This story takes us back to September, 2022. There was this 2003-built home that was move-in ready. The grassy front lot stretches across and away from the street. Mother and daughter instantly fell in love with the place and saw its potential. The house had everything they had wanted. It featured a sunroom (Florida room), three bedrooms, and two full bathrooms. It also featured architectural details that Sarah and Tammy had been looking for. After purchasing the home, mother and daughter barely had enough time to get situated in their new home when Hurricane Ian hit just a month later. Aft ..read more

To say this stunning kitchen reveal is a long time in the making is an understatement. This project has been in the works since 2022. Remember the story I posted about the traumatizing accidental fire? If you missed the June 29, 2022 post, Fire Hazard, you can read it here.   For Michele, there wasn’t anything wrong with her kitchen, but there wasn’t anything special about it either. Previously the cabinets and appliances felt builder basic (no offense to builders), the kitchen simply felt unappealing. The cabinet color and door style along with the countertops boasted 2005 kitchen cli ..read more

The ink hadn’t quite dried on the mortgage loan papers when my son Andy began working on our new-to-us home. He set to work, power washing and painting. He offered to install backsplash tile in the kitchen. He was like me and neither one of us could stand the look of the existing 4×4 stone tiles. The dreadful tiles had been previously glued—literally—to the kitchen walls with no grout in between the uneven, wide gaps. They were just plain ugly. So, I purchased several boxes of horizontal backsplash tiles. I was certain the sage green color from the glass tiles would match harmoniously with ..read more

Holy smokes, I never thought we’d see this day! But oh my, the transformation is amazing! And I’m so, so excited to tell you more about it. But first, here’s the quick backstory. Shortly after Hurricane Ian hit Southwest Florida, we discovered many homeowners with damages were struggling with insurance claim payouts. Ever since we moved into this house thirteen years ago, we’ve paid homeowner’s insurance and have never filed a claim. So, we expected to be taken care of if we ever had an accident or an unfortunate loss. During the nasty storm it rained inside our home because of the two 104 ..read more

When we first purchased our home thirteen-years ago, there was a whopper-sized garden tub in the master en suite. What is a garden tub? You might ask. Well, the term garden tub originated in eighteenth-century France. At that time, only wealthy citizens could afford indoor plumbing in their homes. The French elite would sometimes place their deep soaking bathtub—deep enough that they could climb in for a full-body soak—near a window. This allowed the bather to relax while gazing outside at their private garden, hence the term “garden tub.” Not only did this mammoth tub take up valuable floo ..read more

Call me “sentimental.” I have an emotional attachment to greeting cards, especially the ones with handwritten notes. I have collected joyous baby shower cards, hilarious birthday cards, jolly Christmas cards, inspiring milestone cards, sorrowful bereavement cards, just-thinking-of-you cards, and everything in between. Chances are, if you’ve ever given or mailed me a greeting card, I’ve held on to it. When it comes to greeting cards, I’ve always felt they were too meaningful to simply toss in the trash. Unlike emails, texts, Facebook and Instagram messages, greeting cards and letters are han ..read more

In today’s world, where life often feels like it’s moving at a million miles an hour, many of us are on the hunt for a little slice of sanctuary. Snowbirds, John and Ali, found their little corner of paradise back in 2019. In March of 2022, I had an opportunity to meet with John and Ali at their little patch of heaven. Once I arrived at the palm tree-lined entrance of Burnt Store Marina’s terracotta roof gatehouse, I was given access to the community by the security guard. After my vehicle passed through the wrought iron gate, I found myself traveling down winding streets. Burnt Store Marin ..read more

When I was growing up I often heard various expressions: ‘It’s better to give than receive’ or ‘giving is more joyous than receiving’ and lastly, ‘it’s not about the size of the gift that matters.’  I used to ask myself Is it true? Is it better to give than receive? As a kid I used to think that one of the biggest thrills at Christmas was finding a beautifully wrapped present under the tree with my name on it—a gift that was my very own! However, when I became an adult—and a parent—I soon discovered there were few greater joys than watching someone else opening a present, es ..read more

I knew I wanted to create a gallery wall after we renovated our home. It would be a place to hang our most-prized framed possessions and pay homage to the past. I felt there’d be no better place to hang those framed items than on the long blank moody wall between our two guest bedrooms. The contrast would make our art leap off the wall and add some pizzazz. Figuring out where to hang the gallery wall was only half the battle. I quickly discovered that putting together a gallery wall and making it fit was the other half of the battle. Composing a layout within the limited space was easier sa ..read more

One of the last projects I designed shortly before my retirement was GrandCare Assisted Living Facility located in Port Charlotte, Florida. This is an assisted old-age home where adults 65 and older come to live for reasons as varied and plentiful as their daily pills.   What is assisted living? Well, the definition of assisted living can mean many things in the housing world. The concept of assisted living is simply that: older adults move to a facility where they can receive assistance with the daily tasks of living. These tasks, known as activities of daily living, may include: pers ..read more