Some renovation projects

My grandparents’ house in the Berkshires, where I lived for one year while working before I went to graduate school, was completely redone – if not fully gutted, at least redecorated. Two bathrooms were gutted, everything but cabinets were renovated in the kitchen, and the rest of the house was removed of wallpaper, painted, re-carpeted, re-floored, re-roofed, and landscaped. I had so much fun picking out all the materials, colors, and rearranging furniture to make the rooms more functional. Some of the renovations were very long processes, but seeing the way the spaces transformed over time was very rewarding. It goes beyond a simple aesthetic pleasure for me. My surroundings heavily influence my mood, productivity, and overall well-being. So not only were these projects fun to work on, they also made me feel like I was creating something – constructing a life.

Here are some before and after pictures of some of the rooms.

My Bedroom Before