May 1st, 2015 we walked through our home for the first time and I can honestly say, “this was it.” It did not look like our home, but it felt like it. We were home. August 19th of that same summer we officially took residence accompanied by our 2-year-old and a 5-day-old infant little girl. That first evening I sat across from this mammoth brown fireplace nursing a new baby and began to question my sanity while a tiny bit of buyer’s remorse tugged at the hairs of my neck. “What have I gotten myself into?” while equally, “Oh but the potential!”.

We left the comforts of our beloved Maverick community for a new adventure and quite noticeably a new project. With busy careers, kids, and life, that “new project” took eight years to bring to fruition. Enjoy the reveal below.

The kitchen is the heart of any home and now that the energy of the space has been reset, I am enjoying being in the kitchen again. I’m lucky to have a spouse that is an incredible cook and I didn’t mind taking a backseat to his cooking during renovations (aka Garage Living), but I am loving being back in the kitchen again. We were lucky to have our friend Jeff Paffrath lead this project in its entirety. Between running Paffrath Jewelers, coaching basketball, hunting, and raising a family, Jeff gave us countless hours of his hard-work and talent to complete our project. Lakeview Electric rocked the electrical work with Louie Pirrotta on the gorgeous over-grouted masonry. AUM Wood Products and their team of pros executed the kitchen cabinets, bookcase, beams and pantry perfectly. We removed the door to the pantry and installed custom cabinets and a coffee bar. Fav!

The windows are 20+ years old but they are Marvin Windows so they are in excellent condition! Replacing them didn’t feel right so I got help with the talented team from Destiny Paint & Tile to give the windows, walls and trim a facelift.

I wasn’t kidding, was I? It was a mammoth of a 1980’s dated fireplace and the bid to have it removed was over $30,000. We ruled that option out quickly and I set out for plan B. German Smear. I knew exactly what I wanted but it took me a long time to find someone brave enough to execute a German Smear for me until I found Louie Pirrotta with Pirrotta Construction. I bought a little time with a $5 whitewash for a few years and then I finally met Louie, an ambitious carpenter ballsy enough to follow my crazy ideas. This fireplace is now my favorite part of our home.

We set out with a ‘love it’ or ‘list it’ mind frame for our renovation goals and finished with a ‘love it a little longer’ conclusion. One thing I know for certain is that nothing lasts forever but I find humble beauty in the challenge to make a difference in this world by leaving the worn out and broken things just a little more loved and full of light when it is time to move on. Energy is an equal exchange, when you choose to love something, that love will radiate back. The more love we put into this home the more it seems to love us too and keeps drawing us right back to her together as a family. We continue to update this property with natural elements that will remain timeless to the cottage concept this property is designed around.

Stay tuned as we keep you posted on further renovations down the road.

Much love. Xx