Fixer Upper

It's hard to believe March is just about here. That means we have about 5 months left on our lease. Holy cow. I thought for sure we'd have a plan in place by now... HA! The plan was to rent for a year and then buy or build a home. That's a nice idea in theory and looks great on paper, but much harder to implement in real life. So many decisions.

We thought certainly we would build. However, after living on Isle of Hope, we are falling for it big time. I see why it's such a desirable place to live in Savannah. The ability to walk to the bluff and down to the river any time you want, walk to school, church, etc.... and still be close to Sandfly and downtown. The area is just pure magic I tell you.

The problem? Well, with all that magic comes a price. In some cases, a big price. Also, there's really little to NO land left out here. The houses that are for sale? Mostly older homes and small cottages and ranch style abodes. So, we've been tossing around the idea lately- do we buy and gut? As in, are we going to do our own version of fixing upping?  

 I have a huge crush on Joanna & Chip Gaines. I can't even help it. Fixer Upper is easily my favorite HGTV show. I love seeing the transformations these two craft together, on any and every budget. Joanna's Instagram feed is dreamy, as is the Magnolia Market shop. I also love seeing their relationship. She is always so supportive of him and you can really tell he's head over heels for her. I love seeing a healthy marriage on TV. Seems like all you ever see these days is all the Hollywood drama. These two are a breath of fresh air!

Have you guys taken on such a big task? With our last house, we certainly did a lot of updating, but not a complete renovation top to bottom. To be honest, that scares even me. I love to dream up plans and ideas, and can see the potential in about anything, but a total gut job? Eeeek. I'm not sure I have it in me... but then again... to live on Isle of Hope in a house that's all ours would probably make up for any headaches along the way.

Speaking of fixer upper, I gave our old coffee table a new look this week. The table was Hubs' from his bachelor days. Boring and black. It's pictured here in our old Atlanta house's basement.

 I gave it an aged distressed look with the help of Annie Sloan chalk paint in old white and paris grey. 

I did several layers of the two colors with a very dry brush, and finished up with both dark and clear wax. 

 I love chalk paint. It is so easy to use, and gives you instant gratification. No stripping, sanding, priming, etc. Just paint. 

So that's all the fixing up I've done lately. How about y'all? Have any experience with large scale renovations? Are we crazy to even think about it? :) 

Happy weekend!