I can’t even begin to describe how badly I want our house to be finished. After all these years of remodeling and decorating, I’m so eager to reach a point where I can simply enjoy our home, rather than constantly working on it. Don’t get me wrong—I’ve loved every minute of this journey. It’s been challenging, exciting, and endlessly creative. And while our plans have evolved drastically from what we originally envisioned, I truly think everything is falling into place perfectly.
Our bedroom, for instance, ended up in a completely different location than what I initially imagined. The addition we’re planning is now smaller than the original concept—but honestly, it’s shaping up to be exactly what we need. Everything feels more intentional and functional, and I think that’s going to make a huge difference in the long run.
Still, the urge to “finish” is real. I’m ready for the interior of our house to feel complete. Of course, I know I’ll always be tweaking things—switching a paint color here, trying a new pillow there—but there’s a big difference between small adjustments and tearing an entire room down to the studs for a remodel. Those larger projects take so much time, energy, and planning.
Lately, I’ve been thinking about how I can bring our interior closer to completion without overextending myself. Initially, I had grand plans, with the mindset of someone with an endless budget. But, well… we don’t have an endless budget, and I DIY nearly everything, which naturally stretches timelines. Combine that with the fact that I’ve been running out of steam lately, and it’s clear I need to be smarter about the projects I tackle. I just want to enjoy our house rather than feel like I’m living in a perpetual construction zone. (Of course, I’m still excited about continuing work on the exterior, landscaping, and outdoor projects. Those feel more like ongoing adventures rather than endless chores!)
With all of that in mind, I’ve been scaling back some of my original plans. For example, rather than relocating the kitchen to what is now the breakfast room and pantry, I’ve decided to keep it in its current location. I’d love to have new cabinets and countertops someday, and I’ve shared my dream vision of that in past posts—but if it doesn’t happen right away (or ever), I’m okay with what we have.
This decision also means keeping the studio bathroom as it is. When I was planning the kitchen move, this bathroom was going to become a walk-through pantry—but now it will stay. I’ve already started a small makeover on it, paused, and left it in an unfinished state while I figured out our kitchen plans. Now, it’ll get a quick refresh, and that will be it.
One detail I was still mulling over, though, was the pantry itself. With the future addition, I want a doorway from the new family room into the dining room, which would have gone where the freezer currently sits in the pantry. But after giving it a lot of thought—and listening to your wonderful suggestions—I’ve decided to keep the pantry as well. We’ll adjust it slightly, moving the freezer to the other side to free up that wall for the doorway. That works perfectly because I actually use the freezer far more than the cabinets on the opposite wall, and I almost never use the microwave (probably haven’t in two years!).
I might also widen the doorway between the dining room and pantry slightly, since the pantry will now double as a passthrough from the family room to the dining room and kitchen. But I won’t remove the walls completely, which leaves some empty wall space on either side of the doorway.
This brings me to a design dilemma. For years, I’ve had benches on either side of the pantry doorway with artwork above them. They’ve barely been used, and I’ve been slowly “poaching” pieces from that area to use elsewhere in the house. One of those benches will move into the bedroom suite foyer, and I’ll probably give away the other. That leaves two empty spaces that need attention.
Now comes the creative question: What do I do with these spaces? I could leave them open and simply hang artwork on the walls, which would keep the room feeling spacious and airy. Or, I could add functional elements, like two pretty cabinets, to bring in extra storage and visual interest.
I’ve been looking at some inspiration, like arched display cabinets from Wayfair or elegant china cabinets (also from Wayfair). I love the style of the doors and the overall design, though the colors aren’t ideal and buying two would be pricey. I’m torn because I don’t know if I really need more storage here, especially with the pantry still in place. Keeping the areas open might create a sense of flow, particularly for the dining room, which will feature a round table that expands into a large oval when needed.
Interestingly, writing this all down helps me clarify my own thoughts. As I’ve worked through the pros and cons, I’m leaning toward leaving the spaces open and focusing on art. The room will feel larger, brighter, and more inviting, and I won’t feel burdened by unnecessary storage units. Besides, I already have plenty of storage elsewhere—the walk-in closet, the new bedroom suite storage, and that huge cabinet just on the other side of the studio doorway. Adding more storage here would just be overkill, and it might visually crowd the space.
So there it is—my thought process in action. In the course of writing this post, I’ve gone from planning to buy two cabinets to realizing that keeping these spaces open is probably the smarter, more elegant solution. Blogging truly is therapeutic sometimes—it allows me to untangle my thoughts and make decisions as I write.
Now, the next step is to find beautiful, colorful artwork that complements the picture ledges already in the room. That will give the pantry doorway a polished, intentional look without adding unnecessary furniture, and I think it’s the perfect solution for keeping the space feeling open, functional, and welcoming.