For
the past several months, I had mentioned to my husband, Chip, that I really
wanted a garden out at our farmhouse. In my mind I envisioned a box with a few
tomatoes, herbs and greens. I had this perfect picture of a simple little white
garden that I could tend to every so often.
I
first got into gardening last year, and to be completely honest, I still have
no clue what I am doing. However, the concept of bringing something to life and
watching it thrive is appealing to me. (Perhaps this is why I have four kids.)
Anyway, Chip took the boys for the weekend, and they set out to surprise Mom
with a garden. They left early in the morning and got home late in the night.
Nothing meant more to me than the fact that my boys were creating a space where
I could do something that I enjoy.
On
the day of the big reveal, I was shocked to find that the size of the garden
was about 15 times bigger than I had imagined. Forget a family garden — this
thing could be a community co-op! After I told them how much I loved it and how
amazing it was, I pulled Chip to the side and kindly asked him what he was
thinking. Without a moment’s hesitation, he said, “Joanna, if you are going to
do something, do it right the first time and make the most of the space you
have.”
My
vision all along was to keep the garden small because I don’t really know what
having a green thumb requires yet. Chip’s vision never factored in my lack of ability.
He wanted to create a space I could grow into with no limits. My sweet husband
was right on.
This
is a good way to approach the spaces within your home. When you set limits on
your spaces or allow your rooms to set limits on you, then you are not
maximizing your home’s full potential for your family.
I
always tell women to take it room by room; if not, you will get overwhelmed.
Since I am currently right in the middle of our farmhouse renovation, I am
doing exactly that. I am studying each space and making sure that I make the
best use of each room. I could easily let the limits of this smaller space get
to me, but instead, I want to take on the challenge.
This
farmhouse is the smallest house we have lived in with our four kids. What sold
us on this place was the spacious outdoors, even though the inside was so much
smaller than what I was used to. I will miss having a large kitchen and laundry
room. To stay within budget, I had to work with what we have. So when I was thinking
through my kitchen design, I had to stop thinking about how tight things were
going to be. Instead, I had to keep saying to myself, “How can I make the most
out of this space?”
Since
I enjoy cooking, and I love to entertain, I have a lot of dishes and serving
pieces. I tore down the main wall that separated the kitchen from the living
room so the space would seem bigger. Now that it is open, there is room for a
large antique piece that will serve as my island. In its current state there is
no shelving, but I am going to have shelves and doors put on the island so it
will hold all my serving dishes. The last thing I want is for a large piece of
furniture to just take up a ton of space. I need it to work for me and serve a
purpose.
There
was no laundry room in this farmhouse, so the challenge was more than just a
lack of space — the issue was how in the world we would create space out of
nowhere. Since Chip and I wanted to turn the attic into livable square footage,
we had to build a stairway in the middle of the house. Dead space bothers me,
so every time I thought about the useless area under the stairs, I would try to
come up with a purpose for it. You guessed it! The dead space will soon become
my laundry room. I have convinced Chip that I will actually stay on top of the
laundry now because I will have no choice. Yes, it is tight, but when I get to
slide the barn door across the track and see the laundry room underneath the
stairwell, I will feel more pleased about the creative use of space rather than
dwelling on the idea of a small laundry room.
Whether
you are renovating or just simply recreating some of your spaces, have the same
mentality my husband did with the garden. Look at every space as an opportunity
to create an environment that helps you and your loved ones thrive. Identify
the room you want to tackle and define its purpose. Ask yourself these
questions: What feeling do I want to create? What ways can I help the space
come alive? How can I maximize the space so it reaches its fullest potential?
Once
you have done this throughout your home, you will start enjoying it more. There
will be no more “favorite room in the house” because every room you walk into
will be as inspiring as the one you just walked out of. Whether inside or
outside, don’t be limited. Instead, get inspired to create purposeful, creative
spaces that everyone will enjoy.
I
can’t wait to do my first load of laundry under the stairwell and plant my
first seedling in my pasture of a garden. As with anything else, there will be
some challenges, but I can’t wait to finally call it home sweet home.
