Blame it on the quarantine or blame it on severe nesting, but my brain seems to have a one track mind these days; renovating or buying a new home.
One reason for sure is that we are bringing home a baby boy is less than 2 months, and spending all of this time at home has me all sorts of concerned as to where we are going to put him and his things. We had planned to renovate 2 closets before this pandemic started in order to organize and make room, but that work is on hold indefinitely now, and probably was only a bandaid for the issue anyway. We do have three bedrooms, but one is our guest room/office/craft room which is very large and much too big to be a nursery. And now, especially since working from home has become an integral part of our lifestyle, I can’t imagine giving up this room to a child! Eventually we figure Marina and her brother will share a room, but the logistics of trying to make it look cohesive without completely re-designing it have me all hot and bothered.
{I wish we even had a free closet that we could turn into a nursery nook like this cute one by Sarah Sherman Samuel}
Then let’s add in the fact that we have been stuck in our homes for 6 weeks now, and probably will be for another 2 months here in California. I am realizing aspects of our home that do not work for us now, and will probably be exacerbated once our family grows. For one, I would love a family room that is part of the kitchen, so that I can keep an eye on the kids while prepping meals. Ideally we would have a more formal living room too, as a space to entertain that is toy-free. Speaking of toy storage, that family room would have built-ins or or extra space for us to put toys and books and contain it, instead of it slowly spreading all over the house.
{Love Jenny Cipoletti’s formal dining room color palette and French Modern aesthetic}
{I’m drawn to this temporary wallpaper for either a boys nursery or office… maybe some day!}
I would also love a kitchen table or kitchen nook separate from our dining table. I would love a place for Marina to lay out puzzles and crafts, make a mess in her high chair and have it be separate from our nice table and chairs. Bonus points if this is actually IN the kitchen where again, I could keep an eye out without having to race back and forth (my current state).
{obsessed with the comfortable modern vibe of this kitchen nook from Cortney Bishop}
{Who wouldn’t want to entertain in this clean dining room by Tamara Magel?}
One thing I hate to admit is that it would be nice to have a small yard. For years I have pushed out the thought of having a yard because I don’t really want to deal with the maintenance of it, and frankly where we live on the water and a walking path is so nice and beautiful, it feels like our own private backyard anyway. BUT- spending all of this time alone with a toddler makes you realize how beneficial even 20 ft. of enclosed grass space would be for her… and us. I can’t imagine how much better this quarantine would be if Marina were able to play outside, get wet, play in the sand, wear no pants, whatever… all while I’m able to enjoy a lemonade and a book. That is ACTUALLY life changing stuff we’re talking about.
{Does anything look better than swinging in one of these chairs while your child runs around outside?}
It’s not all bad though. I have also found such an appreciation for our home being where it is, and how we have decorated it this far. I feel lucky that we live in such a beautiful area with water and flowers and marsh birds around us every day to watch and learn from. I am so thankful that our entire downstairs is comfortable, beautiful and well decorated in order to enjoy our time together. We have an extremely comfortable bed that I thoroughly enjoy every night around 7:30 after I have used up all of my energy for the day! Yes, there are changes I would make and yes, we will not be comfortable in this home forever, but there are a lot of worse places to carry out a pandemic in!
Want to see our current space?
Midcentury Glam Living Room
Midcentury Floral Dining Room
Modern Watercolor Powder Room
Pink Constellation Nursery
