We (husband and me) have been renovating our farmhouse for 13 months now and so many things we have learned along the way. The joy of living where we are has brought so much into our lives. The luxury of being able to be here, run our businesses from here, the ability to have found our forever home (we even have a graveyard at the end of the drive so not far to go at the end either!).

The people we have met and can call friends, the sense of the community we have never experienced before (this amuses us as we literally live in a field 16 miles to our nearest village) and we have the strongest sense being part of the community we have ever had.

Easter Shian A year Ago………where we started

The 10 things renovation has taught us

The reality is there are probably a hundred more things, these were the first that came to mind and we are always learning each day.

1. Anything is possible

   This is is so true and with the right people around you and your beliefs, anything truly is. The plan for the house was to restore it- and make it a farmhouse again and also work with what was already here. That was the starting point and each day we have to look at what is on that possible list. We got told that it’s not possible to run a business remotely from The Glen as no internet and poor connection if you do get it. We truly believed that remote living is viable anywhere and so we asked as many people as possible and found the best solution (which turned out to be the Lairds community internet!) cost-effective, local and super fast.

2. Every skill can be learned

   This is based on willingness, and when renovating you have to be ready and willing to learn. be open to learning, curiosity. Most importantly just do it, give it a go. The source and thing that Dave says to me - watch a video. technology truly does give you the opportunity to learn and do.

3. Neutralise colour first

   This was a big one for us, we moved into a rainbow house of outdated colours, fading and all that depleted from the hose rather than added to it. Within the first 7 days every room was repainted in three neutral whites (Farrow and Ball Joa, Strong White and Limed White), this allowed us to see the real light in the house, what needed warmth, what could hold colour and where we could go dark!

4. Budgets need to be doubled and then doubled again

   Finances and time budgets need to be doubled. The money budget is one that you have to be super realistic about, we started our renovations in the middle of the pandemic (2020) and Brexit, these restrictions hiked up costs, labour and also availability- we have learned - have a budget. Then double it. Then add another minimum of 25% more. Yep, that much. The time is if your doing it yourself the time is easier to manage, we did so many jobs ourselves that saved us money, and also time. Waiting for supplies, people turning up and arriving (living off-grid it’s 16 miles to the nearest village so for most outsourced work it’s over 40 miles to get here, so we get a lot no shows!!)
   

5. Other people let you down continuously

   Sadly this is a fact. People do let you down. I go for the best intention, people over promise and then under deliver. making me focus on doing, learning and even starting this as a business so I can make sure the stuff gets done. I won’t let myself down so be warned. Be kind, be open, be flexible, be ready for no shows, be prepared and anger is a wasted emotion so bin it.
   

6. Communicate, Ask questions all the time.

   Great people do great work when they know what they are doing. Grear people want to help you and make your idea come to life. Tell them, share, talk about it, ask ask ask and ask again. Clarify, check-in (not on- they are the skilled ones doing it remember), find out, watch.

7. Look after all the skilled people working on your project

   We have truly met some amazing people who continue to help us. We ensure that we add value to them as they do to us. Kindness is free and doesn’t cost you more than your time. Go out of your way for others without reciprocity, focus on thanking them, appreciating others skills and experience- goes a long way.
   

8. Breaks away for your project are integral

   Stepping away from your renovation (even for an afternoon) is a powerful and energising thing to do. We are fortunate (outside of covid restrictions), we went away for a night here and there working so it really helped us see what work we had achieved (easy to dismiss), recognise the things that need tweaking, see everything with fresh eyes. Rest means better decisions to so it’s truly important to step away.
   

9. It comes together all at once

   This is one of lives mysteries- not really. yet you get to a point where it suddenly feels like your home. The jobs are near completion or done to the
   
   

10. You always have time, patience is a necessity.

    another one of lives realities, we always have time - if we choose to. We convince ourselves we dont. Patience isn’t my natural place, yet renovating has taught me that if I am not doing it myself then I have to be patient. Skill takes time, standards and precision take time, getting it right the first time takes time! The part of the renovation is to enjoy each moment. They can slip by quickly and the annoyance of mess or non-completion, yet those moments of achievement, from bare wall to plastered wall, to a painted wall, to the decorated wall all mean something and those memories you have made. You have created. Remember them we forget too quickly. Time is on your side if you choose it to be, we worked on the house in between work calls, evenings, mornings whenever we could. We chose to find the time and we did. A year on we have a completely different house, new walls, new rooms, new layout, our home, our style, our way. It’s truly possible and we always have time.
    
    

The myths

There are so many, everyone has an opinion, how you should do it and their way is always better to them

• Have mood boards, plan the detail

  This is not a necessity, if you doing your own thing then of course not, as a professional it’s an expectation that they would turn up prepared and with mood boards, visual context. For yourself you dont. Move stuff, use paint samples. Paint bits of wood or paper and place around the house (not the walls as you get blocks of samples everywhere- plus many places now do stick on samples briliant- try lick paint.

• Only employ people you know

  Again no, we have found that employing people we know can bring angst to both parties. Recommendations and referrals are the best, check out previous work or if someone new test their work on a small project. Have one single door fitting done for example for a joiner, plaster a small room, the painter just choose a small space. You then get to decide through the quality of work, turning up, cost etc

• People want you to succeed

  I really wish this one was true. The majority of people want to share their opinion, their style and force it upon you and most of all they would love it to not work out. This macabre negative side of others is very annoying. My solution to this is to avoid these people, I dont want toxic positivity I want thoughts that help not hinder, I want perspectives and ideas that boost creativity not stifle it, I want to be surrounded by people that have different opinions just not ones that are to knock us down.

• Stick to the plan

  No need. The plan needs to be totally flexible, adaptable, be in a state of flux, transition. This means you remove all conflict and discuss what is possible not what you cant do which is mentally exhausting. Doing, Can, shall, will are words you need to use in a renovation,(actually in life!)

• It’s stressful

  We create our own stress. you own it.- no one gives it to you. It’s internal, not external. If you dont like a mess and you dislike mess, tidy it up. All building work can be tidy if you set the boundaries of what you want and need then people do work to them, dont tell them and it gets very very messy. Mess, actually disruption is part of any renovation or house project and it’s expected. How we managed it is we moved items so we could still live in the space, ma has been more “stuff” in a room while we did another room yet I managed it by making sure it was okay to be in and with- this doies’t stop it being annoying. The other element is temporary so manage your mindset and focus on the end result. Enjoy the process, the disruption, look at your stuff differently, move it around all aids managing what doesn’t need to be stressful. Stress is a word we react to. Stop saying it and see what changes positively!

• Its never finished

  It’s finished when you want it to be. What I have found is that finished is a decision. What happens is we change our minds and then things change in the process. Choose your end. Finish it. Change and then continue again. Finishing is important. Enjoy the finish as much as the start, planning, process.

• Stick to your style

  No, what if you dont know your style yet. Explore, be curious, read, read and read more, get magazines, join forums, test stuff. STyle changes, your style will change mines changes daily. What you will get is a theme, a collective of colours you like, patterns, textures. It’s your house it has got nothing, f*&^ all, to do with anyone else. I decided I wanted a floral wallpaper in the small guest room, wallpapered it, did a shit job and chose too cheap a paper too. Realised as I need it that I did’’t really like floral bright wallpaper anyway, stripped it off and painted it F&B Sulking Pink - it’s now one of my fave rooms in the house!

  
  

Got told I must have mood boards, room plans, layouts, drawings, yet it’s all been in my head for a long time. I see it in my head, I can articulate it and reality is that flexibility, adaptability, and just getting shit done is what worked every time for me. Having a plan, being able to articulate and tell others if they are working on it with you is key. Falling into the prep trap means you never get started and doubt can become overwhelming. START. Then you can flex and flux throughout.

Take a tour with me through the house a year on from when we bought it.

List of some of the online suppliers we have used and ordered successfully

For reference and hopefully useful:

• Made.com (lights)

• Abigail Ahern

• Anglepoise (lights)

• Ikea (hessian rugs)

• Everhot (electric stove/heater)

• Jeffreys Interiors

• Homer (interiors)

• Nova Botanics (floral)

• Chase & Wonder (Candles)

• Amaro (chairs)

• Facebook Marketplace for my upcycle things

• Woodchip & Magnolia (Wallpaper)

• Farrow & Ball (Paints)

• Haines (Online Fabric shop)

Will create a bigger and fuller list for the supplier list, as this is just a touch of what we have used throughout.

For fun, I asked Dave what was his list and he rattled this off without hesitation.

Dave list (Husband)

1. Detail is key It determines the finish.

2. Believe your wife

3. Still, believe your wife

4. Your wife was right

5. Allow Debbie to make house decisions

If you're doing a renovation or just enjoy the voyeurism of observing others (and I still love that too) have a glorious time doing it- share your stories, sites, supplies and we can all get better at supporting each other.