DIY vs. Expert Projects: What's Worth the Risk?Essential Renovation Ideas Any Property Owner Should Be Aware Of in This Year 61
A few years ago, I stood in the passage and realized I had grown to loathe it. Not in a “burn it down” kind of way. More like when you stop liking something without noticing. Like your old phone case, or a shirt that always feels damp.
It was claustrophobic, and there was this one bit where the paint peeled like old glue. Just a wall. But somehow it felt like it was part of the reason things felt wrong. Of what? No idea. Everything, maybe.
I didn't set out to remodel. I planned to repaint. Maybe swap the fitting. Then I nudged some old panelling, and underneath… well. Orange and brown. Looked like it was printed by someone on drugs. The kind of wallpaper that makes you frown.
And that's when things spiral. You fix one spot, and the house gives in like it was ready.
Next thing I knew, I was learning things I'd never thought existed. Backing compound. I developed strong opinions for skirting board profiles. I read reviews like it was a sport. Still don't know why one caulking gun's $12 and another's $48, but I'll fight you over which is better.
But this wasn't just about fixing things. It was about admitting something wasn't home anymore, and that more info I was tired of tiptoeing. I used to hop over a creaky floorboard by the bathroom even after I fixed it. Muscle memory is stubborn like that.
Some days went well. Some didn't. I once installed a towel rail upside down and didn't notice for weeks. Only realized it when my sister flipped it and asked why “off” turned the light *on*.
But that's the point, isn't it?. You laugh, and then suddenly the space feels… yours. Not perfect. Not staged. But not borrowed anymore. That wall? Still narrow. And the paint line by the stairs? Wobbly. But it's something I chose.
It's not about trend boards. It's about saying no to busted plastic chairs. If you drill in the wrong spot, just repaint it. That's what I do. Or at least that's what I tell guests.