Last month I admitted to having house envy. It was not one of my finest moments and I was a little embarrassed to admit to it, but it was a very real, honest emotion.
After writing, I kept thinking about our home and all of the wonderful things that I do love about it. My husband and I are proud of our home and all of the improvements we have made to it, many of which we took on ourselves...well maybe a little help from my dad too. We have also paid CASH for every single one of our home-improvements. I am not just talking about re-painting either. In the nine years since we bought our house, we have gutted and installed a brand new kitchen, renovated our full bath, replaced a 35 year old sun room, added a 500 square foot patio, and replaced a dilapidated shed.
After a lot of thought, I realized my problem with house envy wasn't my home; the problem was me, all of my stuff and the cluttered, piled up spots around our home. We don't have the space for a mud room, a play room or a second full bathroom, but we have an over-stuffed garage, a piled high basement and a cluttered bathroom. These tough spots might just need to be re-purposed. They just aren't working out in their current capacity. We need to re-think how we use a particular space.
That brings me to a new series: Tackle That Tough Spot.
That picture is scary, isn't it?? That is a closet in our basement. Not a very good use of space.
I have identified several 'tough spots' in our home that need tackled. Starting next Thursday, January 14th, I will tackle our first tough spot: our garage/mud room/pantry disaster area. I will post before and after pictures of the area and the solutions that we came up with.
We might not live in a 3000+ square foot home and all of the amenities that come with that size, but that doesn't mean we can't take pride in our home and all that we have accomplished.
A home can be the biggest expense a family has and we are very blessed to have the home that we do.
Join me next Thursday, January 14th, when I tackle our garage/mud room/pantry disaster and see what transpires.
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This post is linked to:
- Finer Things Friday at Amy's Finer Things
Good luck! My garage looks like your picture, are you sure you weren't at my house?!? I will be trying to gain and re-purpose our space too! I look forward to seeing your transformations!
ReplyDeletei just tackled our basement "tough spot" that was full of stored kids clothes. my schoolroom and playroom are always tough spots in our house. i really need to figure out something...thanks for the encouragement!
ReplyDeleteFrom time to time, I have house envy as well. But, as you discovered, for me it is more about having a tranquil home instead of tons of clutter. I am a piler. My goal is find a place of everything and to stop making piles of things that I am not sure where to put.
ReplyDeleteI love our home and want to enjoy it! So, I will continue to work on decluttering. Thanks for the inspiration!
I sometimes get "house envy" too, but am quickly reminded of the blessings of our home when I keep it neat and clean.
ReplyDeleteWow! You have a basement!
ReplyDelete:)
Basements are almost non-existant here, as are attics, crawl spaces, and storage space (most homes here have vaulted ceilings).
I think you'll find a TON of space and it will be fantastic!
I am also going to declutter. I blogged about it today. You can read about it at gracethattransforms.blogspot.com/2010/01/getting-it-together.html.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to see what you are working on next!