Back in November, Matt & I decided to remodel the poorly done "garage conversion" that we'd inherited when buying our home. The fact is that there was no conversion. To convert means to change from one thing to another, right?
The overall aim of the original homeowners in "converting" the garage is unclear. The garage doors were closed in. One door became two large windows with a small (woefully insufficient) window box unit. The other door became a huge sliding glass door. Without heat or air in the summer this space was not only no longer a garage, but it wasn't usable for much else...
This huge sliding glass door has always been a head-scratcher. What use is a giant sliding glass door on the front of your house, especially when it is right next to your front door? In our experience, it just causes confusion when our guests visit for the first time.
Anyway, the back of the garage became a long dark hallway for cabinetry and the washer and dryer. The space remaining had no heating and precious little cooling. This meant there was no garage and nothing else but a rather dingy storage unit. For years, that was just what this space was: a storage unit. In this space we stored projects, the stuff you'd normally have in the garage, plus we tried to home office and quilt there during the pleasant weeks of the year. Then we decided to blitz this space. In one week. Thanksgiving week.
This is where we started. In January, I started selling off the furniture we didn't use or that didn't work for our home, purging our stuff, donating unused items, and giving things away.
Slowly, things got better and felt lighter. Remodeling this space became the fuel behind the move towards a simpler lifestyle. The freedom that we felt in reclaiming this space trickled over into the rest of our house and became a whole-house purge. You can read more about that in my post "Moving Towards Minimalism." Over the weeks, furniture sold, and our donation muscle grew stronger.
We began the remodel by covering the paneling with sheet rock.
Once all the walls were done, and the texture was drying, we got rid of the old carpet and laid this faux wood flooring. This step alone made a huge difference in how the room felt. Then we color-drenched the room by painting the walls, ceiling, and trim in Universal Khaki.
Then we moved in the furniture we had while Matt worked on installing the mini-split unit that would heat/cool this space. Seeing the transformation in this room to this point was so very exciting!
I don’t know about you, but most of my home has come together slowly, and often by necessity. Not with a hefty shopping spree or a dream Pinterest board magically brought to life, but with secondhand finds, hand-me-downs, elbow grease, and a whole lot of waiting.
In sharing these progress pictures with you, I can see that there is something deeply beautiful about building a home with constraints. Whether it’s a tight budget, limited DIY abilities, or simply time, these limits force resourcefulness. They make you look more closely at what you already have. They force you to be patient, and in that patience, something unexpected happens. You begin to treasure the process and how far you've come instead of focusing so much on where you want to be.
If, sometimes, you feel as if your vision for your home is so far out of reach (maybe because the funds aren’t there or other options are limited), please know: you’re not alone. And you’re not doing it wrong. There is no rush. There is no deadline. Homes that feel warm and lived-in aren’t made overnight ~ they’re gathered, layer by layer, over time. And when you do buy something, let it be something you love ~ not something you’re settling for.
Finished! During the remodel I gathered a few pieces of furniture on Marketplace (MP). Matt's Grandpa Joe has a roll-top desk that Matt has always admired, so we found this one on MP for $100. Then Matt found that cabinet to the right of the desk on the roadside! You can't beat free.
Between these two pieces Matt has an office at his fingertips that can be tucked away if need be ~ for $100!
This Highland House loveseat was a happy find on MP about a year ago for $65. I've been saving it for this room since then & I must say it's the comfiest seat in the house!
Your home doesn’t need to be finished to be beautiful. It doesn't need to be perfect to be welcoming and comfortable. It just needs to reflect you and the people you love. That’s what makes a space feel like home.
So here’s to the slow homes. The budget-conscious, the DIYers, the vintage-lovers, and the ones making beauty with what they’ve got. You are creating something meaningful. And it's already more beautiful than you think.
Until next time, take care,
Rachel
