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Keep on Dancing

We had a pretty amazing occurrence of a dumpster fire in the front of my home recently (picture provided for your amusement). A dumpster fire is pretty impressive, not too dangerous and brings all the boys out. But I digress. This little blaze made me think that an update on the renovation project was in order. (To get caught up, see my previous blog (Take A Walk on the Wild Side.)

Keep on Keepin’ On…

While we’re still here in Renovation Jungle, some progress has been made.

At one point we thought we nearing the other side, but it was just a little clearing in the trees – a little blue sky of encouragement. Dry wall was put up, painting was done (beautifully I might add!), counter tops in….then work stopped.

Lighting that was ordered came in wrong, the crane that was supposed to lift our fireplace stone broke and one of our vendors decided to retire abruptly (read – disappear). The blue sky of encouragement suddenly became overcast.

Dancing the Night Away….

Deep in the this darkened place, we discovered a village Each of the villagers had at one time begun a renovation journey, but without their Interior Designer Guide, they had lost their way. Dazed and counting time in 6-week segments, they formed their own little community.

They invited us to sit down with them and share stories. We began to hear strange music.

Drumming on empty paint cans provided Latin beat. A magical melody floated out of copper pipe flutes.

The villagers got up and started to move in this strange little dance

Two steps forward

Two steps back

What was going on? Were they high on paint fumes? Had they lost their minds scrolling through hundreds of websites full of plumbing and lighting fixtures? Is this the result of no interior design guidance?

They never really never went anywhere, just keep moving in the same spot over and over….what we were witnessing is called…

The Renovation Rhumba!!!

Worried, we looked to our designer guide for reassurance. Would we also be stuck here in this design-project version of Hotel California?

No, our Interior Designer Guide reminded us. She knew exactly where we were going and how to get us there. We were just experiencing a minor set-back.

Breathing a sigh of relief, we left the village as quickly as we came.

Do you have a renovation story you’d like to share? Drop us a line below – we’d love to hear it!

Are you looking to start your own Renovation Jungle project and looking for the Perfect Guide? Contact us and we’ll set you up!

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Walk on the Wild Side

I trek my way through dangers underfoot and overhead on a daily basis. Sometimes I can’t see the light of day and more often than not I see sights I’ve never seen before and never want to see again. Unlike my man who ’s acting like Harrison Ford in Raiders of the Lost Ark, I’m more like

Melissa McCarthy whose plane crash-landed in the Amazon (what a great movie that would be!).

Dr. Livingston, I presume…

Trying to undertake this venture without someone who has the skills and experience to lead us through this rough and uncertain landscape would be just plain CRAZY, right? So before we started this trip, we went out and found us the perfect guide for this insane journey.

Introducing our fantastic, amazing, soul-soothing, talented interior designer who is guiding us through “Renovation Jungle” !!! (cue jungle drums)

In the dark of night...

Traveling through Renovation Jungle is overwhelmingly full of decisions and unexpected “challenges”.

Just trying to get to the one working bathroom on the other side of the house in the middle of night would undo the strongest adventurer.

There are plumbing pipes and electrical wires in unexpected places, floors that need to be leveled so the new shower can drain and dust that would rival the Great Plains Dust Bowl of the 1930”s.

But my interior designer is there for me to lean on. She’s travelled this design path many times before and knows how to handle all the deconstruction and reconstruction pitfalls – the quicksand of home renovation projects.

Lead on…

Pith helmut on, flashlight in one hand and machete in the other, she clears a path through the myriad of showrooms, fights off the wild beasts of plumbers, electricians and carpenters and keeps us moving in the right direction toward our interior design dream.

Do you plan on taking a trip through Renovation Jungle anytime soon? If so, the first decision you should make is to find the right design partner – the perfect guide – to lay out the plan, keep everyone on the same page and heading toward the same design vision.

A little ray of hope….

I’ve shared some of our challenges of home renovation, but there are times that have been really enjoyable:

  • When the deconstruction has been swept away – this is really a big moment!
  • When you walk around the newly-framed out space after everyone has gone home for
    the day and can envision what it will look like when finished.
  • And when you share a laugh with your interior designer over all the dangers of the
    Renovation Jungle that have been avoided or conquered that week.

Now excuse me while I crawl into my tent and get some sleep for tomorrow’s adventure…

Do you have a “Renovation Jungle” story you’d like to share? We’d love to hear it!

 

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