From late January through mid-May the Pink Palace was under renovation. What began as a conversation last May with a remodeling company, Case Design, turned into signed contracts, design meetings in October, and an updated home in May.
Yes, one year from start to finish for my tiny 600-square-foot home!
I’ve lived here 18 years and don’t plan to move on anytime soon, so I decided it was time to let the 1980s (when the condo building was renovated) vibe go. Au revoir particle board cabinets, clunky energy consuming appliances, silver fixtures, broken bathroom tile, and open pantry.
The contractors removed everything from the kitchen and bathroom except my cast iron tub.
The new kitchen list includes: energy efficient appliances with a smaller footprint to maximize counter space in the kitchen, closed pantry with drawers that slide out, hanging glass shelf, subway tile, black and white octagon floor tile, gold fixtures, marble countertop, black sink, updated lighting.
The new loo list includes: energy efficient washer and dryer, marble shelf, marble sink and ornate cabinet, toilet, black mirror, inset shelving covered by a mirror, subway tile, black and white octagon floor tile, gold fixtures, updated lighting.
Additions to the renovation included a new living space and bedroom floor in a very light engineered wood and a fresh paint job, including blush pink (Benjamin Moore Orchid Pink) accent walls in the kitchen, living room, and bathroom. Jose did this work and was also our go-to painter for my yoga studios years ago.
I also worked with a local gardener, Nancy from The Enchanted Garden, who uses wildlife friendly plants and organic methods. She turned my garden patio into a beautiful space.
In this year’s Love Notes I’ve shared the challenges of packing my kitchen and bathroom belongings into bins, realizing I have more tea than one could ever drink, being displaced for a few months, commuting from West Virginia to DC weekly, and living out of a suitcase in West Virginia and at a friend’s apartment (thank you, Beatriz!).
I felt surprisingly disoriented throughout the whole process, so I held tightly to grounding go-tos such as ballet, baths, tea dates with friends, journaling, and connecting with you through the podcast, blog, Love Notes, Instagram, and especially the Coterie.
Voilà, we moved back home with a few suitcases in tow mid-May. Then removed the plastic covers from everything, unpacked all the bins and restocked the kitchen and bathroom, washed and dusted everything (why does construction dust get everywhere?!), hosted the Coterie Fête, and have finally settled into the new space with a sense of ease and joy.
Thank you for being part of this process. Bisous. x
