My dad was the person who inspired me to keep this running journal of our house renovations. The idea came up while Kyle and I were taking a supper break with my parents after a day of tearing down walls. We were chatting about how dirty renovating was, and my dad asked if we were taking pictures of our progress, pointing out that it will be cool in two years' time when we are sitting in our completed home and can look back on the transformation and see all of the work that we put into it. I jokingly replied that "hopefully we would see the improvements," but he got me to seriously think about how important it was to keep a record of our work. Like with any kind of project, once it is all said and done, what remains are merely the fleeting memories of what it took to get from Point A to Point B. However, with photos or a journal or another form of documentation, the experiences and lessons taken from the project can be re-lived over and over again, and even shared. So, here is my memory-box of sorts, my way of preserving this chapter of my life. While the week leading up to our closing day was stress-ridden and admittedly, with a few tears, when we finally unlocked the door as official homeowners, I could only think of how excited I was to start this project with Kyle. Our house has history and charm and so much potential. Something that I noticed right away when the sales agent took us through the house, was how each of the rooms had its own personality, from the colours of the carpet and wallpaper, to the shape and size of the windows and doors. This is something that I love about the house and about older houses in general. Houses that already hold stories and memories of its past owners are special in their own way, kind of like a worn-in baseball glove or a used book with a loving note from a grandmother or friend inside the cover. This house has been witness to countless birthdays and weddings and graduations, all of which give it a sense of wisdom and honour. That this house was also around during both World Wars, saw all of the changes that came with the Cold War and social revolutions of the 60s and 70s, and what has occurred in the new millennium is also very impressive. I cannot wait to learn more about this house, because I am sure that there is still a lot to discover within its walls. On taking ownership, Kyle and I immediately started to create our own vision for the house, and I look forward to adding our own story to it. Below are a few "Before" pictures of the house. These were taken after the grungy carpets had been ripped out, which we got rid of right away.
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About MeKyle and I just became new homeowners. The house we purchased is not what one would classify as "move in ready"; in fact, it is quite the opposite. Built at the turn of the 20th century, our Victorian style house is both beautiful and terrifying in its ancient status and will be a project in renovation. This is a documentation of our triumphs and lessons learned, as we deconstruct and reconstruct this house. The end result? A space that we can proudly say we created. Archives
December 2016
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