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Lake Home

Lake Home Basement Updates!

One of my favorite places in the home and I haven’t even shared it at all! When I moved into the lake home last summer before the main living quarters were ready, we all actually lived in the basement for a couple of weeks while they painted the upstairs and finished the floors. We had a mini-fridge, one bathroom, and we lived off a griddle, toaster oven, and had mattresses on the floors. I literally just shivered a bit writing that out because that was not ideal, but we made it work. It was just a season and what was required to get to the next.

So much is “done” and I have not shared. Why? My bandwidth has been thin and I feel like I have had so much to do I have just been going down the list. Also, there are so many loose ends I feel like I am still trying to ty up. I am honestly still tying up loose ends in a lot of areas of my life (not just my home). Making changes that I know I need for alignment for me. It is tying up those ends that helps me when I feel stuck or overwhelmed.

This week I have struggled in feeling stuck. For STARTplanner we have been anxiously awaiting and a shipment and I have felt all sort of stuck and out of control. I have operational changes with North Georgia Escape, among others things. Instead of solely focusing on a problem I can not fix, I started making lists in a new START journal. A fresh location where I can track all these lingering things that I feel are weighing on me. Lists for each company. Lists for the home broken down by room, lists for my life. A friend suggested and a counselor validated. I then started hacking away on the list of things I could control. I repaired a kitchen faucet sink this week all on my own… well with the help of Moen customer support and let me tell you that felt good.

I am still a long ways from completing my list and truth be told I will probably always have “a list” but I am etching and open to growth. But also I am grateful for the progress!

We all have “basements”. We all have things we have buried and need to address our need to grow and I just have clearly seen this week as a step in that direction. To not stay in that season you just have to move with the intention on things you can control. I hear God speaking that deep into my soul in this season of my life as I continue to step and pivot and all the things.

I just felt called to share this in this manner. It is easy to just see an “after” or get a “shipping notification” and or see “pretty” online and not see all the in-betweens. The heart. The work and even the struggle that it was for change and growth. To not know the prayers I prayed or the tears that fell while laying on that mattress on the basement floor almost a year ago. Where I was terrified when just moving my life and kids to a new beginning and nothing felt safe. To not know I hung the light myself above the table from learning how from a Youtube Video. I could keep going on but you get the point. Everyone has that list.

Recently I was in the basement and the surround sound music was going setting the tone, we were playing pool, and actually enjoying this basement. I thought to myself THIS is why. This is home and I am grateful for this basement and even my own “basement”.

Here is before. What is not shown is the carpet here was rough.

Here to the left is where the mattress was for weeks.

Here is part of the process and I could not have done it without these two.

Thea with TMQ Interiors helped with colors, finishing, and lighting.
Johnstone and Company – Trevor’s company did all the work. Trevor himself did the demo.

This was a good day. See that carpet out there on the screen in patio! Yay! Floors down here I did polished concrete. I love what it provides for basements and the look!

Here is an overview. Still need to hide some cords and hang some art but it is “DONE”!

Here is another view. Probably my favorite part of the home…. or one of them…. new light fixtures. The one on the wall is from an old boat I found it while in the Keys.

Due to budget and because behind those two top cabinets is the electrical panels I decided to just refinish this space. This is Hale Navy by Benjamin Moore.

Just went with a beveled white subway and to keep it more light went with brushed nickel hardware on the cabinets and faucet. Got a new fridge and did a butcher block countertop to bring in some warmth.

This table has been all the places. My old basement, at the cabin, until I bought a new table for there and now here at the lake. I love it for this space, as it is a high top and the chairs are just restoration hardware.

I want to one day… check that… I will one day have this wall filled with a collage of images from the lake with the kiddos laughing and happy and me with them. This home is not just mine I want it to be a space for friends. For family. For memories. For my kid’s friends. I want parties here. Laughter and so much hosting for everyone here to feel like it is their home too.

A year later we are not “done” but close, and I am so thankful for the “basement” progress and truly grateful for it all.

xoxo
Kristy

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