a shelf of the right dimensions, but it's one of my favorite moments in that room.
MASTER BEDROOM:
-By far, the main feature of this room are the huge windows. In the morning the sun streams in and it's just heaven. I played this up with a double-curtain treatment that's hung a little wide, making the window look even bigger!
-The rest of the room is more plain, even austere, with a wood vanity and dresser.
-Most recently, I've added a little gallery wall above the vanity, a bassinet in the corner, and the gorgeous mirror above the bed.
It took us a while to get there, but now I truly love waking up in that space.
OFFICE:
-The feature here is the cozy feeling made by the walls. The paint/wallpaper combo is my favorite, and personally looks even better with lots of pictures and pieces hung up on top of it.
-The printer and filing cabinet, along with the large armoire round out the officey side of the room, while the fold out couch and night stand will make a nice little guest room feel. I'm still looking for finishing touches for that side.
-We organized the two closets to house craft, music, and decoration supplies, but left a bit of closet space for potential guests.
-Finally, there's a wooden rocking chair that's been passed through my family sitting by the window. Originally from Panama, it adds the perfect touch to the room.
OUTDOOR AREAS:
-Aside from the ongoing work in the garden, the main change I made was simply bringing in an outdoor dining set, a rug, and an umbrella for the summer months. Eating and living outside has been such a joy of living here.
EXTRA SPACES//WORKS IN PROGRESS
-All laminate flooring is done for the remaining 2 rooms upstairs.
-The library has been painted!
-The guest bathroom upstairs is very much in progress. We're going to paint, replace the flooring and vanity, completely transforming the space.
-The downstairs hallway has a new paint color and light fixture, and I'm currently working out the art work that will hang there (gotta incorporate my huge Great Gatsby poster).
-Likewise, there's a landing at the top of the stairs that has been painted, but will be decorated later.
-Finally, the stairs and other two bathrooms have been entirely untouched. They're lower-priority, but hopefully we'll get to them within the next year? We'll see!
MORE INSPIRATION:
Other accounts:
This Week’s Little Joy: I went to lunch with a friend last weekend to a local spot that has quickly become one of my favorites. It's Amirtha Curry and Bar in Newport News, Virginia, literally 3 minutes from my house! We had such delicious chai and amazing food, and the time spent with a friend was so nice. In fact, we made friends with the people at the next table and ended up sharing food with them, just the kind of wholesome interactions that warm my heart.
What I’m Listening To: I've been listening to "Somethin’ Else" by Cannonball Adderley quite a bit lately. It's classic mid-century bebop jazz with an all-star lineup. Not too intrusive or crazy, but so interesting to listen to. I highly recommend!
Thank you so much for listening! Feel free to leave a comment, or head to Apple Podcasts to leave a star rating or review. If you have any suggestions for future episodes, send an email in the contact form on this site. I’d love to hear from you, and I'll be back in two weeks!