New Beginnings

Happy New Year! What is on your docket for 2026?

With a new planner, a new vision board, and my word of the year—”open”—I feel ready to manifest my plans for the upcoming year. I am focused on spending special time with family and friends, prioritizing my health, and finalizing my travel plans. I also hope to finally tackle my laundry room and organization goals I mentioned back in 2024.

You may be considering some of your own home goals, including even larger projects.  I wanted to share a recent client who undertook an entire home renovation last year.  There are many lessons to learn from a project like this, so I wanted to walk you through some highlights (and even some not-so-highlights).  Larger projects are not for the faint of heart, the impatient, or the intolerant.  It takes a true commitment, so let’s prepare for the possibilities.

This empty-nest client was ready for a complete overhaul in her Decatur home.  She loved her home, especially her gardens and neighbors, but she was ready to bring their home to its full potential.  Together, they frequently cooked and entertained, so they prioritized the kitchen and living room.   They also wanted to age in place, so they planned to incorporate two primary suites-one for now, which was upstairs, and a second one for the main level.  These concepts touched most areas of the home.

This couple had done their homework, interviewing contractors and designers.  This decision is one of the most important choices to make when entering into a project of this size. Ultimately, finding someone who can be trusted both technically and with the budget. They chose a family friend who had worked on their home for years to handle the contracting, and we served as the interior design team.  Marlee and Andrea spearheaded the kitchen, laundry, and 3-bath design.  Then Andrea took on the soft furnishings- furniture, rugs, and window treatments.

Marlee and Andrea then selected European Kitchen and Bathworks for the cabinetry in the kitchen, baths, and laundry room.  They found just the right finishes, colors, and profiles in their huge selection.  Then Andrea worked with our custom cabinetry carpenter for the walnut cabinetry in the living room and the stair-stacked cabinetry in the foyer.  This cabinetry needed an artist, and Michael and his team are just that.

 For the kitchen, we learned that he mainly cooked, that he wanted to feel comfortable when chopping on his chopping board at a height that worked for his tall stature, and that he loved having a stove alcove for his “cockpit”.  There were several times early in the design process when we showed other floor plans featuring the stove and hood in the middle of the kitchen, but this corner stove is what he was comfortable with.  It turns out he was absolutely right.

There are many questions about habits, organization, and style that need clarification for the project to “get” what the client is looking for.   Inspiration photos also go a long way toward determining the look and vibe that works in each room.

At one point in this renovation, there was a very tense moment in the spa bathroom upstairs.  We had chosen a beautiful zellige tile for the wet room shower walls.  To them, it simply felt like too much- too complicated, too uneven, too difficult to clean. We loved the wabi-sabi feeling of this handmade tile, and we were sure that they would love it if they gave it a chance. Ultimately, we worked together to have one small wall installed, and they decided against it.  It was painful to take it down, but they knew what worked for them and what did not. They spoke up, instead of being unhappy after we had left.   Luckily, there were no hard feelings, just a change of direction.  That compassion on both sides strengthened the relationship afterward, as both parties respected and listened to each other.

A large project like this is like running a marathon.  Understandably, most clients experience decision fatigue and wonder whether the contractors will ever leave their precious home.  This misery is real, even under the best of conditions. My best advice: know that “this too shall pass.”  Staying positive and having a sense of humour is what made this client so special.   At times during the renovation, they took breaks at their beach home or went on a much-needed vacation to step away.  We could usually reach them if needed, but they needed to pace themselves to complete the project.  We also highly recommend living out of the house to escape the chaos of construction.

On another note of humour, we loved that this client was not afraid to use a wild wallpaper featuring a wild raucous party of monkeys and birds.  These drunken monkeys have bottles of liquor, bras, and necklaces strewn around, and it just makes you smile when using their powder room.

Being in a project relationship like this for over a year requires trust.  There were issues with the basement beams needing replacement in order to support the weight of the house, which added unforeseen time and cost to the project.  This isn’t what they wanted to hear!  Yet they did, trusting that the solution would work and that they could continue.

With this client, she had several get-togethers after the renovation was complete.  The genuine awe of their friends and family at their new home made some of the suffering recede and built a sense of pride.  Kind of like having a baby, the final result hopefully brings joy and a new way of living.  They certainly have that feeling, and so do we.  This photoshoot took a while to make in 2025, but we are truly grateful for the trust and the final result.

I hope I have not scared you away from your big home renovation dreams!  I wanted to share the joys and pitfalls equally, so you are aware.   Ultimately, only you can decide if a big renovation is worth it.  But should you choose to, we are here for you.

Thanks for reading,

Stephanie