Why Renovate to Restore? Bringing something back to life can increase its value, enrich your enjoyment, and improve its usefulness.
Having a deep passion for interior design and creating beauty, I’ve had the awesome opportunity to renovate and decorate twelve homes, all of which I’ve lived in. As a renovation junkie, I find great happiness in taking an ugly duckling and making it pretty.
I love using my creative energy to redo and renew my space to create more value. While residential homes may be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of renovation, it applies to so many more areas which transcend real estate. When you renovate and restore, you take what you already have and make it better.
As a broke college student, I barely had two nickels to rub together. I scraped by, living paycheck to paycheck. With little money to put a home together, I was not too proud to go dumpster-diving, pick up junk on the side of the road, or shop flea markets and garage sales. The thrill of the hunt made the pursuit rewarding and fun.
One day, I went into a junk store in Tallahassee and found a small table with great design. It was covered in a hideous greenish mustard-yellow paint. Knowing it was solid mahogany underneath, I offered forty dollars and took it home. Once I stripped away the layers of paint and sanded it down to remove the residue from the past, I coated it with rich layers of stain and of varnish to protect it. Till this day, thirty years later, this table is still one of my favorite treasures.
Remove the Layers that are Hiding the Real You
What treasures do you hold, inside or out, which could be renovated or restored? It may well require you to strip off the layers of what is worn and aged, to reveal and rediscover the beauty beneath. Try it today.
Personally, you may owe it to yourself to renovate and restore to deepen your understanding and gain a fresh appreciation for something or someone—or even yourself. To feel happier, more fulfilled, and successful, renovation and restoration removes the layers of stuff that have accumulated, helping you move from good, to better—and back to your original best.
What Might You Renovate to Restore?
- Your body
- Your team
- Your home
- Your dreams
- Your business
- Your marriage
- Your community
- Your friendships
- Your environment
- Your faith in humanity
“People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed. Never throw out anyone.” —Audrey Hepburn
This blog is an excerpt from her new book, Release the Power of Re3 . . . Review, Redo & Renew for Positive Change & Transformation. To learn more, please visit www.SusanCYoung.com or www.amazon.com/author/susancyoung.
