In a lot of ways, our living room project is the project that catapulted me into launching my own design business.  I have always loved home projects and renovations, but in 2013 Eric bought his first home and we really started to get into DIY.  I always loved the idea of doing everything ourselves in order to maximize our budget.  Our first home was a pretty heavy renovation in Milford, OH.   We quickly got into re-doing our first home- we removed textured ceilings, removed and refinished wood flooring, added beams and a large master closet and completely gutted our master bathroom.  I was so proud of all the work we had put into that home.  In 2017 we sold that home and bought a home in a more suburban area of Milford in an effort to have more space for our growing family.

We have been in this home for 5 years now, and it’s easy to focus on everything we haven’t done but we truly have accomplished so much. Our DIY attitude has allowed us to tackle projects that we otherwise would have never afforded.  In our new home, we have painted kitchen cabinets, laid 2400 sq ft worth of hardwood flooring, added custom built ins and a new fireplace surround to the living room.

The living room renovation is my absolute favorite to date.  I had never done so much planning for a project, but this project required a significant amount of planning.  Doing so allowed me to fully explain my vision to my husband and allowed us to implement my design in a way that we had never really done before.  The entire remodel of the living room ended up taking about 7-8 months.  It certainly would have been faster to have contractors do it, but we really wanted to maximize our budget. The living room was my highest priority because it is completely open to the rest of the home and it is the place where we spend most of our time.

Budget Breakdown Living Room Renovation

Fireplace stone: $800
Built ins: $3000
Mantel: $200
Shiplap: $300
Demo: $FREE
Hardwood floors: $9000 for whole home
Banister painting: $50
Curtains: $500
Painting: $300
Lighting: $500
I really think that doing things ourselves has allowed me to realize a passion for design, knowing that you can create just about anything if you have the patience to figure it out.  In a lot of ways, my time as a medical professional has played into this as well.  I think being curious and learning more about DIY has allowed me to accomplish things in my own home that would have otherwise been out of reach.
Our next renovations are most likely the basement and home office. But you know I’m already planning the kitchen and primary bedroom/bathroom.
If you are planning a renovation, feel free to reach out and see how my services can help!