Every December as the holidays comes to a close, I like to reflect on the year with gratitude for the good moments and take what I can learn from the harder times. When I look back to January 1 and walk through the year month by month I’m always surprised at how much I’ve already forgotten; it’s amazing how much we manage to squeeze into seemingly too-short days one after another (long days and short years, right?). It also invigorates me for the year ahead – I am a “new year, new goals” kind of girl and once the hustle of the holidays are over I’m left with renewed energy to make the months ahead productive. But before I jump to my 2021 plans, lets look back on what 2020 has taught us.
JANUARY
While standing in our kitchen in the middle of January, I had an idea hit me that I couldn’t shake: to tear out the upper cabinets on the main wall of our kitchen. I wanted it done as soon as possible and was instantly gratified when I could see the space in a new light with the extra cabinetry gone. Two things I learned with this project: to trust my gut and to always have a plan before starting a big project. Tearing the cabinets out was impulsive, but my gut was right to do it. Not having a concrete plan in place to put the kitchen back together ended up being stressful for both Tyler and I – something I won’t repeat in the future.
FEBRUARY
While we worked away on the kitchen, I was also debating where I should be putting my energy between design work, the blog and social media. I took to Instagram and asked many of you questions pertaining to hiring a designer, shopping habits, budgets, the importance of design in your homes – and the answers were eye-opening. Living in a small town in Ohio can feel limiting at times but I also know that everyone has a desire for their home to reflect who they are, extending a warm welcome to those who enter. I decided to take the year as it came, saying yes to every design inquiry I could squeeze into my schedule while also working on our own home so that I could hopefully keep learning what I am meant to put most of my energy into.
MARCH
With March came the (first) infamous Covid shutdown of 2020. Two days after returning from a short business trip with Ty to South Carolina, we returned home to a statewide mandate to stay inside our house and not to visit with anyone for a few weeks. Thinking back, it’s funny to remember how foreign and trapping this mandate felt at the time – and that we thought it would last a few weeks and then be a thing of the past (wishful thinking). Now that we’ve spent the year avoiding public spaces and engaging in masked interactions with others it now feels like the new normal. I spent most of those three weeks organizing neglected parts of our house, distracting myself with more kitchen work, and finding new ways to entertain the kids. We also celebrated our 8 year anniversary with restaurant takeout and wine at our dining room table, and I found out I was pregnant with our third precious baby a day later.
APRIL
April was a big project month. With all of our extra time at home we were able to finally finish the kitchen remodel. I was thrilled with every little detail and had so much fun styling our new open shelving. This budget makeover transformed our kitchen and I’m so glad that we impulsively jumped into the project when we did. For a full tour of the kitchen, plus before and after photos, click here.
MAY
Mid-April we decided to makeover our backyard patio. This was never on my radar to do but similar to our kitchen renovation my gut told me it was a worthwhile project. This time we did better at preparing and planning which made the project go quickly and (mostly) seamlessly. This remains one of my most liked projects to date and bolstered my confidence in my ideas when visualizing a space. You can read the full post with all of the before and afters here.
We capped off the month with a trip to the beach, celebrating Memorial Day on the patio with our friends and sharing the news of our new baby set to arrive late November.
JUNE
June brought fresh second trimester energy and the satisfying reworking of the ceiling in our TV room. The ceiling in there had multiple layers of ceiling tiles, drywall and plaster & lathe that I could not wait to say goodbye to. I was so excited to finally have overhead lighting in the room and the look of fresh, clean drywall.
I also hit a big Instagram milestone – 10k followers!! I was so excited, humbled and flattered that so many of you love following along on the renovation story of our little home. I had dreamed of doing a big 10k Giveaway for awhile and was so excited to be able to ship a box of beautiful things to a follower as a heartfelt thank-you.
About two years ago I had set my mind to post everyday – it was more of an act of creative discipline, so force myself to do something worth sharing everyday. Some days definitely were easier than others, some photos bombed while others gained lots of likes and comments. I am so glad that I stuck to my “rule” even when it felt like it was all for naught, because it has connected me to so many like-minded women and creatives who I now talk with daily. I’m so thankful for each and every one of you.
JULY
July was full of boating, swimming, dinners on the patio and long walks in the evening. We started planning for our bathroom renovation and finished a smaller project in the meantime: installing a stair runner on our staircase. One of my favorite things about our house is that it has an open staircase that greets you right as you walk in the door. Installing this runner was simple and really set off the pretty architectural details of the staircase. You can read the full tutorial here.
AUGUST
The beginning of August brought my 30th birthday, announcing the expected arrival of Miss Caroline and lots of client work. We ended the month with a girls trip to a cute little cottage by the lake for a few days, which was exactly what I needed after months of sticking so close to home. I was so ready for cooler weather, pumpkin everything and the nesting urge started to set in.
SEPTEMBER
September and October were stressful months for us. I was facing a lot of client work, Tyler was planning large work trips or projects, we had started homeschooling Lena and my gestational hypertension kicked in which meant an earlier due date and lots of extra doctor appointments. I had a hard time finding joy in personal design projects – we started renovating our main bathroom and I kept pushing design decisions to the back of my mind. It was frustrating since I had been looking forward to renovating the bathroom since we bought the house, but for whatever reason it was overwhelming me at the time. In hindsight I’m glad that I didn’t rush to make decisions because I really want to give the appropriate thought and time to designing this bathroom so that we truly love it once it’s finished.
OCTOBER
With October came a big push to finish client work and most of our personal projects fell to the wayside (unfinished bathroom, garage full of boxes and bathroom materials, odd projects that we had hoped to finish before Caroline was born, creative projects I had hoped to start but didn’t have the time or energy for). Tyler and I did manage to have a kid-free weekend before baby girl arrived and instead of working on our long to-do list, we rested most of the weekend and spent quality time together – which was exactly what I needed. This month also brought new opportunities for me to work with brands or small businesses through Instagram that were either new to me or had been long-time favorites; the opportunity to work with these businesses was really fun and something I would have never considered earlier in the year.
NOVEMBER
November 7, 2020 brought us sweet Caroline. I was so relieved to finally hold her in my arms. I was also very relieved to not be pregnant anymore. The weeks that followed Caroline’s birth felt like a long exhale, as if we lived the whole month in slow motion. Living in the newborn haze is hard but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. When Lena and Cohen were babies life was a lot different, with more stress and not as much time to soak up their newness. I know Ty and I both are savoring every minute of the newborn phase this time around and so very thankful we get the chance to do it all over again.
DECEMBER
December was full of baby snuggles, playing Go Fish with Lena and Cohen, and easing back into work. Our garage is still a mess and the bathroom is still down to the studs, but I’m totally okay with that. This year that started out full and busy is ending with a slower pace, easing us into our new normal as a family of five. As Caroline gets older each day (how is she almost two months old?!) our everyday gets a little easier and less hectic.
I’m so excited for the year ahead and for the fresh perspective that 2020 has gifted us. Years ago I would have given anything for mandated time at home – being “forced” to spend all of our days and nights together as a family – so I will always look back fondly on this year. I know 2020 has brought hardship and heartache for many, but it has also brought unexpected blessings with it. I’m entering the New Year feeling refreshed and with a renewed energy to set higher goals, learn, grow and appreciate what we’ve been given each day. Here’s to 2021!
XO —
Lauren