Transformation Stories: Jaw-Dropping Whole-House Renovation ResultsCreating More Openness Without an Addition: Smart Interior Ideas 18
It was supposed to be a shelf project. Or maybe not even a shelf — more like the feeling of one. My husband said we needed “a better place for the keys,” and instead of adding a tray, I decided I'd create a solution. Wall-mounted. Minimalist. Functional. Or whatever people call it when they're about to poke holes into a wall.
I marked the spot next to the entry light, took one step back and thought, “How hard can this be?” Ten minutes later I was eyeballing the soul of the wall, wondering it looked like someone had shoved insulation next to the wiring. The shelf never happened. But somehow the situation escalated.
That's the thing about renovation — it doesn't stick to the script. You start with one thing, and the next thing you know, you're repainting. I just wanted a shelf. By the end of the week, I had a dust mask permanently stuck in my jacket pocket.
There's no clear moment when it all flips. It just spins. You go to the store for anchors and come back with a basket of grout samples. That's how I ended up repainting a perfectly fine wall because the guy at the store said, “People are doing sage now.”
Receipts get longer. You buy that same trowel because you can't remember where the other ones went. Spoiler: they're all in the laundry, behind the stack of unopened mail.
It's messy. Not just physically. One night I slept in the lounge because here the walls were drying. I also cried over a wonky cabinet hinge. Real tears. Over a hook. I don't know what to tell you.
But you get through it. With YouTube tutorials. You learn things you'd rather not. Like how the hallway paint was hiding mold.
Eventually, though, things start to look better. Not perfect — nothing is. The tiles by the bin still wobble. But now, I walk into the kitchen and don't trip. That's progress.
The shelf? Never built it. We use a bowl now. Same one we always had, sitting on a slightly sticky sideboard. But the wall's patched. Mostly.
And that's renovation, isn't it? Not what you expected. But it's yours. With all its wonky lines and odd colors.