Our House Remodel—Hopeful Living

We recently (praise God) finished our house remodel!

It was interesting because as we were in the first few minutes of this project I told my husband how cool I thought it would be for us to ‘get rid of our current jobs and start a husband and wife business in house remodeling.’…

Side-note: There is a huge need…around our area if you need house projects professionally done you’re looking at being put on a few months long waiting list. Fortunately we’re DIYer fans so we were able to cut the wait and the costs and do the work ourselves; however after this remodel we may rethink some of our love of DIYs next time. This one was labor and mental-toll intensive!!

We got a few days into our renovations (tearing up old ceramic tile and chiseling up backer board covered in dusty mortar) and I confidently retracted my desire of ever wanting to start our own construction business.

It was some of the hardest most tedious work I’ve ever done, and my husband and children would all quickly attest. Needless to say we won’t be giving the Gaines’ a run for their money.

Break time..sneaking candy

The ideas of interior design etc may come to me, or I may drive by a house that looks flip-worthy, but hopefully those will just be fleeing thoughts. Nate can keep to oil-fielding (I might’ve made that word up) and I’ll continue substitute teaching and fixing old lady hair at the nursing home.

A quick run-down of our remodel process:

  • Removed door & floor trim & painted with Magnolia Home Paint (amazing paint, thick coverage, my trim looks like it was store-bought already painted)
  • Removed old doors
  • Tore out old ceramic tile in kitchen/dining area
  • Moved washer and dryer to basement
  • Cleaned floors thoroughly
  • Mortared and screwed down backer board
  • Began systematically laying new ceramic tile
  • Removed laminate floor in living room
  • Picked up where we left off to complete the ceramic tile in living room area
  • Turned old pantry closet into an open coffee bar
  • Moved fridge & new pantry into old washer & dryer area
  • Put trim back up as the finished flooring allowed
  • Hung new doors & finished trim work
  • Cleaned & placed furniture
  • Relaxed and smiled that it’s finally done!
Coffee bar before
Pantry before
Old washer/dryer area
New fridge/pantry area
Coffee bar after
Before
After
Before
After
After

It really has been such a blessing to have the ability to do this house project ourselves and now to have it complete and enjoy it. The work was exhausting and overwhelming on most days, but the finished product has been rewarding and worth the time and wait.

The Christian walk pleads the same concept—there are seasons and even moments that may feel overbearing but God remains in the midst, always extending a rescue and a better outlook with our hearts fixed on Him and His eternal offering.

This earthly life doesn’t promise an easy ticket just like my house project never promised ease.

James 1:12 is such a sweet reminder of God‘s goodness though, ‘Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.’

When our focus is on Jesus first and foremost and the fact that Heaven is our eternal comfort it makes our current burdens seem much lighter and hope takes its spot in graciously prevailing.

We actually do have some other things around the house that eventually we want to do (some exterior work, swap out bathtubs, finish our basement hallway ceiling…) BUT for now those things will wait because our DIY ambition level has hit a record low and is in recharge mode for an unknown length of time, in the meantime we will rest in the Lord’s perfect faithfulness.

Have an amazing and blessed weekend!

Author: alimw2013

About For His Purpose~ My name is Alicia and I'm a thirty-something year old who loves Jesus. Only through God’s amazing grace and mercy I have been redeemed from past regret and shame. Reading His word has allowed me to look past Satan’s forceful lies, to see myself for who Christ says I am in Him. Through writing I have learned why I made the choices I made in my younger years and I now have a better understanding of why I desire to love God like crazy these days. Despite my daily failures, God remains faithful always. I am reassured of His unconditional love for me by every ink-drop spilled out on paper, each committed prayer as I cry out to Him, and deep understanding reflected through reading His word as truth. Yes keeping a blog will make me vulnerable to others’ opinions- there will be some who don’t understand, some who may criticize or judge, but on the other hand if just one piece expressed through my writing grabs someone’s attention and directs them to God, then pouring out my heart in a blog for the world to read is worth it. I choose to glorify Him alone through words streaming across a glowing screen. And it wouldn’t be fair if I didn’t reveal the fact that I’m incredibly quirky; I’m my loving husband’s best friend, my vivacious kids’ craziest cheerleader and spiritual trainer (3 John 1:4). I love anything farmhouse and rustic style. I think cupping a warm coffee mug in the palm of my hands is more satisfying than the contents within. I share a common obsession with my husband for the mountains, but I would (without a doubt) settle for waves crashing against my legs at the Atlantic Ocean just as well, and I almost always have a Yorkie curled up on my lap while writing. *All photos are photographed by forhispurpose.blog and therefore may not be stored or photocopied in any manner.

38 thoughts on “Our House Remodel—Hopeful Living”

  7. I love the pictures. Thanks for sharing. You get lots of points because I wouldn’t even know where to begin. I appreciate the message too. I needed the encouragement to keep going and persevere. God is there beside us and helping us. What a comfort that is. ♥️

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  9. You have my utmost respect for all the hard work that went into the beautiful finished project. I love it! And I love your comparison to our Christian walk. Just keep on keeping on! Now you can enjoy your home for the upcoming holidays, like we look forward to our heavenly home.

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    1. Yes, keep on keeping on! Love that!
      I love decorating at this time of year and for the remainder so I’ll for sure look forward and enjoy decorating the new space.
      Such reassurance knowing we have an eternal life and home that far outweighs this earthly one though!🙌❤️
      Thank you Patty for your encouraging words!

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  12. Yes, REST on your laurels for awhile, Alicia and fam! Renovation projects are like labor. Give it time and you’ll forget a lot of the messy, painful part and mostly remember the beautiful, euphoric part of a job well done! Love the parallel you drew between reno-pain and trial- pain. Praise God He does ease our burdens!

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  17. Interesting read. My wife and I are not DIYers so I found your comment about “next time saving some of your DIYer love for others” (paraphrase) relatable. Great job on your remodel! Kudos to you for taking on doing it yourself. That’s awesome.

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