Welcome to the White House

For three years, I’d wake up to a pair of brown closet doors that stood across our bed.

They’re covered in scratches and wouldn’t close on their own. I’d sometimes secure them with a spare hair tie, yet their flaws seem to amplify each time I see it on my way out of my bedroom. No closet has ever left me as grumpy and gloomy as this.

Unfortunately, our closet wasn’t the only thing that made me want to tear the house down. The walls that surrounded our home were just as ugly. They’re painted this ugly off-white/cream combination, they had holes, crayon markings and scraps of paper tacked to them. Sometimes I’d just enter the kids’ room and wish the whole thing would magically have flat white walls a brand new closet that’s spacious enough to house all three kids’ clothes.

That dream finally came true this year.

Begin the renovations

Before we set off for Cebu, Jayson and his father hired a team of workers to begin the long-awaited renovations for our house.

They’re to replace all of our bedroom walls with stronger wood, repaint the rooms with flat white paint, and tear down our closets for wider and more beautiful custom-built furniture.

I couldn’t wait to see the final result, though I wasn’t so sure when Jayson said they’d be ready by the time we got back. Nonetheless, I spent my vacation enjoying the water with the kids while dreaming of what my new custom-built closet will look like.

From 2 weeks to 2 months

The entire process turned out to be more complicated than what Jayson and I expected. What was initially a 2-week project became a 2-month long drag to ensure that the workers fixed, painted, and shined each wall and floor.

It didn’t help that the carpenter hired for the custom-built closet project was unprofessional, too old-fashioned and lacked experience. He refused to use the drill while building the closets and his measurements were off. Eventually he stopped coming to work because he couldn’t accept the barrage of feedback Jayson gave him over his work.

Soon the painters started coming in irregularly, prolonging the work further. I was nervous that eventually they wouldn’t come back to finish the job that we’d even call Jayson’s father for help.

It was stressful and emotional for the both of us. Thankfully the kids were spared from allergies due to the dust and dirt that filled our home. I just kept telling myself to be patient and that I’ll soon have my dream bedroom + closet soon.

Our very own White House

It was a lot of effort and patience, but it all paid off in the end. On June 28th the renovations finally concluded and the rooms ready for the kids.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The handles were inspired by the bedroom closets of our room at Seda Hotel Centrio where we stayed during the early days of the renovation. I love how it gave the closets a modern impression.

For the kids’ closet, we added a small dresser for Holly. It would have a mirror for when she needs to groom herself. Unfortunately we’re out of budget so the mirror and lights will have to come later. It’s currently being used as a table to hold the kids’ medicines and Holly’s hair clips.

We also hired Jayson’s father’s friend, an electrician, to install additional ceiling lights to make the rooms brighter at night. This is one of my biggest issues with the house and one I wanted to remedy as well. Thankfully it only took a day’s work. The rooms now look brighter and more beautiful than they ever were.

The house is still messy with books and toys lying around, so cleaning up continues to be a work in progress. I’m just glad and relieved to see everything come together again and the kids enjoying their new room. And with our new closet + TV stand, Jayson and I have been watching more movies together after putting the kids to bed.

We still got a long way to go to turn this prototype into a house we’d love forever, so I continue to pray hard for blessings and opportunities to make this happen.