How a 1920’s Cottage Rental turned me into a DIY girly
Hi, my name is Stephanie and I am so glad you’re here!
As cliche as it sounds, I didn’t plan on becoming a DIY renovation girly. I always enjoyed design, and decorating spaces, and of course like most of America, I too was a fan of Chip and Joanna as they completely transformed the idea of “fixer upper”. Though I never had time to pour my creativity into anything other than dance.
As a former ballerina turned into Director of a Ballet Company, I was constantly creating. Whether it was producing story-book ballets, choreographing combinations for our budding ballerinas, envisioning scenery and sets, or working alongside our costume designer to determine the perfect cut of a bodice, I was lucky to be surrounded by art in all forms, all the time.
Fast forward to today –
In August, my partner and I relocated from Connecticut to California to support his career advancement in Vascular Surgery at Stanford University. Along with saying goodbye to friends and family on the East Coast, I also said farewell to my dance career of 15+ years. So now what? Honestly I have been asking myself the same question for months now, as I slowly chip away at updating my resume for a job I can’t even fully visualize. So as I continue to stalk Indeed every other day, I have been spending most of my time getting to know our 1920’s cottage rental.
Meet our Cali Cottage Cutie
When we first walked through the space one thing was clear: the cottage was begging for pigment. I’m talking white walls… everywhere… unprovoked. It was that moment I knew we had the opportunity to lean into the cottage’s original charm, while thoughtfully weaving in modern elements to make it feel like home– our home.
Since then we have tackled 7 paint projects, 1 DIY window bench and adding peel and stick tile to a dry bar that makes my heart soar. With little to zero DIY experience, each renovation project has sparked a joy to a level I wasn’t expecting. So why not share my journey?
What you can expect!
With over 5 projects in the docket I can guarantee I’ll share many mistakes and lessons learned, paired with beginner-friendly DIYS, rental-safe upgrades and many, many before and afters. My hope is to create a space that feels like a warm hug where friends never want to leave and we always want to stay.
As someone who enjoys hosting and sharing a home cooked meal with friends and family, I also plan to explore my love for transforming spaces for the good of a party. I’m talking party themes, seasonal DIY decor, and whole lot of hot glue.
What’s next?
We recently finished up our DIY window bench and we are currently tackling a DIY primary closet where we plan to share the entire process -start to finish.
This is just the beginning, and I know there’s a learning curve ahead. But that’s part of the excitement - figuring it out as I go, staying curious, and sharing what I learn along the way. If you’re interested in the process, the progress, and everything in between, I’d love for you to follow along.