My First Lessons in 2021
My Small Home Reno Project
When I set out to finish a small addition to my son’s room last August I estimated the project would be completed by the end of October. As a space planner, having worked on the fringes of commercial construction for close to fifteen years, I thought I had a fairly good sense of how long a bite-sized renovation would take from start to finish. My Gantt chart showed commencing the project in mid-August with an occupancy date of Halloween. Thoroughly expecting to be done long before the holidays, on August 15th, we sliced through an existing wall and started to get our hands dirty. 149 days later, here we are. We are almost done as you read this account. Why so long you ask? What went wrong? With a timeline that nearly doubled in size, I thought it might be fun to share three lessons-learned from this “tiny” project.
Lesson #1: Skill buys time. During my project planning phase, what I didn’t consider was the size and capability of my crew, Adam and yours truly. In my job, I’ve watched construction projects come together in no time. Large crews of skilled carpenters frame a room in a day. Dry-wall is hung, spackled and painted by professionals in a week. And floors for entire suites are installed in two days. Unfortunately, here on Holly Mill Court, we are two VERY general laborers. Our carpentry skills leave something to be desired and our schedules are LIMITED. Turns out, when you’re working with a couple of people with no experience and reduced hours, expect a project to double in time.
Plus, have you seen the angles on this project? A room half my height, centered on a feature with 22 1/2 degree angles requires a little more skill than your basic square. Thankfully, my father-in-law, an engineer with plenty of home improvement experience, was our mentor. If it wasn’t for him, we’d still be stuck at step one!
Lesson #2: Living in the mess is NOT easy but it leads to good work. By now you know I love order. In fact, my kids honestly think my favorite past time is cleaning. And, my husband says, if my life was documented in a book, it would be entitled “Clean”. Unfortunately, on a construction site, there’s very little place for cleanliness. Supplies and tools fill every nook and cranny while dust coats any surface it can find. Normalcy is displaced by chaos, even in the tidiest work zones. Throw in the holidays and this neat-freak was in way over her head. At first, I resisted the mayhem. Three months into it and several meltdowns (my family could have done without) later, I sensed the Lord challenging me to welcome the chaos and just enjoy the moment. He was gently reminding me that He embraces my mayhem to make all things new. It’s not quick, easy or convenient, but He does that for me because there is beautiful healing and freedom on the other side. The end result is worth it so He’s willing to wade through the mess with me, to get to the crown of beauty. And the truth is, the more I embraced the chaos, the more I was able to enjoy the process, knowing it would be worth it! I am now on the other side and couldn’t be happier with the space. I’m also thankful some order has been restored😊
Lesson #3: We were created to create. In a world where we over-indulge in consuming all day long, I am becoming increasingly more convinced that we were created to design, to build, to write, to create anything where we can offer beauty with our minds and hands. Consuming can often make us feel stagnant, over-indulgent and insatiate. But making something inspires us and equips us to offer our redeemed talents to this broken world. Building this addition has given me new skills and confidence. It’s given me a chance to create and watch something grow, literally from bare bones, to walls wrapped in great care.
As I look at this adorable reading nook, filled with character and love, I’m so thankful we didn’t give up. I’m grateful we pushed through, past the long timeline, our inadequacies and the mess, to create something new and beautiful. So, if you are working on a project, hang in there, friend. There are lessons-learned and there is beauty on the other side. And if you haven’t created something in a while, try your hand at it! You’ll be so glad you did!