Matt and I have lived in our current house since the end of 2013, so about 12.5 years (if I did my math correctly, which is always questionable). During those years, this house was part home, part project. If I were to put this on a continuum, with the left end of that continuum being 100% project and the right end of that continuum being 100% home, I would say that we started at the far left end of the continuum. It was our house just because it was ours. We saved for the down payment, we signed the papers, we had the mortgage, we had the keys and we moved in. But let’s be honest. None of it really felt like “home” to us.
This was clearly someone else’s home. And after it was no longer their home, it sat empty for a few years. Even though we had the keys and the mortgage, this was definitely not a “home” for us. I’m sure everyone who buys a house, whether it’s a new build or an old new build, feels the same way. It takes a while for a house to truly feel like a home.
The first few years were pretty slow. As I explained in a previous post, I had a really hard time getting into decorating in this house in those early years. (You can read more about it here.) But before I could even start decorating, I had to start with the basics, and on a very limited budget. Every room was torn down to the studs. Every room needed new electrical wiring, new plumbing, new everything. The house needed a new HVAC system and much more before I could even begin the fun part of decorating.
The big projects I did early on – the kitchen remodel and the hallway bathroom remodel – definitely helped us move forward in this continuum. After these remodels, I felt like this house was about 15% home and 85% project. It wasn’t until around 2021, when I finally finished the living room and music room and finally found my decorating style, that I crossed that 50 percent point on the continuum. And every room I’ve completed since then has really made this house feel like home.
Apparently the thing that brought me closest to the right end of that continuum was finishing our bedroom suite. When we finally had a proper master bedroom that I truly love, a large bathroom specifically designed to make Matt’s life easier, and a dedicated space for the washer and dryer that just happened to be in a walk-in closet of my dreams, it hit me that this was ours home. This house is no longer just a huge DIY project. It really is our home. And it feels like at home.
I’m still not quite at the right end of that continuum. I won’t be there until all the rooms are ready. I’m not talking about the little decorating changes I might want to make along the way (some of which I pointed out in yesterday’s post). Making small decorating changes along the way is part of the normal life of a home. I’m talking about the big things. I’m talking about every room having a purpose and everything having a place.
We’re not quite there yet, so right now I feel like this house is about 90% a home and 10% a project. When I finally had the chance to sit at my desk with my computer last night, I decided to take another look at my list of home goals for 2026 to refocus on my goals. And as I read through these, I realized how close I am to being done. So I decided to create another color-coded floor plan so I could visually see how far I’ve come and how far I still have to go.
And let me tell you, it was incredibly motivating! All finished areas of our home are pink. Just look at how much pink there is now! You’ll notice that there are two rooms that are a slightly darker pink than the others – the kitchen and the pantry. These are two rooms that are technically “finished,” but I plan to make changes there. Now that I’ve been living with them for a while (over ten years in the kitchen and not quite as long in the pantry), I want to make changes to make these areas work better for me. But I’m still wearing them in pink because that’s what they are at the moment see complete. And if I never manage to make the changes I want, I can live with what I have and be perfectly happy.
But as far as areas where major work needs to be done, there are only three. ONLY THREE, ALL OF THEM!!! Look how close I am!
Of these three areas, the dining room (yes, I’m calling it the dining room now ) will be the easiest. As I mentioned, I’ve squeezed so much out of this room to use in other areas of the house, so it’s very empty at the moment. And it is still set up as a living room with two lounge chairs. I would like this room to be converted back into a dining room. However, no construction or renovation work is required at all. It’s all just furniture and decoration. It would be so easy to complete!
The storage cabinet is a slightly larger project. As you know, it is currently a bathroom, so everything needs to be taken out. Once that’s done, I have no idea if the drywall needs to be replaced or repaired. The flooring needs to be replaced or filled, but the tiles currently in it are no longer available, so I think the entire flooring needs to be replaced. And then I need storage. I’m still undecided whether to build from scratch or purchase ready-made storage options. This is one of the main reasons why I stalled on this project. But I’m constantly thinking about options, so I should be ready to start soon.
The largest remaining project is the winter garden. It will be the biggest challenge because (1) it is currently being used as storage space and therefore it will be a huge undertaking to clear it out and (2) the sheer size makes it very difficult to make it usable on a very small budget. Since I haven’t given up on the dream of tearing down this room and building an addition in its place, I don’t want to spend a lot of money at all to make this space usable for the near future. But the size of the room makes this a big challenge. However, I am up for the challenge and am really looking forward to tackling it.
But all that said…I only have three more rooms!!! I was so excited when I saw this color coded floor plan. Only three rooms left, folks. Once this is done, every area in our home will have a defined purpose and everything will be in its place. It will be a fully functional home for us. And at that point, I’ll be completely happy with what I have, even if I’ll never see my dream of a kitchen renovation or a new addition to the back of our house come true. And I’ll finally be there.”100% home” point on the continuum.
But I will still have a lot to do. Don’t forget, I have a complete landscape plan that I haven’t touched yet!
