Renovation Column: Pressing pause and enjoying a reset away from the building site

A renovation is a marathon not a sprint, if the track was littered with rubble and the warm fuzzy roar of the crowd was replaced with cement mixers. The road is long and includes all manner of twists and turns, so it’s good to take a break and refuel at a petrol station every now and then along the way.

Escaping the dust and destruction of our current living situation during the school holidays was not only welcome but it would turn out absolutely essential. And as we packed our bucket and spades and set off to the Norfolk coast with a boot full of everything except the ripped out kitchen sink (why when travelling with children does it feel like moving house?) I felt excited about the prospect of a week of sea air and dust free living conditions.

In the run up to the holiday I had been only too eager to tell anyone who asked, “How's the house coming on?” that everything was fine, it wasn’t nearly as stressful as I had anticipated and that I was loving being hands on for all the decisions with a front row seat for the progress. My answers became part of a well rehearsed monologue that I delivered more confidently over time and performed with expert timing. I truly believed the words I was saying and took on the role of calm and collected mum of two and building site manager with ease. But it would seem I would have to wait for my BAFTA award because the mask was about to slip.

As we pulled up to our stunning old stone cottage in Norfolk and stepped through the front door it was like stepping into the pages of Architectural Digest. The flagstone tiles, the galleried landing, the huge log burners, and carefully curated pieces of furniture were sublime. As I walked around the meticulously maintained grounds and marveled at the sight of the stylish interiors I took a deep (dust free) breath and relaxed.

The relaxation was however, short lived, as the whiplash transition from building site to beautiful abode began to make me panic. How would we ever reach this stage? Would it all be worth it? Would it look as good as I'd imagined?

As the days went by filled with beach trips, walks and even a village show, I felt the tension of the past few months ebb away. The headaches I had been experiencing for weeks subsided, and I was able to admit to myself that perhaps it had been a tad more stressful than I had allowed myself to admit and that that was OK and actually understandable.

After a week it was time to return to the real world—a world where washing our holiday clothes consisted of an obstacle course over rubble whilst trying desperately not to drop the whites onto the red brick dust covered floor.

Awaiting our return was also a wow factor reveal: our open plan space thanks to the hard work of our builders Barry Huteson & Son Complete Building Services, who had been grafting away during the heatwave to demolish more internal walls.

It turns out sometimes all you need is to press pause, walk away and return with a renewed sense of enthusiasm, determination and a Norfolk coast inspired set of interior inspiration to add to the Pinterest board.

Keep up to date with all the progress by following @ohgodweboughtavicarage on Instagram.