Sometimes I find that my house needs a little love, and I’ll itch for a makeover or new decor. I follow an account on Instagram, Debt Free Mom, who’s motto “Care Creates Contentment” is such a good reminder that a small shift in mindset to take care of what we already have helps not only the budget but also finding contentment in what’s in your home.
When we moved into our house two years ago, I set out to repaint each room just as a means to freshen up. I picked a color and began painting right away, but I’ve felt stuck on our bathroom as there was a place near the shower with mold that needed repairing before I could paint. I was scared to touch it as I know very little about repairing drywall and my husband was reluctant to touch it as he was worried he was going to find the issue was much bigger than just what we could see on the surface. Finally, we talked about our goals for the year, and I told him I wanted to take more pride in what we already have by simply taking care of it, and together, we decided the bathroom was one of those things.
With some time off before starting a new job, my husband used time to his advantage, and decided to make the repairs to the mold area so that I could paint and spruce up the rest of the space. We knew that there is plenty we’d like to do differently in this bathroom to better suit our needs, but a “dream bathroom renovation” wasn’t in the budget. Instead, we set out on a Care Creates Contentment journey where we planned to repair the mold issue, repaint, clean, and declutter and organize. Instead of making the bathroom perfect, we set out on the goal of making it a space that no longer seemed forgotten and neglected.
Everytime I walked into our bathroom, I was greeted by blue walls and taunted by beige paint swatches reminding me of our unfinished project. Plus, even though I clean it weekly, the unsightly mold made the space feel dirty even when it wasn’t. One thing this space had going for it pre-makeover was SPACE. It’s a super large bathroom with a ton of storage, but it has so much space for storage, I often find myself sticking items in it just because they fit, not because they actually belong.
It was about a 3 week work in progress (because #momlife) where my husband started tackling the mold issue over the course of a long weekend. The spackle was not quick dry so we had to wait 24 hours between repairs to sand and repair again. Once he finished this area, he decided to cover the strip where the mold was with trim. We’ve concluded because of the way the shower surround is made in sections that water from the shower pools and leaks out. Ideally, a new shower would be great. But a new shower is not in the budget right now. Trim may not have been the best option, but we decided it would be easier to fix that than drywall next time.
Once this area was repaired, I got busy painting. We had ceiling paint as well as wall paint from previous projects, so I was able to do this part of the project for nothing out of pocket. Then for decor, I had several thrifted items put back for “when we repaint” that I was finally able to bring out. With the mold repaired, fresh paint on the ceiling and walls, and new decor, our bathroom feels like a brand new space! I’m so grateful that we gave this space the time and love it deserved. It’s so much easier to care for now that it’s not a space I dread going into.
I still have a few small details to add, a toilet paper holder, a shelf to hang hand towels and a couple of pieces of art, but isn’t it incredible what fresh paint can do? I also need to paint the trim, but baby steps… That will come with time. What are some ways you show your home care to create more contentment?
