The Next Chapter: Our Full-Time Renovating Dream Begins

BUT Where to begin?!

It’s been almost three years since we’ve really worked on a major project beyond basic home upkeep– and the wait is officially over :)

Back in October 2022, we left off here with a half-finished, budget-friendly kitchen renovation and I sort of left you hanging… I returned to my corporate job following maternity leave and life was pretty much non-stop. Posting about projects fell by the way-side. Even life and family updates slowed considerably. 

While I thought we were busy then, it wasn’t long before we learned we were expecting our fourth (and final) baby boy, so another pregnancy really took its loving toll on my physical and mental capacity. Working full-time 50+ hours a week and juggling four boys under seven kept us on our toes. Ryan was also working full-time and handling most of the home duties, while I had many late nights at the office and weeks out of town. We simply didn’t have the time or energy to dedicate to our passion for home improvements. 

children galore, weeds galore

It wasn’t until this Spring of 2025 when I changed corporate endeavors, to something even more intense, that I truly realized I was utterly burnt out and simply unhappy with where I was heading professionally and emotionally. Sure, I was successful, but it was not what I wanted in terms of balance between work and family. Cue the mental breakdown on the way to a doctor’s appointment and the guilt I felt leaving work, when I had a heart-to-heart with Ryan about our pursuit to renovate homes full-time: the conversation and idea we’ve had for YEARS, but was quite daunting to pull off. It was then I realized, that sometimes you need to hit that feeling of true unfulfillment to do what’s necessary to make your dreams come true, and that’s what happened.

With our youngest about a year and a half old, my admittedly crazy ambitious self deemed that I could find extra spare time and energy to begin pouring into our business and a few months later we had what we needed to start funding major purchases. Since then, we’ve bought two homes and are so excited to begin working on them and sharing the entire journey, including all the incredible transformations and the inevitable set-backs all while creating new spaces for others to take root and enjoy. 

We cannot express how grateful we are to be able to do this full-time. Oh yes—by the way, we totally quit our jobs (EEK!) so we’re all in and ready to rock. Let’s go!!!

Love,

Madeline & Ryan