*Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links
Goals! One little word with huge implications. Being goal-driven, as I am, can be immensely rewarding. For evidence of this, check out my earlier posts 3 Top Tips To Slay Your Goals and 5 Real Ways To Reach Those Weight Loss Goals.
But, on the flip side, and as I pointed out on one of my Instagram posts a few weeks ago, constantly striving to attain certain goals is also exhausting, because no sooner has one set goal been achieved than another one slips down into its place, ready and waiting to be tackled. There always seems to be something bigger and better to achieve, somewhere bigger and better to go in life. 😩
And the antidote to all of this seemingly neverending striving?
Appreciation! A not-so-little word of consequence.
You see, my dear readers, if we take some time out every now and then to truly appreciate how far we’ve come, it’s so much easier to find the motivation needed to keep moving forward. 😊
It makes sense, doesn’t it?
So, now, I am going to take a large dose of my very own medicine and reflect on how far we have come in our home renovation over the past three years or so, and, more importantly, show you how you could tackle a home project too!
Ready?
Steady?
Let’s go!
When we first bought our current home back in 2016, it was in need of a lot of modernisation.
New kitchen?
Check!
New bathroom?
Check!
New everything else?
Check!
A daunting challenge?
Totally!
But did we rise to it?
Hmm… Let’s see…
The kitchen once looked like this… 😮
And this is how it looks today!
Tadah! ✨
A lot less gritty, I’m sure you’ll agree! 😊
The original bathroom was in a similarly grimy state…
A whole new bathroom suite and a bit of wall shifting later, it now looks…
Well, refreshed! 😉
The downstairs living and dining areas were the least in need of a complete facelift, so our work down here was mostly cosmetic.
A new floor, light fixtures and some shelving in the alcoves were all that was needed for a quick and relatively cheap refresh on an increasingly tight budget. 💕
The walls of the entrance hall were badly stained with nicotine, so they required a more extensive overhaul.
Wallpaper was stripped, the walls were replastered and painted and original features like the picture rails were restored.
A coffee and cream colour scheme, and some pretty finishing touches completed the overall look!
Phew! A lot of work for such a small space! 😅
I remember standing outside in the garden when we first moved in and feeling completely overwhelmed.
It was a literal wasteland.
But three years, and lots of my hubby’s elbow grease, later, it looks more like a little oasis in the desert.
Lush, green and inviting!
A sight for sore eyes rather than the eyesore it once was! ❤️❤️❤️
Upstairs, the walls were in such a sorry state that they all, without exception, needed to be stripped, replastered and painted.
After that, the work was mostly cosmetic. My daughters’ bedroom now works well as a study/play area.
My toddler’s bedroom was quite possibly the grimmest of all the rooms we had to tackle…
But, tackle it we did! 😊
Happily, my baby now has his very own little animal sanctuary! 💕
Meanwhile, our bedroom was transformed from this…
To a space that is…
Altogether more inviting, relaxing and conducive to a great night’s sleep. 😴
Woohoo! 🙌
Aside from quite a bit of work and dedication, how did we get from those grimy before shots to the glittering after pics?
Well, it went a little like this…
1. Get inspired
At the start of every home renovation (this is our third! 😬), I like to get inspiration from every possible source…
Coffee table books…
Local art galleries…
Department stores…
French interior design magazines…
British interior design magazines…
Trendy homeware catalogues…
Chic boutique hotels and niche restaurants…
My childhood pal’s super chic Insta account…
Lots of other interior design Instagram accounts, as well as Pinterest, of course!
Inspiration is quite simply everywhere! The only problem is how to afford all those great design ideas…
So, we…
2. Do luxe for less
If I see an expensive ornament in a magazine or a chic catalogue, I will often try to source a similar one online or in a high street discount store.
For example, I found the zebra flower vase pictured above in Poundland; it was a complete steal at £1 compared to the £60 Graham and Green version.
Similarly, the vintage Fornasetti candle holder, also pictured above, was a great inexpensive eBay find for just under £20.
The pink rose Insta-inspired teddy bear for my girls’ room, pictured below, was another great eBay find for only £8.
The cactus vase in my kitchen was yet another fabulous Poundland find! ❤️❤️❤️
As were the yellow and white giraffe and balloon dog ornaments in my toddler’s room. 😊
Meanwhile, my whimsical, Scandi-inspired Mrs Mighetto prints were a little cheaper when I framed them myself.
As was my Kate Moss art, which I created out of…
Used magazine covers. 💕
If I had limitless resources, it would be Jo Malone products all the way for me and my bathroom.
Unfortunately, I don’t! 😭
But on the bright side, Aldi does an amazing range of dupes (the No range), which are almost as good as the real thing and a fraction of the cost. For a more detailed review of this range, check out 4 of the Best Budget Beauty Buys Revealed!
Who could resist?!
And if genuine Calacatta marble tiles are outside of your price range, marble-look tiles, like ours pictured above, are a great purse-friendly alternative! 😊💕
3. Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty
Now, this next point… ahem… pertains more to the hubby than to me because I don’t really like to get too mucky! 😬
My husband, on the other hand, hates to pay people to do the jobs that he thinks he can attempt himself.
I usually dissuade him from dabbling in highly skilled tasks, like the plumbing or the electrics, and thankfully common sense prevails! 😅
On the plus side, the more we saved on playhouse building (see pic above) and wall painting, the more we had to spend on those all-important finishing touches, like candles and cushions! 👏
And who could complain about that (well, aside from my hubby, who has no appreciation for either cushions or candles! 😐)?!
4. Be realistic
At the beginning of a house project, it is all too easy to get carried away with your wish list.
Unfortunately, however, unless the budget is limitless (and, let’s face it, it never ever is! 😭), compromises will have to be made.
That office room might just have to become an office corner, as in the pic above.
Or, those designer fixtures and fittings might have to become a scattering of designer pieces, like the Mr Maria Miffy lamp and Kartell Componibili storage unit in my daughters’ bedroom, pictured below.
Sigh! 😩
5. Be patient
Just as ”Rome was not built in a day”, a worthwhile home renovation will take a considerable amount of time to complete.
It is really only now, three years after moving in, that our house is beginning to feel like home.
And, still, there are yet more improvements to be undertaken and saved up for, like a loft conversion…
Or, a dream kitchen that would look something like this…
Ooh, and a butler’s pantry, a walk-in wardrobe, a laundry room…
I know, I know!
All good things come to those who wait!
But I think I have just about waited long enough…
So, it’s onwards and upwards and onto the next!
You see, my dear readers!
It’s worked!
My appreciation of how far we’ve come in the past three years has given me the motivation I needed to push on to the next level.
As ever, I’ll fill you in on each and every step of that continued progress! 😊
Bare with me! 🙏
Until next time,
💋 Mostly Mum
*Gif is via GIPHY.
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