Filed under: Your Home, Projects, Design, etc, Furniture
Need to change your life? Or just an emotional overhaul? Pick up a hammer or grab some sandpaper. These homeowners did, and it worked wonders.We always joke that knocking down a wall or doing demolition is therapeutic, but could it really be true?
After seeing this inspiring video story by Guidepost's home expert Kelee Katillac about how a furniture makeover changed her life, I went searching for folks whose lives were different or better because of a home-related project, whether a full renovation or just a simple weekend DIY. I found some incredible stories. Whether it's coping with stress or cleaning out some internal cobwebs, these folks have used home projects to heal.
Lindsay and Chris (left) and Lindsay's coffee-table-turned-bench (right). Photos: Lindsay Wilkins
Sanding Away the Stress
Lindsay Wilkins is a Navy wife, so her husband Chris is often away for days, weeks and even months on end. Last October, her husband left for a 10-day deployment right after they moved to Oahu. Knowing that she would be alone in a new place, Wilkins felt lost. On her way home from the airport, she spotted an old coffee table sitting on the side of the road, and on a whim, she hoisted it into her car.
While her husband was away, she sanded, primed and painted the old table making it into an entryway bench for her new home. By the time Chris returned, Wilkins had finished the project and realized that the time had flown by.
When her husband leaves, Wilkins knows that she'll be OK if she keeps busy with fun projects -- it has become the perfect "therapy" for her to deal with stressful deployments. She's even taken up painting. "The bench is a constant reminder that I'll be just fine when my husband leaves again," she says. "He's away again this week so I have several fun projects lined up, including some custom paintings."
Stacy and her sister Ellen (left) and Ellen's redecorated bedroom (right). Photos: Stacy Weiss
Design That Heals
When Stacy Weiss' sister, Ellen, had to undergo chemotherapy for a blood disorder, it was hard to figure out how she could help. Being the owner of a furniture and home goods retail store and the fact that her sister was spending so much time in her unfinished bedroom, Weiss suggested that they spend some time together to redo it. "The environment is so important to the healing process," Weiss said.
They spent three months designing and selecting high-end furnishings from Weiss's store to create a luxurious and comfortable environment for Ellen as she was healing. Since she had to spend most of her time in the bedroom, Weiss was proud that the room made her sister more comfortable. "Redoing the room took her mind off the illness and gave her something to look forward to," Weiss says.
We all know that no room renovation is going to cure a disease (and anyone who has serious psychiatric problems should get professional help), but being able to escape from a harsh reality and painful situation can be a tremendous relief.
Alexis (left) and the kitchen that started it all (and her stellar backsplash!). Photos: Alexis A. Moore
Clean Your Kitchen, Clean Out Your Internal Cobwebs
For a decade Alexis A. Moore was the victim of mental, emotional and physical abuse as well as cyber-stalking. She was on medication, went to therapists, psychiatrists, shelters and the police, many of which did nothing to help or heal her. Then she met her current boyfriend, they moved in together, and she finally felt like she found a home.
They bought a suburban short sale rancher that was a fixer upper. Alexis got into decorating the house, but over time she realized that it became more than just a house. She says that it became a shining beacon of hope for her future and a physical representation of her emotional state. In cleaning out the kitchen cabinets one day, she realized that, "I was kind of cleaning out the cupboards in my own life, realizing that there was a lot going on upstairs and in my head that I didn't even know about."
There was a lot of crying into paper towels and dust rags, but soon Alexis realized how fortunate she was just to be alive -- to be there cleaning the cabinets and the floors in her very own house. "You don't realize what a little elbow grease can do. Putting your heart and soul into something could be so healing and rewarding in the end. It was very empowering for me to say 'look what I did,'" she says.
Has a renovation project ever changed your life or help you deal with a difficult time? Let us know in the comments!
More stories about how design relates with life:
- What designer Martin Amado learned after 500 home makeovers
- How to think like an interior designer
- Getting over house envy
Ready for your own remodel? Check out how to tackle some of the bigger projects over on DIY Life.