2024 in review

It’s time for our last post of the year, an annual(ish) tradition where we look back on the year, talk about the renovations, share the most popular posts, and dive into what’s next.

2024 wasn’t a flashy year around here – we didn’t finish a house or even share a single room reveal – but it was a hard-working, growth year. Day in and day out, we worked on the Poplar Cottage, crafting the details of this little house that could. We sided, tiled, trimmed, floored, painted, thrifted and wallpapered our hearts out, and we’re about to see the fruits of our labors (and lots of room reveals!!!) in 2025. I can’t wait!

doors + windows | light | Garrett’s fleece, boots (sim), hat | Cathy’s coat, fav white shirt, jeans, boots, hat

Renovation-wise, 2024 was all about the Poplar Cottage. We didn’t get quite as far as we had hoped - do I say that every year? ha! - but gosh we sure did get a lot done. We sided the exterior (and got close to finishing before winter hit), tiled the upstairs and downstairs bathrooms, built a staircase, trimmed the windows, laid flooring, finished the hardwoods, and as we speak, Garrett’s painting the upstairs living room. This stage of the project is sure fun and once we finish, we’ll move our family of 5 into this 1000sf cottage and renovate the Hill House.

On a personal level, 2024 a great year. We got to know our new neighborhood and awesome neighbors and basked in the glory that is in-town living (we walk and bike so much now!). There were big bucket list items like running the Portland Marathon with my twin sister, a family trip to Chichén Itzá in Mexico, and a giant 48-mile rim-to-rim-to-rim hike in the Grand Canyon. It felt good to step out of our comfort zone. There’s something really empowering about setting personal goals, working your ass off to prepare for them, and then giving everything you have to cross the finish line.

Other positives from the year: Cathy’s parents moved 7 blocks away, we welcomed a new niece, and we went almost-screen-free at home. The year wasn’t all roses, of course - we found it hard to live in such a fixer after leaving behind our beautiful, finished Farmhouse. Yes, we’re deep into first world, middle-class problems here, but there’s something surprisingly difficult about feeling unsettled and temporary at this stage of our lives, at least for a couple of house-loving folks like us. But all in all, we’re leaving 2024 behind with gratitude and fulfillment

What’s next

2025 is shaping up to be a renovation-packed, fun year! Personally I’m most looking forward to putting the finishing stamp on the Poplar Cottage and all the details that go into that. A finished kitchen, two bathrooms, an adorable wallpapered bedroom, a light and bright living room…it’s all coming up in 2025! And of course, then there’s the Hill House. We plan to get started on that renovation early in 2025 and I’m already dreaming up the design. We’ll be sharing the (final?) floor plan early in 2025 (here’s our last round) and then moving on to demo. We cannot wait to rip up the carpets and take down the wallpaper we’ve been living with for a year now! It’s going to be a fun year :)

Thank you

Before we get to the most popular posts of 2024, I wanted to say thank you. Thank you to all of you readers for being here. For spending your time with us. For cheering us on and lending us your advice. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, renovating is a journey and it’s so much more fun to be on it with all of you!