2021 Highlight: We bought a Fixer-Upper!

Happy New Year! It's been a while! So much has changed since I've last blogged. Do people still read blogs anymore? Regardless, I've made a point to try and document these exciting times ahead!

This past year has provided some amazing opportunities both professionally and personally. Work has kept me busy, but at times I felt like I could barely come up for air. The ever-challenging work/life balance, am I right?!

Through the midst of all the craziness of 2021, my husband and I purchased our first fixer-upper, located in beautiful Welland, Ontario. It was a bit of a whirlwind process, as most real estate deals are these days. I actually didn't even see the house prior to making an offer! My husband went to go see it, we did a walk-through via Facetime with our realtor and put in an offer that same night. A few days later, we were the proud owners of a 26-year-old semi-detached home, located on the cutest cul-de-sac. We immediately saw its potential, and thankfully most of the upgrades are simply cosmetic.

We finally settled in nicely after a very stressful moving day (pro tip: moving with twin toddlers is not ideal: 10/10 would not recommend!). In short, my husband had to rip out a freshly-painted wall in order to fit our sofa down the stairs to our second-level Family Room. Have you ever been buried in boxes while trying to clean up drywall dust, all while trying to manage two curious 3- year-olds? Not ideal.

But overall, we chalked this up to a happy accident as it allows so much more light down in what would have been a pretty dark staircase. Once we rip out the carpeting and replace the flooring, we'll have professionals install a handrail and metal spindles within the new opening.

Here are a few more photos of the rest of the home pre-renovation so you can see what we're working with! Pretty much everything is original and the home was built in 1996. Our plan is to modernize the finishes yet keep a realistic sense of living and maintain functionality throughout the home. It's lacking storage in many areas so lots of custom millwork will be installed strategically! The overall aesthetic will be warm but sophisticated, and will always respect the practical needs of family living.

Here are a few more images that have inspired me recently!

So here is our highlight of 2021! I am so excited to share the renovations of our little fixer-upper. Make sure to follow me on Instagram to catch all of the behind-the-scenes!

Thanks for reading!

Cheers,