Welcome to Our Crafted Cottage
Picture this: I'm at a cluttered kitchen desk with a warm cup of lemon water, while my husband hovers nearby, teasing me about how I should begin my first blog post. Just so you know, I had written "as I sit here," and moments later, he said the exact same thing, prompting me to delete it immediately. Meanwhile, my two kids and a friend are in our unfinished—and, in my opinion, eerie—basement, creating all sorts of noise and memories.
I'm two weeks post-hysterectomy, which has temporarily sidelined me from some of my favorite activities: lifting anything over 5 pounds, moving furniture, demolishing walls, running... so here I am, sitting at my computer, starting a home decor & renovation blog. A what better place to start then with a quick walk down memory lane?
Where it all began. Just look at that original fireplace and the windows. (This image was taken from Zillow, picture mismatched couches, unframed canvases that we painted ourselves, & one of those octopus floor lamps with rainbow shades in the corner)
My passion for design began in 2010 when a few of my closest girlfriends and I rented a vintage 1908 bungalow in Denver. The house was rich in character and historic charm, featuring arched doorways, stunning molding, leaded glass windows, and an incredible wood-burning fireplace with original emerald green tiles and a wooden mantle. During our early 20s, our decor didn't match the home's aesthetic, and we had several girls rotating through the rental, but that house held a special place in all our hearts. It was there that I met my now husband, and in 2013, we moved from the vintage home to a newly constructed one. He was the one buying the house, and I was fortunate enough to make choices at the design center. On the night we moved in, after finally convincing me to pause from assembling furniture and painting walls, Chris proposed to me, half kneeling, half lying on the bed. In the sweetest proposal, he said he didn't want us to spend a single night in the new house without it being "ours." I remember walking through Home Depot the next day, admiring the beautiful diamond on my finger with my hands stretched out before me, marking the start of our life together and the beginning of home projects.
The deck we built in our first home.
Looks better than I remember!
In that home, we painted the walls, built a slightly uneven deck, added a garden to our small side yard, and undertook various DIY projects. Nothing too fancy, but with limited resources and fresh walls in a new home, I was reluctant to hang pictures for fear of making holes in the wrong places. In 2015, we moved to a larger new build in the suburbs. We invested in major upgrades like flooring, countertops, and cabinets, leaving everything else standard. We planned to update the house ourselves. I aimed to recreate the charm of that old 1908 bungalow. Each project was a learning experience, and I sometimes wonder if the new owners criticize some of our work. One particular project involved adding board and batten to the entryway hall, but I didn’t replace the baseboard. I was too nervous to remove it. It looked silly, and when I finally mustered the courage to remove the baseboard for another project, I discovered it’s so simple and one of the easiest upgrades! From there, I gained the confidence to really add character to the whole house, and as we completed projects, the desire for a new canvas really struck.
If you look closely you can see the baseboards I didn't remove in the hallway. But truly I am so proud of this home.
That's when we found and fell in love with our new home, where I sit today. A 1994 custom build home, with great bones, so much character, and lots of 1994 charm… that needs updating. I am creating this blog as a way to document our projects here. There will be major projects, like a complete kitchen remodel in the spring, but also weekend projects, crafted decor, and single day spruce ups. My goal is to document not only the changes of the home but the process, in hopes of encouraging homeowners to pull off the baseboard, knock down the wall, or paint the tile. I want to create a space where we can come and dream up projects together, I would love to offer a helping hand on a project you are doing in your home, and use this community to empower homeowners to take on the project and make their space one they are proud of.
Let's connect, share our home decor dreams, and create a cozy life together.
