#1. Why We Chose to Remodel Instead of Building a New Home
Why remodel when our home was already nice?
It all started when I told my husband, “I wish our TV would fit over the fireplace.” Of course, it was a couple of inches too wide on both sides. Having the TV placed to the side made room choices difficult, from furniture placement to overall aesthetics—this was my problem. Our home never felt quite right for us. The spark for our remodel was ignited by our fireplace issue, much like a game of dominoes, which you can read more in my next post. Although the fireplace was beautiful, its design wasn’t optimal for our needs. The TV placement dilemma disrupted the entire layout of our living room, making furniture placement awkward and interrupting the flow of the space. This situation led us to remodel and transform our home into a space that truly fit our lifestyle and preferences.
Our rustic greatroom before our remodel.
The Decision to Remodel
Our decision to remodel rather than build a new home was not made lightly. It was a tough call, especially after we had spent months dreaming of and designing a brand-new house. But several factors influenced our choice, making remodeling the best option for us.
P ersonal Style and Preferences
When we moved into to this house a few years ago, we appreciated the meticulous care and rustic style the previous owners had put into it. However, every family has unique tastes and needs. Again, while the home was beautiful, it didn’t really align with our personal style or inspire us the way we hoped. We wanted to make it our own by ,incorporating design elements that truly reflected our personality and lifestyle.
Financial Considerations
We realized we could make significant improvements without the financial strain of building a new house. Remodeling allowed us to invest in upgrades that would enhance our current space without the enormous expense and logistical challenges of constructing a new house.
Customization and Comfort
Remodeling gave us the opportunity to tailor our home exactly to our tastes and needs. We could address the specific aspects that didn’t work for us—like the fireplace and TV placement—while keeping the elements we loved.
Updating
Although our home had a solid structure, great bones, and an amazing location, we did end up replacing many elements to better suit our vision. The idea of tearing down a perfectly good home felt wasteful, so we focused on transforming it into our dream space with strategic updates. While this involved replacing quite a bit, it allowed us to create a cohesive and a modern aesthetic that we love.
Before
From Dream to Reality
Once we decided to remodel, the excitement began to build. We started by gathering design ideas from magazines, Pinterest, and home decor blogs and of course, conversations with my sister. Our goal was to blend modern aesthetics with open, functional spaces that felt like us. We consulted with our contractor to ensure our vision was feasible and within budget. To us, the results speak for themselves. “Creating” our space.
—Nancy
Our modern organic greatroom