December has been a strange and cosy month. Not a whole lot has happened, yet it has flown by and I’m kind of missing it, kind of ready for a new year. We’ve slowed down (almost against our will), lived with the house as it is, and resisted the urge to treat rest like something we need to earn. Progress has been minimal. Living has been maximal.
December’s been a glorious beauty of a month. Not because we’ve made tonnes of progress on the house, or because we’ve all of a sudden found a stack of cash in the walls which will make this renovation 100x easier… it’s been beautiful because we’ve genuinely slowed down and actually sat. It sometimes feels like we don’t do a lot of sitting, so being able to rest, watch Christmas movies and enjoy the current state of the house the way it is rather than always thinking about where it could be has been so lovely.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s also been a month of half-finished lists, the feeling that the last payday was 17 months ago, and the slight itch to get going again, but we’ve really enjoyed just living in the present, twinkly moments. It’s been quieter: full of candles, plans, crumbs, and the definite decision of we’ll deal with that in January.
Progress Peek:
December progress sounds a bit like an oxymoron; if anything I have regressed into sloth-like behaviours, fuelled by too much food and too much drink. Nevertheless, there have been fleeting moments when I have had a burst of productive energy and reviewed this year’s projects, planned the rooms for 2026 and made endless lists to try and make sense of what else is to come.
We had plans (we always have plans) to try and do multiple rooms at the same time. I have since learned that this is not an effective way to renovate a house, but hey, I’m learning. This month, I have respected the wishes of ghosts gone by to let said rooms stall a bit, with only the bathroom taking precedence.
This room has dominated our lives, much like the hallway did, for months. Literally months. We really, really tried to have it completed for Christmas as we had John’s family staying over and have friends coming over tonight for New Year’s – however, we just didn’t manage it. It’s not for lack of trying, but two full-time jobs and a 3 year old is pretty tricky to manage at the same time as a full bathroom renovation. Therefore, the bathroom is still very much a thing: ongoing, absorbing, occasionally dramatic, but it’s finally starting to feel like it has an identity rather than just being a financial commitment. Which feels like progress to me.
John is pretty confident he will have it finished by the end of January, and I can’t wait to show you all the final results. Although we’ve utilised some of what was already there, I think it will look and feel like a huge transformation, and the character that we hopefully reinstate will feel wonderful (fingers crossed.)
Farmhouse Finds:
At the moment, everything I have been hunting for is focusing around our next project: the garden room. I could really use your help designing it as I have so many ideas but would love to know what you would love to see us do. What colour would you like to see it decorated in? Full colour drench or some drawing room-esque panelling? Wallpaper or some dark natural woods? I’ll post in next month’s issue some of my favourite finds and if it’s helpful, where any and everything will be sourced from.
Thank you in advance and let’s get our design heads on!
Photo of the Month:
I really don’t know who we think we are, but we decided to pretend we’re posh this Christmas and bought champagne and oysters (obviously just one bottle/box – that’s enough of that.) Growing up, I had very noisy and busy Christmases, and I love that, but as an adult they’ve become much quieter, even when Everly is singing Elton John at the top of her lungs.
For us, Christmas is now about making new traditions and memories with our loved ones, so that hopefully one day Everly remembers the magic that we created for us all. And maybe, in amongst the magic for the kids, we can create the tradition of having a little fanciness for the adults, because if you can’t at Christmas, when can you?
Around The Farmhouse Table:
As tonight is NYE, we’re hosting and having our friends and their kids over. We’re putting the kitchen island champagne trough to use (with beers) for about the second time since we had it installed a year ago, and have spent the day blitzing the house to make it presentable to people who may not appreciate piles of laundry waiting to be folded.
I asked you what you’re all up tonight to celebrate the beginning of 2026, and this is what you guys said:
- Slithering on the sofa like a cute sloth (54%)
- Partying like it’s the millennium baby! (4%)
- Seeing friends and high-fiving each other (15%)
- Going to sleep because sleep is king (27%)
However you’re celebrating, I hope you have the most wonderful time, and I’ll see you in 2026.
Looking Ahead:
January will bring structure back, I’m sure. Lists, plans, and possibly a renewed sense of purpose. Perhaps a bit of optimism that needs reining in.
Thank you for being here this year – for reading, watching, replying, and caring about this old house and the people winging their way through it.
I’m so grateful to each and every single one of you.
Until next month you beautiful bunch,
Shanice 🤍
The Georgian Farmhouse 
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