Letter to Home : Renovation Recap and Future Plans
With Thanksgiving one week away, I’ve been reflecting on this interesting year and remembering what I’m thankful for. At the top of that list is our home. As we approach a time of remembrance and thankfulness, I’m appreciating how our home has been our safe haven and a place of comfort & joy, this year more than ever. 2020 has truly been the “year of the home’ and while the majority of our travel plans fell through, I’m so grateful we were able to love, appreciate, and improve our home this year. Click through for a heartfelt post on the gratitude I’ve been feeling for our house, a renovation recap, and our future plans as we head into a new holiday season and year.
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First, I wanted to share all of the things I’m thankful for, in regards to our home. Like many this year, we’ve made modifications and improvements that we’re proud of. Making home updates and tackling renovation projects gave me a feeling of certainty and control- a mindset that was difficult to come by this year. I’m especially grateful we were able to create beautiful & functional spaces to further our love for this house, creating a space that reflects our family!
SOME WAYS I LOVED BEING HOME THIS YEAR:
- Cooking & baking in our kitchen.
- Eating al fresco style… outside.
- Movie nights with popcorn.
- Being able to work from home.
- Snuggling in front of the fire.
- Seasonal decorating.
- Renovation projects.
- Opportunities to be creative.
- Nights spent on our patio.
- Mixing drinks at our home bar.
- Getting cozy with a blanket & a good book.
- Spa-worthy soaks in the bathtub.
- Grilling dinner outside.
- Lighting new candles and testing scents.
- Homemade pizza Fridays.
- Cuddling the dogs.
- Celebrating every occasion (birthdays, anniversaries, etc).
- Styling vignettes & switching up decor.
- … the list goes on!
To Our Home,
You’ve been a constant during a trying year. I’m incredibly appreciative to have a warm, comforting, and safe place to call our own. Thank you for giving us a blank canvas to be creative, for meeting our needs, and for providing a space where we feel totally like ourselves. We’re also thankful to have a beautiful backdrop in which we can make as many memories as we please. Thanks for working extra hard for us this year, for withstanding construction, dog shenanigans, and even natural disasters- like earthquakes and windstorms. You’ve seen your fair share of updates, but we’re looking forward to more projects, dreaming up beautiful spaces, and living life to the fullest in the happiest place of all- our place. While we won’t be traveling for the holidays this year, I’ve come to realize, the only place I truly want to celebrate is here at home.
Your friendly inhabitants, The Gibson Family
RENOVATION RECAP:
Are you ready for some lists? Let’s start with a little recap! So far, we’ve renovated and fully completed the following spaces in (and outside) our home…
I’ve also got one more renovation reveal to share before the year comes to a close… stay tuned for the guest room reveal in December (yay)! We typically average three large room renovations or projects per year. We’ve also updated the following:
- Replacing the Hot Water Heaters
- Adding a Whole House Steam Humidifier
- Replacing the Front Door
- Swapping a Variety of Light Fixtures
- Installing Herringbone Hardwood Floors
- Lots of Outdoor Work (Landscaping, Gardening, Sod, etc)
FUTURE PROJECT PLANS:
While it may seem like we’ve accomplished a lot at home, we still have PLENTY of fun projects to tackle that have me excited for our future here…
- The Dining Room
- My Home Office
- The Laundry Room
- The Mudroom
- The Entryway
- The Staircase
- The Basement Living Room
- The Basement Kitchen
- The Exercise Room / Home Gym
- Three More Guest Bedrooms
- The Primary Suite (Our Bedroom, Bathroom, and Walk-In Closet)
- The Bedroom Balcony
- A Few Hallways
- Lots of Millwork
- Updating the Interior Doors
- Adding an Outdoor Kitchen
- Installing a Pool (if I’m lucky, haha!)
- New Landscaping in the Backyard
- An Exterior Makeover
- A New Roof
In the coming year, we’ll probably choose 3-4 of these projects. As of now, it’s looking like these are next on the docket: a new roof, the dining room, my home office, the entryway & stairs, and maybe the laundry room OR our primary suite (which would be really amazing). Who knows what 2021 will bring! We’ll chisel away at our project list and enjoy our home as it evolves with us. I sincerely hope we’re doing this place justice, because this special house deserves nothing but the best.
I’ve watched friends & family tackle multiple DIY projects this year, in an effort to make their home work harder… from home offices, a space for learning & home school, home gyms, and more- I’ve really enjoyed watching everyone invest their time and energy into their homes, making them more functional, more beautiful, and a place they’re proud of and comfortable spending time in. Kudos to all of you who have loved your homes extra hard this year! I’m looking forward to tackling more projects, making new memories, and will continue to enjoy this beautiful place Emmett & I are grateful to call home.
Now, I’ve got a question for YOU… what has “home” meant to you this year? Feel free to drop a short letter to your home in the comment section below, or share on social media, tagging me (@roomfortuesday) and #LetterstoHome. What are you planning to “gift” your home this holiday season or in the year ahead? Do you have projects or home improvements in mind? Cheers to appreciating the wonderful places we live! “Home for the Holidays” certainly takes on a new meaning this year, doesn’t it? That’s exactly what I wrote on our Christmas cards, ha!