{"id":5052,"date":"2024-03-22T20:51:09","date_gmt":"2024-03-22T20:51:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.courtneythomasdesign.com\/?p=5052"},"modified":"2024-04-02T17:08:14","modified_gmt":"2024-04-02T17:08:14","slug":"designer-home-renovation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.courtneythomasdesign.com\/designer-home-renovation\/","title":{"rendered":"How Our Home Remodel Changed Us"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This post is a continuation of our Spring 2024 Newsletter. Subscribe<\/a> to follow Courtney’s story and stay in the know. <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Designer Digs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Three years ago, we\u00a0set out to design and renovate our 1950\u2019s California ranch style home. Nothing quite prepared me for the rollercoaster ride of transforming my own space. We tell our clients that a custom-designed home will change the way they live. It wasn’t until I designed, renovated and then lived that experience, that I fully appreciated just how great the impact was. Life in my custom renovated abode has created unexpected moments of connection and inclusion for my family. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Kids Are Alright<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

My four children settled into the house like it was an old set of beloved pajamas and slippers. There was no great fanfare from them. Just a race for and a relieved sigh from them when they closed the doors on their own spaces. They\u2019d always shared rooms and they\u2019d been plotting their personal aesthetics long before we broke ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A magic moment that occured when first time I saw my girls pull out barstools at our second island. I had intended for this to be a space where the kids could gather around with their friends. So, one evening I overheard my daughters making plans to \u201csleep over\u201d in each other\u2019s rooms. They used to share a room and missed being with each other. I felt a sense of deep satisfaction knowing that everything I had anticipated was finally playing out, and then some! I worked so hard to design the renovation around their enjoyment of it. But never could have I anticipated how it would strengthen their bond as sisters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Imposter Syndrome <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It took me a little longer to settle in and get reacquainted with our renovated home. Odd, right? Since I was on site everyday of the build, answering questions and orchestrating design vision. You\u2019d think I would be shoving everyone out of the way to claim my cabinet in the mudroom and my place on the sectional sofa. But, no. I was reserved. Somewhere along the build, I think I anesthetized the memories we\u2019d created in the old house and hadn\u2019t envisioned creating new ones in the house we were building.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we moved in, I was surprised to find that I felt displaced. The old house and its memories were gone. Though so many original walls still stood, I felt like I was standing in a house that was make-believe. It took me months to feel a bond and find my groove.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happier Holidays<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Preparing and decorating the house for Thanksgiving and Christmas immediately etched new memories and crafted new narratives for us to hold onto. In addition to that, entertaining has taken on new meaning. We never historically volunteered to host parties (outside of early kid birthdays) or entertained many friends at the old house. It was small and felt uninviting. Perhaps, it also felt like a poor example of my design potential and that embarrassed me.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I knew creating a home that made me want to host was something I craved. I wanted a place where our kids could bring friends and their families. My dream was a house that beckoned for outdoor activities. One of my central renovation design choices was to transition the indoor\/outdoor living spaces. I wanted something so seamless that you can’t tell where the house ends and mother nature begins. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have now hosted over a dozen parties at our renovated home since moving in. I have met so many wonderful people! By providing a gathering place for school functions, families, club sporting teams, holiday parties and girl\u2019s nights, I connect more with friends that I ever did over the entire 15 years we lived in our old house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Gift of Growth<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s been just over two years that we\u2019ve been back in our house and it was just in time to see our kids morph from pint-sized troublemakers into towering teenagers. We have sent one kid off to college and watched our two girls learn to drive. They often bring home friends and now plan sleepover parties for more than just each other. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My love for this house grows as we do. I love observing how it flexes to meet our needs and adapts to the kids’ ever-changing preferences. Mostly, I love that something I created can bring all these connections and new memories into our lives. That sense of accomplishment, that pride and joy in creating something that can change how people live and love will never get old. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

No matter how many homes I design. No matter how many clients I serve. Changing lives by changing people\u2019s environments is the greatest gift I know to give and, as a living testimonial of its impact, it is the greatest gift I hope to keep sharing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n