Intention Setting for my Biggest Spruce Yet
This is the beginning of our home renovation story. And if you’re here to say another home renovation story,? I’m with you.
We all know the home market has never been hotter. People are renovating at record rates (spending is up, delays are never-ending, timelines continue to stretch). We’re living in our homes more than ever before, and we’re craving safety, comfort and more beauty. I also think we’re desperate for home content that looks, sounds and feels differently than the dull tv flip shows of the past decade+. We’re keenly aware of people and projects that lack originality or authenticity—the ones that feel frivolous, fast, and impersonal.
The spaces I’ve always loved—and designed—never leave out the people part out.
That mantra led me to start Spruce years ago, and it’s why so many of you decided to partner with me on your own homes. I’ve always believed in designing spaces reflective of the beautiful humans living within the walls. And so as I start to think about telling the story of our project—a Queen Anne-style Victorian home (circa 1900) in Winston-Salem, North Carolina—I set some intentions to guide the process and provide a foundation to revisit when things get shaky. And they will get shaky.
I also envision my daughters reading this story one day, about a season they won’t otherwise remember—a snapshot of our time together on Earth making this house a home.
Here’s what I believe and expect from this project. If you’re here for the ride, I ask that you’ll get on board, too:
Create sanctuary in every space. Our home will be a soft, sheltering place for our family and others. And yes I mean literal soft furniture everywhere, but also designing rooms to feel joyful and welcoming.
Honor history with a focus toward the future. The house was built in 1900 by the owner of a local printing press (more on Mr. George soon). It sits high on a hill that overlooks downtown, with rooms once dressed in wallpaper. Many decades ago, the style was bastardized for rental purposes. We plan to revive it within reason, which means doing plenty of homework about this neighborhood, this house, and this era.
Invest locally and sustainably. Beyond hiring local workers, we’ll collaborate with local artisans to add special touches (within budget) such as glass blowing, murals, etc. I’ve already started scouring local salvage yards and antique stores, looking for pieces that add interest, infuse timelessness, and also save old furniture from landfills.
Stay playful and open-minded. There’s just no excuse for being boring. And I’ve learned that the best creative pursuits are born out of challenges plus having time to play with solutions to the problem. I want to stretch myself creatively and see what comes out of it, as well as be open to feedback—within reason. This is why I’ve decided to pause client work until I know the scope of my time.
It’s ok to fail. Mistakes WILL be made. The wrong knobs will be ordered or something won’t fit. The world will keep spinning and so will my head with the next decision to make. Deep breaths. Just do the next best thing.
It’s ok to change my mind. Flexibility continues to be one the hardest and greatest lessons. But over the past few years, I’ve learned how transformative it is to admit faults, change course, and move forward. I anticipate this happening, and if it requires major changes in the budget/timeline, I’ll do the best I can to remedy it.
Practice patience. Our family has gotten quite used to the concept of delayed gratification. Good things often take a ton of hard work to achieve. We almost bought a fixer upper five years ago but I convinced my husband the timing was not right. Let’s hope we got that part right this time.
Details are everything, but so is editing. Over the past few years, my clients were always blown away at how many questions needed to be asked before a single design decision was ever made, and then how many factors needed to be considered with every purchase. It’s important to share details without getting too lost in the weeds. My background as a professional writer/editor will be crucial in this process.
Honesty is integral to the process. We owe it to ourselves to be honest with each other about how we’re feeling, hire people that are honest, and also be honest with you. I envision needing to keep some aspects private, but will be open about everything that we can be because we value transparency.
All are welcome here. We do not tolerate hate in our home, and I will not tolerate it in my virtual communications either. We may have differences of opinion (we should!), but common decency means treating each other with respect.
Ultimately, this is our house. I will make decisions that maybe you wouldn’t make or don’t agree with—and that’s ok! We can’t all like the same things, which is the beauty of life. This boundary-setting mantra has been modeled by several women of color in the design blogger space (Shavonda Gardner, Carmeon Hamilton, Monica Chavez), and I’m so grateful for their wisdom, strength and honesty.
I’m so grateful to you for being here.