Turning The Page

There are moments during a renovation when you realize you're no longer standing in the middle of one chapter, but rather stepping into the next one.

For the last several years, so much of our story has centered around the upstairs. We've shared heartbreaks and victories, impossible decisions and creative solutions. We've celebrated old floors finding new life, learned that perfect isn't always the goal, and discovered that sometimes the best plans are the ones you never expected to make.

Today, I'm happy to report...

The upstairs is finished.

Would you indulge me and read that sentence one more time?

The upstairs is finished.

Can you believe it?

Even typing those words feels a little surreal.

Walking through the space now is a "pinch me" moment every single time. It's hard to remember the days when it was nothing more than exposed studs, cracked plaster, bird nests, piles of lumber, and a seemingly endless list of decisions. Today, it feels warm. Finished. Full of possibility.

And just as I had mentally prepared myself for another renovation delay on the main level (because, let's be honest, this is not my first rodeo), the construction crew rolled in the very next week and got right to work.

No dramatic pause.

No months of waiting.

Just... progress.

If you've visited Walnut + Twine recently, you've probably heard a little more construction than usual. Saws, and soon jackhammers, have replaced the quiet hum of the upstairs finishing work as the main level officially becomes the center of attention.

There's a giant dumpster parked outside. Renovation debris has taken over part of the front porch, and the Community Scoop board had to temporarily come down. Normally, that kind of thing would make my eye twitch.

But after spending so much of this journey waiting for movement, I honestly don't mind the mess. (Who am I right now?)

It's because this mess means something.

It means things are happening.

It means we're no longer standing still.

We're officially in the messy middle, and somehow that's a whole lot more exciting than the perfectly tidy "not-quite-started-yet" stage. Seriously, someone pinch me!

One of my favorite moments happened last week when we uncovered something that's been safely tucked away for the last three or four years while we waited to reach this point in the renovation.

The well.

It was only uncovered briefly while the construction team and I finalized plans, but seeing it again reminded me why we've worked so hard to preserve this building's story.

Soon, what was once simply a construction obstacle will become one of the most memorable features inside Walnut + Twine.

In many ways, I think that's become the theme of this entire renovation.

Taking what once felt like a setback and finding a way to turn it into something beautiful. 

There's still plenty of work ahead.

Concrete will be poured. The well will begin its transformation. Dust will continue to find its way into places I didn't know dust could possibly exist. And I'm fairly certain this hundred-year-old building still has a surprise or two waiting for us.

(We actually found a new little surprise this week, and I'll be sharing about it in next Monday's Walnut + Twine Scoop - our weekly newsletter. It's exactly the kind of thing I LOVE!) Make sure you're a member of the Scoop Crew here.

But for the first time in a very long time, it feels like we've turned the page.

The upstairs tells the story of where we've been.

The main level will tell the story of where we're going.

And somehow, after all these years, I think we're finally arriving at the chapter I've been dreaming about since the day we bought this building.