(Graphic artwork by McKenzi Matsick)

How-To: Room Remodeling

By Brittney Perez

Here we are! The beginning of a new year. I don’t know about you, but something about the start of a new year always feels good to me; like a total reset. After coming out of what many would call a hard pressed year, it feels good to “let old acquaintance be forgot” and hopefully “never brought to mind”! Although 2021 is a new year and you may still be feeling the effects of 2020, you don’t need to have the mindset of 2020. Proverbs 16:3 states, “Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.”

Last year I committed to redoing my room. It had been years since I had done anything new with it and with 2020 being a year of slowing down and being at home a lot, I thought it was the right time. Now I’m not a “remodeling” person by nature and maybe you aren’t either. Don’t get me wrong, I like things to be new and organized, I just don’t like going through the process to get there. Some people like to rearrange things every few months, but not me. The idea I like – the process not so much. Redoing my room felt very much like redoing my life and in some ways it was. I wanted a room that represented my current life, a room I would feel happy to walk into and simply be in. My current situation didn’t feel like that. It felt out grown and uninviting. I knew I wanted to start the process of a remodel, but the thought of painting, getting rid of things, organizing, and changing things up felt daunting. I was already overwhelmed with the thought and I hadn’t even started!! Four painted walls, new furniture, and a lot of tidying up later and I can proudly say I am happy with the results. Starting a room remodel can feel overwhelming. Here are some tips I found help me get to a successful result!

Give Yourself a Time Frame

I know myself pretty well. One thing I know about myself is that starting a project can be one thing, but following it through to completion…now that’s sometimes another story. I’m that person who starts a book and will get half way through it only to stop for long periods of time and have to restart the book all over again because I’ve forgotten the details. Anyone else? Knowing yourself is a good thing because when you know your tendencies you can seek to prevent reoccurrences or patterns from preventing your progress. When I started my room remodel last year, I gave myself a time frame. I said I would finish it by the end of 2020. I even asked some close friends to ask me on my progress to keep me accountable and goal-oriented. I’ve come to find that, when I have a goal set, it helps me focus on accomplishing the goal I have set for myself. Since remodeling a room can be time consuming I would make sure that your time frame is realistic for what you are hoping to accomplish. It’s good to give yourself a reasonable time frame because we all know life happens. Be mindful of potential set backs that may try to factor themselves into your plans and be sure to show yourself grace if set backs do occur.

Find a Starting Place

As I carefully considered beginning this fabulous room remodel that I had pictured in my head, a question arose. How am I going to turn the picture in my head into something tangible? I didn’t know where to begin. I knew I wanted my room to be painted, so I thought I would start with that. I went down to Home Depot and picked out a few samples. Once I had chosen a color and purchased the paint, I felt I was back to square one. Cool, I have paint. Now what do I do? I didn’t know what wall to begin with or how anything should be done. But I had already committed to the paint purchases, so I knew beginning the process was the next step. Before I psyched myself out, I decided to just go for it. I chose a wall and began painting. That is how the great room remodel of 2020 began! Now your starting place may not begin with painting. Maybe you will decide to begin with organizing and minimizing, or maybe you will also begin with painting. Wherever you choose to start, the important thing is to begin somewhere.

Stick with the Plan

Once I started painting, I knew this was only the beginning; now I needed to follow through until my room was completely finished. There was no going back, the commitment was made. Once you start the process with your room remodel, continue to follow through. I worked on my room by myself, so I would work a little at it each day. I would paint for about an hour or less after work when I could and on the weekends. Taking on a project like this can feel overwhelming at times, but by sticking to a plan and working at it little by little you will begin to see your progress turn into what was once a picture in your head. Seeing your progress will help keep you motivated as you press on toward completion.

Rest and Reflect

After all the hard work has been put in you will be able to rest and reflect on your finished room! I remember once I had my walls painted, that alone felt like such an accomplishment. It also gave me clearer vision of what the end result would look like. Adding decor (my favorite part) was just the cherry on top! As you come to completion, adding the finishing touches, rest and reflect on your finished remodel! What did you learn? How do you feel about it? I know that once I was finished, things felt and looked so different. While it took a little time to adjust to my room looking totally different, I was so happy with the end result. I finally had a room that fit where I feel I am in life and that felt pretty great! My hope is that you will walk into your new room and feel the same thing.