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Our Utah Home Anniversary – Two Years

Posted on September 6, 2018

It’s funny how time flies, yet stands still at the same time. On one hand, it feels like we just arrived in Utah in the moving truck with all of our belongings to a home that needed a LOT of love. On the other hand, sometimes it feels like this renovation will never end. Ha! We’re nearing the end of our project list and it’s fun to look back at the things we’ve accomplished and the memories made these past two years. We’ve really turned this place into a home and couldn’t be happier. Click through for a fun recap, SO MANY before & after images, a glimpse of what the future holds, and the items left on our to-do list. If you’re interested in the one year recap, find that here!

This was our very first photo at our new place- it doesn’t get any more realistic than that mess in the background. Although we’re still brokenhearted, I’m happy Finn was in the photo with us. The three of us packed up our lives and moved across the country as a family chasing dreams. Our friends helped us unload the moving truck upon our arrival and thought we were completely insane for buying a house that needed SO much work (see the before images here). Here we are a couple years later and every time they come over for a visit, they’re astonished that our vision actually came to fruition. Sometimes I think Emmett and I are even surprised.

Let’s start the two-year recap with a floor plan… just to give you an idea of the layout:

I’m not going to lie, the lonnnng list of finished projects is pretty gratifying to look at. I also thought it would be helpful to some of you who are tackling similar projects- it’s basically an archive of everything we’ve done to the house.

F I N I S H E D P R O J E C T S

Backyard

Front Exterior

Veranda / Carport

General

Refinished the hardwood floors
Updated the doors and windows (and hardware)
Updated all of the closets: his closet | her closet | office closet | hall closet | guest room closet
Updated the lighting for better efficiency
Updated all of the millwork (crown moulding, trim, panel moulding, baseboard, etc)
Replaced light switches and outlets

Living Room

Bathroom

Master Bedroom

Kitchen

Laundry Room

Guest Room

Does that giant list make you tired just looking at it?! It’s sort of hard to believe we accomplished THAT much. Lots of big projects, too: a kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, AND bathroom, just in the past year. There are also plenty of things we’ve done to the house that aren’t included on the giant list- I just never got around to blogging about it. If you’re wondering what is left on the ginormous to-do list, find that below!

T H E T O – D O L I S T

We’re honestly nearing the end of our to-do list, and then we’ll have to make some big decisions. Here’s what you can expect to see on the blog very soon:

The finished hallway reveal
A reworked hallway closet
A built-in DIY in the home office
Wallpapering built-ins
The home office reveal
Touch up paint and FINALLY install the kitchen exhaust (but I won’t blog about those mundane items)

F U T U R E P L A N S

If your’e wondering… what comes next? After everything is crossed off the renovating to-do list- then what? Perhaps a vacation? Haha! One can only hope.

I’m a planner. I enjoy scheduling every bit of our life in my typical OCD fashion, but sometimes you just have to go with what feels right. I can honestly say, I’m not 100% certain what comes next. We’ll most likely ask our financial advisor and real estate agent if adding on makes sense (read more about resale value in this post), or decide if we should move onto another renovation / house to pour our love into? One thing is certain, Emmett and I can’t go very long without a big project. We’re not great with ideal hands and are kind of addicted to the process. It’s rewarding. We’re dreamers. We’re project people. We like to get our hands dirty, and bottom line- we take pride in making crappy houses nice. Does that sound crazy? I’m pretty sure we sound like crazy people.

We both admit this way of life is invigorating and gives us both a sense of fulfillment. We work well as a team, and I can honestly say our marriage has never been stronger. They say if you can survive renovating with your spouse or significant other, you’re golden. Does anyone agree? I guess what I’m saying is I wouldn’t want any other partner to do this life with, which is fitting because our anniversary is also this weekend! This renovating way of life has also become my livelihood, my passion, and my full-time job- Emmett and I are both very thankful.

PS. if you’re interested in any sources seen in our house throughout this post, click here! Every single thing is linked. Questions? Hit me with them in the comments below!! I love chatting with you guys. Thanks for another amazing year of your support, encouragement, and friendship! xo, Sarah

Sarah

Founder & Creative Director

Peggi

September 6, 2018 at 4:47 am

Happy anniversaries! You two certainly make a crazy-awesome team. Your home and exhausting list of accomplishments are enviable- you definitely earned that pride. I so enjoy the attention to detail and quality in every aspect of your work. Thank you. I look forward to visiting here every morning.

Reply
Sarah
September 6, 2018 at 8:20 am
Thanks, Peggi! I so appreciate you showing up here each morning to see what’s new on the blog :) Your support means the world! xo

Sandra

September 6, 2018 at 6:53 am

WOW, so much to be proud of! And your style is so attractive, I feel it’s appealing in many different ways (traditional yet modern, clean lines yet detail where it counts). Like Peggi said, I too love popping over here in the mornings.

I also love renovating and decorating – we’ve been in our house two years now too, and have renovated most of the interior – still have a full bath and laundry room to do. Our yard however – 1 acre with a pool – is a beast, and needs a lot of work. I’ve never worked on a fixer, and I’m def a little shocked (still!) by reno costs. I told my husband the yard will be a “10 year plan”, haha – spread it out. I am also the same with needing projects – my husband keeps telling me to decorate the house,, but the day I’m “done” is the day I’m house hunting again. (Unfortunately, at this juncture, he will “never” live through another big reno….that makes me sad!)

I do NOT mean to tread into personal territory that’s not for your adoring readers, but just a thought on my end – if you guys are planning to have kids, you may want to do it when you’re more settled and not knee-deep into a big reno. (And maybe you do have kids now, I have no idea.) Now that I have kids/husband/family, have done lots of renovating, continue to work full-time (biz owner) – i.e., living a busy life! – I’ve finally learned to be mindful of what I stack on my plate (when I can control it!).

Reply
Sarah
September 6, 2018 at 8:22 am
Thanks so much, Sandra! I love that you also pop in every morning- that means so much to me… thank you!! Renovating can definitely become addicting. I think because it’s such a gratifying process? I can’t imagine juggling a renovation of this size with kids. Ha! That’s not really part of our plan. Hopefully your husband will come around once it’s all said and done for the next house. xox

Meredith

September 13, 2018 at 11:03 am

Wow!! This is so awesome and you should be so proud of yourselves. I love reading the blog every day and continue to be so impressed by your taste, quality of work, attention to detail, etc. Great job!!

Reply
Sarah
September 13, 2018 at 12:36 pm
Thank you SO so much Meredith. You have no idea how much your sweet comment means :) Have a great day! xox