We thought it would be fun to post about decisions, projects or purchases we’ve made and let you know our thoughts after living with them for quite some time. Occasionally we change our minds or wish we could have a do-over. It’s all part of home ownership. Then there are times where we actually get it right and wouldn’t change a thing. Today we are sharing five major choices we’v made and whether we nailed it or should have gone a different direction. Here’s what we really think!
OUTDOOR FURNITURE
monogram pillow | striped pillows
We’ve had our outdoor patio furniture for well over a year now. It’s hands down one of our favorite purchases. So affordable and fantastic quality. It feels very substantial. Not only is it extremely comfortable but it has held up really well. I am often asked how we clean it. If there is rain coming, we take the cushions off and store them. Other than that, we just brush it off with a clean towel. The fabric is amazing. We once had a party and a glass of red wine was spilled all over the sofa. All it took was a bit of soda water and it looked like new. This is one purchase we can definitely say was a good one. For reference it is the Aventura collection from Living Spaces.
*The table was originally a gray outdoor bench from Ikea that I sprayed white.
LAMINATE FLOORING
Alright. I have to admit. I made a mistake. Listen, I am not in any way shape or form saying laminate floors can’t be a fantastic choice. But right now I am regretting our decision to put them in upstairs. We had intended to put in hardwood floors. Somewhere along the line we were talked into laminate. It was actually the wood people who did the convincing. Go figure. Plus saving money was important to us because we had just purchased our new home and there were a few projects we wanted to check off the list prior to moving in.
So here’s the deal. I love they way they look. They are really pretty. However, they are just too loud for my liking. I can’t quite explain it but it drives me nuts. It may have to do with the fact that they are on the second floor. Having said that, I love not having carpet in the kids rooms. I feel like they are so much easier to keep clean and dust free. They floors have also afforded my son to play hockey upstairs because they are indestructible. And we truly live hard in our home. We always have. So while there are definite perks, I wish I could have a do-over. There, I said it. So just be sure to weigh all of your options heavily and do your research.
SERENA & LILY CHAIRS
chairs | table | chandelier | gather sign
After not heeding my own advice, I went and bought these chairs before we even moved in. So that means we have had them for almost two years. Worth every penny. They are light weight and so easy to clean. If we have a house full of little ones over to play, I never have to worry about spills at the table. They are very comfortable and I’ve always loved the charm that they bring to the space. Serena & Lily is currently offering free shipping which is a bonus.
OUTLET PLACEMENT
When we moved in, we did a few changes to the kitchen. You can see the before and after photos here. While we installed a new backsplash, we did not think to move the outlets. I have learned my lesson. I think outlets should ether be hidden above (for very infrequent use) or installed 4″ above the countertops so they are not seen and easily hidden behind a cutting board or coffee maker. No need to interrupt the backsplash or have them show. So if you are thinking of redoing an area of your kitchen be sure to think about what you use on a daily basis and where you want those outlets to be placed. With so many more options to conceal things like that, it’s worth taking the time to think it through.
COFFEE TABLE DELAY
coffee table | similar sofa | grid box | vase basket
It was so so hard to wait almost two years for a coffee table. We entertain a ton and I always hated having a coffee table that was much too small for our space. It honestly looked ridiculous in the room. It pretty much killed the whole aesthetic I was going for. But I am sooooooo happy we waited for this particular coffee table. Patience pays off. We honestly waited almost two years because I never found anything I loved. It was either the wrong scale or the wrong color. So if you are in a similar position and are living with something you don’t love, try to make the best of it until the right piece comes along. Now I can honestly say that waiting was absolutely the best decision for us.
On a smaller note, one of my favorite items in the grid box on our coffee table. It fits our two remotes perfectly and makes me happy every day. Sometimes, it’s the little things. See more of our family room reveal here.
I hope sharing some of our hits and misses helps you when you are faced with a major decision or purchase. Let me know if you would like to see more of these posts.
Off to enjoy a day with my mom. Make it a good day, friends.
I absolutely love the basket Courtney you can send it my way anytime. Take care and give Grady another hug for his birthday. Love aunt Mary
We are just getting ready to redo our upstairs flooring and are considering laminate. I wondered about the noise and how it worked for a family. The perks are definitely the ease of cleaning and that laminate is so durable. I will have to weigh the pros and cons before deciding. Thanks so much for your honest feedback!
What did you end up going with??
Love the outdoor carpet, where did you buy it?
Home Depot!!!
Hindsight… What flooring do you wish you had chosen for your upstairs? Hardwood with area rugs or wall to wall carpeting in the bedrooms?? Carpeting upstairs is definitely quieter!
Thanks for sharing the updates!
I wish I knew. I think hardwood throughout and carpet in our master. ????? No perfect solution, I suppose.
I can understand you regretting laminate upstairs due to noise, but I can tell you that if quiet is what you are looking for, you would still have the same noise issue with hardwood flooring. We have it throughout our entire upstairs (for allergy reasons). Area rugs do help to cut down on some of the echo (we have a two story foyer and family room), but not completely. With allergies and dogs, the trade off was worth it for us.
And, totally agree about outlet placement. It’s funny because the only room in our house that has outlets in the baseboards is our living room and I love it! Why they didn’t do the same in the office, family room, bedrooms and hallways is beyond me. Then again, this goes back 28 years! LOL
Genius having outlets in the baseboards. I hear you on the wood being just as loud. I don’t think it’s the echo that bothers me. Don’t have much of that. It’s the actually noise the foot makes on the laminate. Does that make sense? It’s just odd. I don’t think that happens with hardwood but I could be mistaken.
Great post! I love reading honest opinions. For what it’s worth I think the laminate is great in the sense that it’s durable and your son has been able to hone his hockey skills and practice this sport he really seems to love.
I think you are right. And now that we have had them longer since this original post I have warmed up to them for sure!
How do you store the outdoor cushions? Do you have a box outside or do you put them inside somewhere?
We slide the whole set under a covered portion of our patio when it rains. But they are out 90% of the time.
I love reading these types of posts. And I agree with you on laminate. It’s just loud to walk on. I think our biggest two misses in our house were the paint color in our master bedroom (and yes, I know it’s just paint, but haven’t had the chance to re-paint yet), and the tile selection in our master bath. While the tile looks beautiful, the maintenance on it is way more than we bargained for. It’s also something I am seeing myself get tired of, rather than still loving the beauty of the natural stone. On the flipside? I love the floors we chose for our main living areas. They are so great for us as a family who likes to live hard in their house, like you do.
It’s so hard to know exactly how things will play our for your own family and needs. Because we live hard the laminate is smart . . just not perfect I suppose. But what is, right?!
I love reading this type of post too! I am also curious about what type of flooring you wished you’d gone with upstairs. I’m in the process of looking for new flooring in my home and there are so many choices! Thank you for sharing with us about what works and what doesn’t .
That’s the million dollar question. I think I would have opted for real wood in all of the areas upstairs and may have done carpet in our master.
Hi there – always love your posts. Not sure if you know how many of your readers are Canadian (like me, eh!) but I often wonder if some of the sale codes etc that you provide are also available for us ? (i.e. the Collen Rothschild code) Regardless if I can’t get my hands on a product here, your posts give me SO many great decorating ideas. Love that outdoor space.
Also, not to be a Debby downer but you may have to be careful about outlet placements. I’m wondering if placement above a work surface is determined by “code”…..4” over a counter top might be too low? But great point about considering ahead of time where along the backsplash they are and maybe moving them left or right to be more easily hidden. I do know that outlets are supposed to be 3 feet from any sink and that sometimes drives the placement along the rest of the counter top.
Love from Canada !!
Hi! I will check on the code with Colleen. That’s a great question. And you are completely right about making sure the outlets are to code. I just met with our contractor and 4″ is the shortest distance they can be. That’s the only reason I tossed out that number. So important to be sure and check before doing any of that. Another reason why it’s nice to live in a space prior to make changes. Really lets you see what you need and want.
I’ll keep you posted on the coupon codes. Thanks for following along. I would love to get to Canada some day. Enjoy your week. xo
I love this patio furniture . Can you tell me where you got it?
Living Spaces
This is a great post! I would love to see more. 🙂 I’m sad you don’t love your laminate floors, but I’m not surprised. Ours are loud too, and I can imagine how much echo they would add in a 2nd story loft area. I do love how indestructible they are, though. With 3 growing boys, they make perfect sense in our house (even though I long for real hard wood floors too!).
Could not agree more on them being indestructible. And I have warmed up to them over the past year!
We are on the hunt for new outdoor furniture. Do you mind sharing where you found your sofa and chairs? They are beautiful 🙂
They are from Living Spaces 🙂
Thank you for this post- I really loved hearing honest opinions about what you would do again or do over.
Thank you so much!
Love this post!. Would love to see more like it.
So happy to hear that. I will post more for sure.