Dig In
In 2013, they said, "lean in, ladies." Which of course became all kinds of trendy and was quickly revealed to be a touch problematic. (Preach, Michelle!)
Well, now it's almost 2019, and we say it's a new era.
We declare it the year to DIG IN.
Dig in—so you can stay put as long as possible. That's what many of our retired clients are doing. They may have long-since hired out the snow shoveling and gutter cleaning, and they're calling us to make their homes not just more functional for aging in place, but more beautiful too—doing the updates they've always dreamed of—because aging is beautiful, right? Of course it is.
Dig in—buy an older starter home and update it. New homeowners are hiring us to help them reimagine half-century old kitchens and baths and everything in between. Out go 80s brass and wallpaper—because we do brass and wallpaper in 2018, but, unfortunately, almost never THAT brass and wallpaper. (Wah wah wah.) Changes may be cosmetic or architectural, but, weighing budget and carbon footprint and how long you are likely to stay, we help you tackle what you can for maximal impact while you're there.
Dig in—decide to bloom where you're planted. We love the homeowner who calls and says she is ready to commit. When you embrace large scale changes because you know you’ll stay put for decades to come, remodeling is as much about lifestyle as aesthetics. Underneath shifting trends (country wallpaper and too-brassy brass), is a shifting culture, and at SYI, we think the new culture is here to stay: Americans have shifted toward more casual, open, egalitarian living. As such, clients need old homes reworked to fit the way they live now, when the party always seems to be in the kitchen, with a pile of shoes by the front door. It's a reinterpretation of private vs. public space, step-in-step with our changing value system and sense of hierarchy and patriarchy. (But we'll stop getting all philosophical on you now.)
The big dig sometimes all happens at once—not AT ALL like HGTV, mind you—ever—but a whole house remodel, top to bottom, done and done in a year or so. More often, it's a long term project. Clients who have decided to dig in call us for a comprehensive plan and vision, which we help them pragmatically chip away at, bit by bit, over time. Quite Hoosier-like really. We applaud the patience and authenticity of the bit-by-bit method, even though, let's be honest, like any red-blooded American, we love us some immediate gratification.
Whether you're digging in slow and steady or all at once, at SYI, we start by asking questions, and listening to your answers. What's your morning and evening routine? What do you love? Who do you love—and do they shed/color on your walls/pee anyplace other than the bathroom? Are you a curler upper or a stretcher outer? What would your Air B&B score of the decade look and feel like? Do you actually cook?
At SYI, you tell us you'd like to dig in to make your space yours, and we respond by digging in about you—how you live, and how your space can make that life better.
How will you dig in in 2019?
All “after” photos are by Gina Rogers Photography.