Well, it’s been a long time… since I’ve blogged, since I’ve had zero workmen zipping in and out of the house all day long, since I’ve wiped up inches of drywall dust from my countertops, since I’ve grabbed the baby before he grabbed a powertool, and since I’ve had my house back in one piece. And guess what — it was SO worth it.
After 6 long months and plenty of hiccups along the way, this new room we have built has made an incredible difference to…well…not only the structure of our home, but our lives. Our house now has dimension, new areas to go, fantastic spots to hang out and entertain. It has a WOW factor that I’ve been craving for years. Visually it adds warmth but also industrial coolness and (I think) style to the entire house.
Certainly we’ve increased the value of our home but more importantly our day to day living is much happier. It’s true – these cold wintery days I’m amazed at the gorgeous light that’s always streaming in through the windows and doors, and we often just sit around looking out at the squirrels and birds bustling about; we almost always have music or the radio playing which I love, and the kids have easier access to the basement where most of their toys are stored. Though not formal or traditional, half the room is our ’dining room’ that houses a lovely old table (fashioned from an old harvest tabletop I found at a flea market, sitting atop a cool metal table from another vintage store) that can hold up to 8 people quite comfortably. (Before we could really only fit 4 adults and 2 kids). We also use the table for crafts and homework, cards and games, or just hanging out.
The bathroom is a real sweet spot for me. I know it sounds weird, but I totally love it. The French doors open up to a rustic salvaged wooden vanity (affectionately known as The Stump) with the sleek, angular raised sink (Wading Pool by Kohler) and the elegant gold faucet (Purist, also Kohler). A simple slab of carrera marble acts as our backsplash (a leftover from our kitchen counters) and an ornate gold mirror completes the vintage-modern-rustic look — all sparkled up with the bright blue chandelier that I’ve had for years. I still need to paint a wall chocolate brown, but that’ll be next week.
I don’t know, maybe I get too excited about all this stuff, but I can tell by the reactions of not only my family but also neighbours (the ones that still like us) and friends that have stopped in that we’ve done something right. But most importantly I feel like I did something right, and that’s not a feeling I can say I have every day with all the stresses of day to day life. So that, in itself, is somethin’.
-EN
OMG Emily, I *love* it! The light fixture in your new room is to DIE for! Really, really amazing — which, of course, it exactly what I’d expect from you. When can we come an see it in real life?
Thanks Amanda — what about tonight? I’ll call Simon and see if we all can figure it out. Em