Over Thanksgiving, a home we recently purchased to renovate in Honey Brook had a fire. Who knew that after a fire, every single part of the house is covered in black soot? Well it’s true.
So, this week the guys have been cleaning and gutting the house. And Becca’s been crunching the numbers to see if renovating it is financially possible anymore.
We’ve had this motto in our company for a few years now- “if you do nothing unexpected, nothing unexpected happens.” Not sure where we first heard the quote- but it has truly had an impact on our design and renovation decisions this past year.
That’s why in December 2018 we crafted this crazy, pink mood board for the renovation on Louise Ave. And then we proceeded to actually implement it- pink sinks, pink tile, pink paint, pink kitchen cupboards.
That’s why we totally renovated the home on New Dorwart Street with limewash walls and a pear colored theme and a flair for retro… despite the fact that the majority of our followers on Instagram shook their head at the yellow… I mean, pear.
That’s why we purchased that bird cage, reptile tank, infested home on Columbia Ave. (not hating on our pet-loving followers out there. Hey, we have a dog too.) The home was certainly no breeze to renovate. It wasn’t easy to even envision how the glass walled bathroom would work or the eyelash covered wall would work or the wall tapestries would work. Not until the end anyway…
That’s why we did this super cost-efficient update on our Airbnb in Honey Brook. Using a couch from Chris’s grandma and wonderful finds from local thrift stores and some vintage phones snagged by our auctioneer/neighbor/friend, Leon- we turned this space into an ode to the 70’s.
And that’s why we painted the little home on Prince Street with army green and proceeded to implement maybe, but probably not, one too many colors into the design. The jury’s still out on that one.
There’s something about doing the unexpected that makes me excited to get up in the morning. Our ostrich logo will communicate that all by itself- we’re really just not into being normal.
This week though, we’ve also been reminded- when we do the unexpected, the unexpected is bound to happen. AKA- housefire or a design that just doesn’t work or a pink sink and toilet that has to be replaced cause it’s downright too old.
Doing the unexpected isn’t about standing out or making a name for yourself- it’s about doing something different- and potentially discovering that it doesn’t work. It’s about seeing the risk, but trying anyway.
The hiccups that Chip and Jo face in their flips undoubtedly add drama to their show. But in real life- the hiccups and unexpected things we face as newish business owners are not always that simple to solve.
While the guys demo the Lilly Road house and Becca crunches the numbers and gets quotes and Chris contacts insurance to find out how much we’ll receive from the damage… we’ve had some time to ponder.
In this in between space, we are realizing that being different is not always fun. Doing the unexpected sometimes means the unexpected will happen. But creating homes that surprise and bless and serve the people around us is what we’re about. We’ve counted that cost. And we’re still willing- wanna join us for 2020? You literally never know what could happen.
sincerely, Claude
