Updated House Tour & My 2024 House Goals!

The new year is here and I'm READY! ✿ The first 500 people to use my link will get a 1 month free trial

timestamps:
0:00 how i felt about 2023
3:20 thanks to our sponsor, skillshare!
4:25 the structural things i accomplished!
6:30 the beautiful things i accomplished!
11:02 my plans for 2024
22:03 what about the kitchen?
22:40 outro!

☞ My name is Ariel and I’m a Canadian writer and YouTuber. I'm currently making videos sharing the renovations of my 1850s Gothic Revival house. I own five pairs of overalls, organize my bookshelves by genre and then by colour, and my favourite book is Animal Farm. I also co-host a podcast, Books Unbound, where I share my love of reading every week. Thanks for visiting!

☞ Thanks for watching! ☜

[spookyfish]

One of my favorite things about your renovation videos is that I feel like you're customizing the house for YOU, not as a flipped property for profit. I love when people are able to set down roots and thrive. Thank you again for sharing!

[reginewilhelmsen]

You have done such an amazing job on this house. I follow a lot of renovation videos on youtube, but your videos are the ones that give me the warmest feeling. Your house is so so charming and I love that its right next to a creek/river. So cozy! You're living the dream, girl(I understand it might not always feel like it haha). I can't wait to see what is to come xxx

[emmathomas]

Honestly not doing the kitchen right this second is absolutely the right call. My dad decided to redo the kitchen when my mum was very pregnant and there was so much stress about whether or not it would be finished before my sister was born. Skip the stress, do it later!

Im also so excited to see the progress on the spooky room! I'm always fascinated by rooms like it.

[jwatson]

Re the secret room - I just rewatched your first empty house tour and when you tour this room you literally *open the mirror cabinet* and say: "I tried opening this, there was no secrets unfortunately" !!!

[Katie_DelTaco]

It made my heart sing when you said "the windows are in dire need of restoration" instead of "replacement"... Window restoration is a big undertaking, but it's so worth it! You're such an amazing, thoughtful steward of this house. Thank you for sharing the process with us internet strangers. And do you know how you seem in this video? ✨industrious✨

[halfheartdead]

i like how you take privacy of yourself and your family seriously! excited to see what you accomplish this year ❤

[staceyn]

The easiest, cheapest, and most impactful change I love is replacing all the light switches and outlet plates. I chose decorative bronze ones (from Lowe's) so they weren't cheap, but I bought a room's worth at a time and even had to special order a few. This small change made a huge difference, making a boring newer build house feel like my home and not a rented box. When we sold that house, I took the plates with me and was able to use them in my next home. This also created a great sense of continuity in our living space. I can still remember the satisfaction and sense of accomplishment I felt every time I finished the replacements in each room. When we moved out, the last thing I did was remove them and replace them with the awful boring ones. It was meaningful because it was a gesture that acknowledged this was no longer our home, but the house of a new family. Sounds silly, but we lived there for the first ten years of my kids lives and leaving hit me harder than I expected. I love how cozy your upstairs hallway feels, can't wait to see what you choose for the bathroom!

[clemoswin]

When I realized finishing upstairs included the ✨ spooky room ✨ 🤩🤩🤩🥳

[lorrainethomas]

Love that you're feeling "rested in a deep way". One needs that for a renovation. Cheers🍾

[emilyb]

hey ariel, i don’t know if you’ve ever looked into doing something to stabilize the banks of the river behind your house, but if you’ve never had someone take a look at it, i would recommend it. i know a family who’s house sat close to a river that flooded after a big snow and the extra water destabilized the banks and made their house unlivable, as it was falling in :( it might not be a problem for you, but safety first!!

[nataliereed]

Since you understandably don’t want to share the front of your house, one idea would be to do a video of a flower/plant bed if you do any landscaping. It would be an aspect of the project that could still maintain your privacy as long as you’re careful with your angles. It might look sparse until the plants grow in but either update later once they grow in or don’t share at all so there’s even less chance of someone identifying your house. Plants do so much to help make a house have more curb appeal.

[AvecPoesie]

Thank you Ariel for motivating me as a young female homeowner. Your videos lit the fire within my Spirit to commence my decor journey. Your aesthetic is endearing beyond measure and I think about your home often. I learned about FB Marketplace from you and have since acquired some absolutely phenomenal pieces. Thank you. 🖤

[courtneyG]

You channel is literally my Hulu/MAX watch series😂 Every time you upload, I stop what I’m doing, grab a hot beverage, and shut off the world for a moment to take in the special projects/announcements. Thank you for being everyone’s ray of sunshine these past few years!☀️🌈
So much love from Nashville, TN💛

[praseodymiumshowers]

I honestly love hearing about the structural stuff as well as the cosmetics. Love your attitude and energy towards your house!

[JodieMiners]

It would be great if you can do some little details on the front, like replacing the sills or just litte bits. Maybe do a slide show of images so you can ensure you only show tiny details that don't show the whole house. I appreciate the work you do to protect your privacy. Can't wait to see the bathroom and the spooky room!

[karinaburana]

I'm in love with Doug-Cam. What a treat (and good boy).

[Squabetty]

Biggest and most important renovation on 2023 was YOU!! The “year off” (um…..a hell of a lot DID get done) was a well deserved and productive time…. The happiest year of your life!! Your mental health and enjoyment of life is so much more important than getting the house done. That said I’m still really looking forward to all your videos in 2024!!

[lindakleiner]

You’ve done such a terrific job doing your home. Every person needs a break to get their creative juices flowing again. Love your video and seeing your progress ❤

[Joferry]

If you fix everything needed on the outside of your house. Then rent an airless paint sprayer you could paint your whole house 2 coats in under 1 week. I painted a one story house 2 coats in 1 day, except the trim which took 2 days. I had no help. Doing only part it the house at a time is not very efficient

[circleofleaves_zigzag]

The Spooky Room would be awesome as a creative room - arts, crafts, and a permanent set-up for BOOKBINDING. Yes I say that in all caps. Imagine how much you could expand on your bookbinding supplies - the little cubby holes of tools and thread, rolls of paper, a gluing table, and a guillotine and a book-press both set up in a permanent spot where they weren't in the way of anything else and also so you didn't have to move stuff ('cause they're heavy). Imagine the possibilities!! And it would be such a beautifully aesthetic space for this as there's something more "old-worldy" about that room, with the beams etc. Just imagine - Ariel's Spooky Binding!