Today I’m ready. If you rang my doorbell right now, I’d fling the door open and say, “Come on in — the house is ready for you.”
The floors have been swept, clutter put away, dust bunnies gone, and even the kitchen rug is freshly washed.
In a perfect world my home would always look like this — but of course it isn’t, and that’s okay. The truth is that creating a welcoming home takes time, trial and error, and lots of little adjustments.
I think of homemaking the way some people collect the perfect wardrobe. You don’t build it in a day. You discover your style, hunt for pieces, try them on, look for bargains, and learn what works and what doesn’t. It takes patience and sometimes hard work, but along the way you make memories — like shopping trips with my sisters.
The Kitchen
We’ve treated this house the same way: one small project at a time. The process of renovating and refining has been what turned this place into our home.
If we had moved into a perfect house, we never would have found ourselves up late, ripping cupboards off the wall and learning what needed to change.
Working within a shoestring budget forced creativity. A limited budget led to solutions like fabric cupboard doors, painted European-style cupboards, and beadboard wallpaper — inexpensive ideas with big impact.
Even though several years have passed since the initial kitchen work, we’ve made only a few changes. The layout and finishes still work for our family, and we still enjoy the space every day.
The Entryway
The entryway was a challenge to get right — beautiful and functional didn’t come together immediately. It felt like trying on a dozen shirts and not finding the right fit.
After testing several paint colors, trying stenciling and stripes, and adding a painted dresser, we finally found a look that feels peaceful and welcoming.
Living Room
If this house were a wardrobe, the living room would be my favorite pair of jeans — comfortable, familiar, and lived-in.
We’ve kept pieces that work for daily life — yes, even the Lazy-Boy chairs. They might not be magazine-perfect, but they’re the perfect spot to rest after a long day. We may occasionally squabble over who gets the best chair, but that’s part of family life.
This room is where we laugh at late-night shows together, where the Christmas tree once toppled and made a mess, and where my husband and I share coffee each morning before work. It’s also where we host friends and play silly games like jellybean and Balderdash.
Main Bathroom
The main floor bathroom is small but important. It began with dated harvest-gold and avocado-green accents, and through small, budget-friendly updates it became a bright, functional space.
Simple changes delivered big results, and the bathroom now looks much as it did when we completed the makeover. It’s still small, but it works well and looks nice.
That brings the tour to a close. If you’d like to see the rest of the house, feel free to explore — just pardon the occasional mess; I haven’t managed to clean every room at once.
Other areas you might enjoy: Beach Cottage Master Bedroom; Basement Laundry & Craft Room; Shabby Glam Walk-In Closet.
Thanks for taking time out of your day to visit my home. I love having you here.
Have a wonderful day,
Rita Joy
Linking up: Moonlight & Mason Jars, Get Your DIY On
