We're currently tagging your post with your products. It'll be ready shortly.
janielhome_
welcome to our forever home | 1302 SQFT Wabi Sabi x Balinese Glow-Up 🌾
Embracing The Unexpected: What We Didn’t Plan For 😰
107
Virtual House Tour
No matter how much you prepare, no renovation ever goes exactly the way you imagine. We learned this quickly — sometimes in ways that stretched our patience, sometimes in ways that reminded us to choose what really matters. 
One of the hardest lessons came with the limewash. We were so excited about this finish, convinced it would give our walls that soft, lived-in texture we had been dreaming of. But when it came time to work with the company, things went downhill fast. It wasn’t about money — we even offered to pay more if adjustments were needed beyond their initial scope. What mattered to us was honesty and respect, and we didn’t get either. Instead, they refused to own up to the timeline they had originally proposed, snapped at our IDs, and eventually spoke to us with a rudeness that crossed the line — vulgarities, defensiveness, zero accountability. 
We realized then that it wasn’t just about a wall finish. It was about the people you let into your home, the energy they bring into the process. And so, even though it caused delays and frustration, we made the decision to fire them. Walking away wasn’t easy — it meant starting over with something we had already invested in emotionally but it felt necessary. A home should never be built with resentment simmering in the walls. 
That wasn’t the only unexpected turn. Another challenge popped up with the wiring. We knew the house was old, but we didn’t fully realize how messy some of the wiring looked until everything was exposed. Our first thought was to box it all up neatly, but that would have required a false ceiling. And here’s the dilemma: we loved our high ceilings. They made the space feel open, airy, and bigger than it was. To drop them just to hide the wires felt like a compromise we didn’t want to live with. 
At the same time, budgets were tight. A false ceiling wasn’t just an aesthetic choice — it was an extra cost we hadn’t planned for. After a lot of back and forth, we had to accept the truth: if we wanted to keep the high ceilings and stick to our budget, the wirings would stay visible in some parts. It wasn’t perfect, and it wasn’t how we originally pictured things. But it was real. It was a reminder that in renovations, you can’t control everything — you make the best choices with the information and resources you have. 
Looking back, these unexpected hurdles taught us more than the smooth parts ever could. They reminded us that a home isn’t built on flawless execution — it’s built on decisions, values, and compromises that reflect who you are. For us, that meant choosing respect over convenience, and character over perfection. 
Now when we look around, we don’t just see walls and ceilings. We see lessons. The limewash fiasco showed us that no beautiful finish is worth being treated poorly. The wiring taught us that imperfections can live alongside beauty — that sometimes the quirks of a house are what make it ours. 
And maybe that’s the truth of renovations: it’s not about avoiding the unexpected, but about shaping a home that still feels like yours, even when things don’t go as planned.
28 September 2025
