Revisit of Reno & Coastal Hamptons Crush

Every now and then it’s good to note how far these real life renovators have come. A year ago we were finishing up a family room facelift (time consuming even though mostly cosmetic!) and custom bedroom closet. We have been taking it easy as far as new projects (although we may finish space in our walk-out basement). What a DIY adventure to reimagine 11 rooms and 4 bathrooms in our spare time. Hamptons style feels just right for this Georgian home.

Coastal Hamptons Style Touches

We have wallpapered, installed sconces, and added art and erased traces of fussy, formal, brown everything. But will the house ever truly be done? Not likely!

We may reside in the landlocked Midwest, but we love an atmosphere of laid back coastal chic. Just bought a pair of Adirondack chairs for the deck I transformed with paint, and they are worth mentioning.

I wanted a beachy reclining chaise, but I also wanted something that felt very Hamptons for the deck. These fold away (to easily store), recline, become chaises with smooth hideaway ottomans, and have drink/phone holders. Good gracious, the only thing missing is the cabana. And they shipped for free!

After carefully researching all-weather chairs and reading through reviews, it became clear it made sense to pay for the quality of this set. They truly look and feel like wood…not at all plastic-y or unnatural.

I independently selected products in this post—if you buy from one of my links, I may earn a commission.

Our bedroom and bath are feeling more Hamptons-like with the changes.

Even though we’re still not done, we have been using this sitting room/sun room quite often!

A pocket door leads to the renovated bath, and inside are these bath essentials:

Here’s the before/during/after of our closet:

We emptied it of everything, added beadboard to the back wall, painted walls SW Repose Gray and the trim white, removed the fluorescent ceiling fixture and hung an antique chandelier. Then it was ready to be customized with beautiful shelves, drawers and hanging space! (See the completed space HERE!)

I share resources to shop my home HERE and keep updating as we complete this home.

A Few Hamptons Style Finds

Breezy Coastal Things I’m Wearing

I never tire of vintage faded denim jackets to dress down midi dresses from Anthropologie and simple statement jewelry. Here’s a great jacket:

If you have never worn handmade hammered gold hoops, you are in for a delight. They will never go out of style, feel featherlight, are 14k gold filled and shimmer in the light.

This pretty layered trio has a very French look about it, and I love its subtlety and the fact it is handpainted.

Coastal Style Ideas for a Hamptons Look

What to Make for Dinner

If ever you feel stuck about what to make for dinner, do check out the online menu of your favorite eateries. After seeing this glorious caesar salad and grilled salmon, I whipped up my own last night – so easy and quick as a light dinner.

The fried chicken stack is Jo’s favorite at The Hampton Social, and this could also be your brunchy dinner made at home…why not?

Our Bath Not Long Ago & Today

It was certainly not the worst bathroom we ever renovated, just the most work!

It feels coastal and fresh, but not in a kitschy way. I am loving the LED lit medicine cabinets which dictated other decisions in the plan.

Before/After Kitchen Peeks

Here’s where we were two years ago (we had removed a built-in china cabinet from the dining room and repurposed it in our kitchen pantry):

We had just installed our kitchen’s new farm sink and were retrofitting it with existing cabinetry:

So many changes to note in a single image! The brown trim was painted, a marble backsplash was installed after the Viatera Muse quartz counters went in, we skirted the sink base with a luxurious linen, and a Perrin & Rowe faucet heightened the timeless factor.

Renovated Entry & Dining Room

The entry and dining room sure did come a long way…

Seeing is believing, and the before/afters help you grasp what I mean when I explain this home has a strong point of view and requires delicate, thoughtful attention. No entry level DIY home improvement or flip here! Rather, advanced level electrical, plumbing, carpentry and construction.

Breakfast Nook Peeks at the Past

It took weeks to paint 16 windows in the kitchen since the process began with 4 layers of stain-blocking primer.

But well worth the weeks of work! Still haven’t added soft fabric touches in here, but that will happen eventually.

When we were in the middle of the renovations you see above, I was becoming aware of how so often I try to rush progress when it needs to take its own sweet time. I wrote: Everything within me wants things to improve and progress quickly, and this is simply not to be. The pace of chrysalis living in an upside down kingdom is slow, and things fall apart before wholeness comes.

Does that still feel true today?

The ache of chyrsalis living seems less achey! The slowness of daily life seems to bring less self-criticism and shame. In so many important ways, I’m getting free and clinging to outcomes less.

I’m letting go of dreams for the future and imagined narratives about what a peaceful future looks like in favor of allowing mystery to decide. Even all of the time I used to spend contemplating wholeness has changed.

Instead, there are moments every single day where hidden wholeness reveals itself, where that golden thread of infinite love stretches. But the thread inevitably breaks. Which is why daily practice helps so much. Blogging remains an odd, imperfect journey as technology and algorithms shift daily. Yet even work frustrations, spiritual paradoxes, cultural upheaval, and assorted modern life chaos can be held with lightness, with the knowing that love is working in the dark. Thank you for reading with such tenderness, for your patience with me as I grow in each season along the renovation journey.

Peace to you right where you are.

-michele

I independently selected products in this post—if you buy from one of my links, I may earn a commission.

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