“THE FINAL REVEAL! (THANK GOD I LIKE IT, BECAUSE I’M HUNKERED DOWN HERE.)”
It has literally been months since I promised the final reveal “next week”. So much has changed in that time – it is staggering.
Many, if not all of you, follow me for a glimpse into the natural beauty of Nantucket. Some of you hung around (and humored me) while I renovated our house. You put up with the polls, questions, and virtual melt downs over white paint – all of it. If you missed any of that, it is saved in my Instagram story highlights (parts one and two).
And up until the “shelter in place” order, I was also interjecting a family member’s renovation into my normal Nantucket/home decor content. Construction on Nantucket is currently on pause – but once that can safely resume, I can’t wait to show you that project, too! (Also saved in my story highlights).
Since promising you the final reveal, our “love-you-like-our-first-born-child” dachshund passed away, and I completely lost my creative mojo. (She would have LOVED us being quarantined in the house non-stop with her.) Once covid-19 hit, I started writing again (because we can’t puzzle all day, every day).
Fast forward almost a month aaaaand here we are.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t say a final “thank you” to Julius Pasys and his crew at LithCon Inc., as well as Matthew MacEachern and his team at Emeritus. I’ve been in our home all day, every day since March 22nd and I STILL LIKE IT!
(I’ve also planned the master bathroom renovation in my head about 100 times after deciding our shower is impossible to keep clean. I think I’ve destroyed the grout, so Neil has that to look forward to in addition to being able to leave the house. Lucky guy!)
So, what did I learn from my first renovation?
· Get a really good referral for your builder + architect.
· Be upfront about your budget so no one has unrealistic expectations about project scope.
· Be prepared to make decisions in a timely manner.
· Do not order your furniture and kitchen appliances too early. Being excited is not an excuse.
· Trust the process (a/k/a a renovation is like watching sausage get made.)
· A water/coffee/lunch delivery may make up for being *slightly* hyper-focused on, well….everything (jury is still out though).
· Prioritize the big picture.
Without further delay – welcome to our home:
(photos by Tom Olcott | courtesy of architect Emeritus | built by Julius Pasys)
