For the past three weeks I’ve worked non-stop on the biggest renovation project I’ve ever tackled. I upgraded our entry, hallway, dinning room, and kitchen. If you’re wondering why I took on all of it at once, know that in our house, all four of those areas run together. You can’t work on one without including the others. This project was supposed to happen last year, so I had begun collecting the items needed when finding them on sale, such as paint and lighting fixtures. Then a job crisis hit and everything was put on hold for eleven months. During that time, living in my bedroom was like sleeping in a warehouse with boxes stacked here and there, waiting to be opened. When November hit, I could take the clutter no more, and decided it was time to dig in.

My budget was small ($200) and my time limited (we really wanted it done before Christmas) so for twenty-one days straight I worked non-stop on the project. When you’re counting every penny, opting for reusing the old hardware really makes a difference. However, it did take more time because the cabinet hinges had to be individually cleaned, fixed, and painted before being reinstalled. Still, one $10 can of spray paint is a lot cheaper than buying all new hardware!

My inspiration for the paint colors and light fixtures happened to be a kitchen I’d seen several years ago that I instantly fell in love with. It was a kitchen by deVOL called The Victorian Rectory. My favorite colors are greens and blues, so when I saw the kitchen’s colors paired with the Victorian charm, there was no going back. I immediately began pondering how I could incorporate those themes into my own home. I am not one of those folks that follow mainstream fashion trends. In truth, I tend to shy away from them as much as possible. When everyone was painting the exterior of their house white with black trim, I went with green, white, and a red door. You will not find one sign in my house that says the thing it is, like “laundry” in the laundry room. Duh! A fancy word on a wall isn’t going to make doing laundry more enjoyable, thank you every much.

Holly House is the farthest away from the bland, minimalist lifestyle as possible. Here, we have books lining every shelf, tapestries and swords hung on the walls, and furniture that would feel right at home in a Victorian parlor. The gray that had been on the walls did not reflect our natural vibe. Now that all the painting is done, I can’t tell you how much more I feel at home when I walk downstairs in the morning and see that beautiful blue!

The project is now complete, and I can finally walk into my bedroom without hitting my shins on boxes. This past weekend we were able to deck Holly House’s halls for Christmas too, which made finishing everything that much more exciting. As I wrote this post in the wee hours of the morning, by the light of the Christmas tree and with a cat eagerly attacking my feet, I couldn’t help but feel incredibly grateful. We may not have had a huge budget, but it was enough to make a house feel more like a home, and that is worth every moment of the twenty-one days it took.