I really love what I now dub “A reveal year” – and that’s what 2023 was for me, usually coming after a “renovation/construction year” which let’s just say is FAR less fun. Perhaps the extreme financial drain, the public pressure, and the permanence of the construction process creates some stress (and ironically the traffic and engagement aren’t as high in a renovation year as in a reveal year so the payoff is delayed/painful). So with the move to Portland and a few other big things that wer going on, it makes sense that both personally and professionally 2021 and 2022, “the farmhouse construction years”, were very challenging. And look, that’s ok, not every year can be your best year (a mantra I chanted for two years LOL). But 2023, well she was a good one because styling, decorating, shooting, and publishing each room, slowly, on mostly my own terms, was such a relief from the stress of a renovation, and that euphoria permeates everything in such a happy way. I just feel so lucky and happy to live here. I remember telling Brian that I don’t think I’ll have similar farmhouse challenges again, FOR YEARS. Sure, I’ll take on projects and some of them might be our own, but they won’t be our primary residence, they won’t be so financially draining, and they won’t have the same desperate deadline to move in. Once I realized that the stress of this project was truly behind us, I have been floating around feeling just so incredibly grateful.
I was committed to revealing this house slower than in the past with the intent to enjoy the process, more room by room over months than all at once, (a la “shark week” which is what we did for the mountain house). So while we are done with so many rooms (see this year-end roundup post if you missed any), we actually still have a lot left to do. But it’s all fun stuff and I am purposefully spreading it out so I don’t rush decisions or not have time to enjoy the reveals, myself.
Reveal: The Primary Bedroom
We finished this room in November, but decided this is a perfect cozy January room so this is coming at you this week and next:) It’s quite possibly the least farmhouse “farmhouse bedroom” ever. 🙂
Reveal: The Family Photo Wall Up The Stairs
I have been dying to tackle this one since we moved in but there are just so many other priorities and I wanted to print out more current photos. But this month I’m going to hang a pretty epic family photo/gallery wall up the stairs.
Reveal/DIY: The Landing Stenciled Floor
I’m so glad I put this off because as the house has evolved I realize I want this to be bolder than I had previously thought. The original idea was a quiet floor pattern (maybe a checkered or diamond but with a border or a third color). But with how much I love the sunroom floor I think I might go bolder up there and of course, still add the border. I have some ideas and plan on tackling late January/early February for an early March reveal.
Reveal: The Guest Bath
This is done, but not styled our shot (and she looks SO CUTE). Wait, I might end up painting the window and ceiling, but otherwise wallpaper is up and she looks so cozy and fun.
Tweak: The Guest Room
This room is pretty great, but we are so conflicted about whether we want it to be a proper guest room or more of a den for the kids (especially as winter approaches and they spend so much more time with their friends inside). I had customized a bed to fit perfectly between the windows and let’s just say it ended up in a different room.
Design And Reveal: Charlie’s Bedroom
My 10-year-old son isn’t too enthusiastic about me decorating his room, so I’m trying to figure out how much we want to do beyond more decorating. Part of me wants to do something nutty to the walls and ceiling, but the other part of me is like, “just make it cool and focus on other things”. He’s scared I’m going to add butterfly wallpaper like Elliot’s. I’m obviously not going to do that but I understand the fear. 🙂
Tweak: The Living Room Walls Or Ceiling
I’m not 100% happy with our living room and I still don’t know how to fix it, but I know the walls are the problem. This room isn’t a work priority but as a mom/designer who passes through this room 1500 times a day, I just want to love it more. I also know that it’s totally fine as is…
Tweak/Fix: The Living Room Fireplace
I do however know that I really want to lime wash the fireplace a darker color. Now obviously this would be in conjunction with what we do on the walls but this might be where I start. I ordered a bunch of samples and I think I might just go for it.
Add: Wallpaper In Our Water Closet (Primary Bath)
I think I was pretty restrained in a lot of ways for the hard finishes – which I love. But there are some rooms that I think I want to add a pattern via wallpaper. It’s pretty hard to prioritize our bathroom’s toilet room into my schedule, but I also really think it’s a perfect opportunity to add a pretty pattern (that literally no one will see but Brian, me, and all of you).
Add: Wallpaper In Ante Room
This was something we were supposed to do before we shot the bedroom but we didn’t. This is the room BEFORE you enter the bedroom. It’s just a cute little mini hallway with two junction boxes that are currently covered with a plate. I don’t know if I want it to be a subtle wallpaper with a lot of art in there or just put up a really pretty patterned paper.
Add: Wallpaper Above Tile In Kids’ Bath
I don’t know. It just seems like a missed opportunity to not wallpaper above the tile. The bathroom is pretty as-is, but there are times when I don’t love the buffalo check fabric in the tub nook and wish it were something simpler (or no curtain at all) and instead add wallpaper above the tile. I think I’m still confused about who I want to be – quiet and minimal Mountain House Emily or eclectic English grandma Emily (a poor man’s Heidi Calliere) and layer pattern on pattern on pattern (I love both so much). I love how calm our house is for the most part but I think I can add a paper that will fit the vibe…
Design/Reveal: Back Porch
It’s empty except for some dead plants and dirty pots. Still figuring out how we want to use it and honestly, it might just be groupings of Adirondack chairs, but that’s a fun spring project for us to figure out.
Design/Reveal: The Home Gym
We are almost done with this space, using it 4 times a week at least. It’s the pool house (that we once called the greenhouse) that we decided to put Brian’s Fight Camp and my peloton in (and our cold plunge). But currently, it’s bare bones and I want to finish it.
Design/Reveal: The Art Barn/Kids Clubhouse
Ok, by next summer I’m going to have turned the right half of the barn into a kids’ summer (and hopefully winter) clubhouse. The left half is for the animals and feed, etc, but the other side is empty and if finished out could be a really fun clubhouse for the kids and all their friends this summer. I’m picturing this being somewhere they can get super super messy and trade garbage pail kids.
So that’s the plan! Excited to get started so hope you’re excited too:) We have a lot of other projects, too and in 2025 we are starting the second house on the project but this is what I call a ‘earn and learn’ year, where we try to not spend so much money and learn about the digital landscape more before entering in another massive renovation. Excited to show you all the other projects we are doing this year soon. It’s A LOT (and we are full up for the year which feels good). xx
*Photos by Kaitlin Green
THIS POST WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED HERE.
