Renovation

Our house is under construction again… its first refurbishing in probably 30 years. It was definitely in need of some TLC. 

We had to pack up and vacate the house for the few weeks of renovation. Digging up and culling a decades’ worth of clutter was huge, sometimes painful, but eventually therapeutic work.

My mom did the bulk of that job, mostly because she didn’t trust that I wouldn’t do a blind, emancipating purge of… everything. 

As I watched her sift through old decor – collected from various areas in the world we’d lived – family photos and video tapes, the few belongings we have left of loved ones who have passed on… I could only imagine the range of emotions she was also sorting through. 

Change is good, though, especially the kind that allows you to evaluate your material possessions – to decide which ones bring real aid and enjoyment to your life, and which ones just weigh you down. 

I can’t wait to get back into our new-old house and find places for the things we’ve decided we use, need or love enough to keep.

I’ve also got a bunch of DIY decor ideas to bring a fresher, updated feel to our home, thanks to my new favourite TV design geeks, Monica Mangin and Tracy Metro. Let’s see if I actually get around to making them. 

We’ve got a couple more weeks to go on the renovation – assuming the builders finish on time. I’ve been staying with good friends and am so grateful for their generosity.

Hanging out in my (temporary) new space has been refreshing, too. This change of scenery has been great for getting my thoughts in order, putting plans together and bringing more structure to all the stuff I’m working on.   

I’ll tell you more about all that work… soon :).