When we started this journey, we weren't exactly sure where it would take us. We knew that blogging the renovation process of a house would be new for us and many of our friends and customers. We knew that we would learn plenty from the construction and design aspects, but we would also get the opportunity to hear from the community their thoughts on the process and selections for the home. We got much more than we bargained for. It was truly an experience for us all.
We started out as four people who had never all collaborated on a single project--much less a huge estate remodel. Randal and I had never met when Mike asked me to join the team. Heath, Mike, and Randal had the vision of this project and part of that vision included both Randal and myself as the designers. It was a brilliant idea (if I do say so myself). I would blog and help on the ground when Randal couldn't be in town for selecting items or meeting with sub-contractors at the house. Randal and I hit it off immediately and started combining his modern flare with my more traditional taste for the selections for the house. The team meshed right off the bat. Text messages were flying faster than we could all type. The excitement of the project was real and palpable.
Fast forward several months... about the time that we expected to be finishing the house... and we were in a holding pattern waiting on electrical work to be completed. The wiring of the home needed to be completely reworked. It seemed like an eternity to wait, but it had to be done correctly and no one was willing to sacrifice quality for speed. As soon as the electrical work was done, we were back in business. All of the planning that we had done on the front end made it possible to pick up and keep moving forward. We have not finished this project in the time frame that we estimated. Not even close. But in the end, the house is amazing, and, with the hard work and creativity of the team, it is a stunning home that has been fully renovated and brought into the 21st Century.
I think it is fair to say that all four of us thrive on the creative process. To take a floorplan with existing windows, walls, and stairs and create an entirely new house is like putting together a puzzle. We love this stuff! When you put the last piece in and realize that it all fits together, the excitement is sparked all over again. When the walls are all painted and you realize the beauty of the colors that were chosen from 2" x 4" pieces of paper all mesh together perfectly, you remember why you chose this even when some of the process is so difficult and daunting.
I wrote a post previously called "Messy in the Middle". It describes some of our "messy in the middle" moments so I won't reiterate those here. But, I will say that we had plenty of frustrations and delays and details that we thought would never be completed. It's all part of the process. Whether you're dealing with a personal battle or a business project, the process is the same. We have to wrestle with our initial ideas and associated risks. We have to put our Eureka! ideas down on paper. We have to work through all the details and problems that we think could hold us back. It gets really messy in the middle and sometimes doubtful, but, with persistence you reach the end goal. Sometimes more slowly than you'd like, but you do get there!
We have enjoyed sharing this journey with all of you! I can't say thank you enough to all who have followed along and shown their support for our sharing the story of this house and this renovation. It crossed the team's mind a time or two that this may be a total flop of an idea, but you all welcomed the story. We are all wired for story.
We are ecstatic to FINALLY be able to share these photos with you all! The completed Greyhound Estate!
Photos by local photographer, Marc Gibson.
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