Before this house became our renovation project—and long before it became a collection of floor plans, estimates and approximately nine million decisions—it was my grandparents’ home. Built in late 1953, the house has held more than seventy years of family history. It has seen countless ordinary days, celebrations and changes, and it carried plenty of memories long before Marc and I began imagining what its next chapter might look like.

Making the House My Own

I moved into the house in late 2014 or early 2015 and began the first major renovation shortly afterward. That round of work included:

• Redoing the kitchen
• Renovating the mudroom and bathroom
• Updating the garage
• Adding a deck to the backyard

A Home’s Story Told Through (Mostly Dog) Pictures

It was an amazing opportunity to make the house my own and create new memories. Then I met Marc, and the house began collecting a new set of memories. It slowly shifted from the home I had created for myself into the home we were building together—one ordinary day, shared adventure and small project at a time.

Some projects were practical. Some were cosmetic. Some probably required extra trips to the hardware store. Through all of them, the house became increasingly ours while still holding onto the family history that made it special in the first place

Planning the House’s Next Chapter

By October 2025, we realized it was time to start seriously thinking about the future of the house.

We loved its history and character, but we also knew it needed to function better for the life we hoped to build there in the years ahead. We wanted more usable space without losing the things that made the original house feel like home.

A close friend recommended an architect named Susan, and over the next several months, we worked with her to create a set of plans we were genuinely excited about. The design preserved the character of the original home while adding significantly more functional square footage.

For the first time, we could begin to picture how the house might carry its history forward while also becoming a home designed for our future.

Our Brief DIY Era

At first, we seriously considered managing the renovation ourselves.

Marc had construction experience, and we began gathering quotes for the different parts of the project. For a while, it seemed entirely possible that we might tackle this enormous renovation while also continuing to manage everything else happening in our lives.

By March, however, we had to admit that life was not about to become conveniently less busy. We were already juggling plenty, and adding “personally manage a major home renovation” to the list began to seem slightly unhinged.

We decided it was time to contact a general contractor.

Finding the Right Team

Susan highly recommended David, a local general contractor. After meeting with him, we felt like he understood what we were trying to accomplish and with David on board, we secured a plan for financing the project and moved into the next phase.

Let the Selections Begin

In May 2026, we reached what initially seemed like the fun part: vendor shopping and selections.

Suddenly, the ideas that had existed in floor plans and inspiration photos needed actual materials, finishes, fixtures—and price tags. We began exploring everything from flooring and cabinets to plumbing fixtures, lighting and exterior finishes.

It was exciting, overwhelming and an excellent way to further define our vision for the project.

From Plans to Demolition

After months of architectural plans, estimates, financing and more selections than we knew a house could possibly require, demolition officially began in mid-June 2026.

Watching parts of a home filled with decades of memories come apart was emotional. But it also marked the moment when the project stopped existing only on paper and began becoming real.

We aren’t erasing the original house or the history it holds. We’re helping it grow into its next chapter—preserving the character we love, adding space we can truly use and making room for all the memories still ahead.

And judging by the journey so far, we’re fairly certain there will be a few unexpected detours along the way.