FAMILY NEST: FINDING THE ONE

'Anh oi, em thich'

Those were the exact words I told my husband Alex while we were visiting the dark and humid semi-finished basement of house visit #432. In Vietnamese, it simply meant 'Honey, I like it'. But what I really meant with my wide-opened eyes, and what wise Alex quickly understood, was 'Honey, we gotta get this house, it's our home.'

Here's the basement where I felt the spark. Round-wood walls, swiss chalet windows, holes in the ceiling and bad linoleum floors. It's charming right? You could close your eyes and smell the potential (or humidity).

The Basement

So we went all in and we got the house. It was perfect for our young growing family and aspiring design dreams. And by perfect, I mean, it was the perfect storm.

Everything had to be redone. Floors, walls, bathrooms, kitchen. You name it, we've got it. And with no backgrounds in design or renovations aside from reading magazines and watching design shows online during study breaks, this was going to be our greatest challenge so far as a couple and as young professionals about to turn 30.

Until now, we had successfully managed our duplex, planned a wedding, developed our careers and welcomed our first child while pursuing an MBA part-time, but never had we done a top-bottom renovation like this one. But we had solid Excel and Visio skills (nerds!) and a whole lot of vision and ambition (and a dash of crazy). Plus we were expecting our second child while our eldest was not even two yet, so timing was perfect right?

I'll get to share with you our fun story on how we built are continuously building our cozy family nest, while still taking the time to enjoy the surprises and demands of the busy daily routine.

Here's more Before pictures of our beauty.

The Door-Optional Kitchen

The Psychedelic Entry Hall

The Tired Living Room

The Blue-You're-My-Boy Bathroom

The Lovely Bathroom Sink

Perfect right?