When we moved into our house eight years ago, it was very much an if-it-ain't-broke-don't-fix-it situation. We replaced the hideous carpet, and of course, after years of rental whites and beiges, we painted the walls. That was pretty much it, though. Did I love (or even like) the weird kitchen wallpaper and the shabby oak (-looking) cabinets? No, I didn't, but I could tolerate them, and that was enough. And the less said about the dated parquet floor in the dining area, which was so scuffed that it looked like it regularly hosted tap-dance battles, the better. Still, it was structurally sound, so I wasn't spending a dime on it. So there, HGTV-industrial complex! It's not like I don't care about having beautiful surroundings, but when you're broke and not exactly handy, you just count a lovely home as one of those nice things you can't have right now.
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| The OG kitchen. Not a good look. |
Several years later, something momentous happened: in December of 2013, I visited Ikea for the first time, and it was a quasi-religious experience. All of a sudden, I wanted a beautiful house, and
I wanted it immediately. It all seemed within my reach, and I was determined to make it happen.
