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Vegan home · 9 October 2020

Our “fixer-upper” renovation + our exciting home improvement plans

We’ve moved into our own home! Actually, we’ll have been here almost three months by the time you read this. As you can see from the photos below, we’re still living around quite a lot of boxes, but the house is looking a lot better than it used to! Read on for some photos of what it used to look like and what it looked like when we moved in + the work we’ve done so far and what is still to come!

A few “before” photos

We officially bought the house in the very first days of 2020, but we first saw it in September 2019. It’s a terraced house in a quiet location, with many things accessible on foot (lots of paths and “snickets” merge near our house). It’s at the end of the street and has a primary school behind it. The location is great, but to be honest the other thing that was great about it was the price.

At the time we were looking into mortgages, we weren’t the “ideal applicants”. The Man is self-employed and I receive a PhD scholarship, but through a mortgage broker “even we” managed to get a mortgage! Anyhoo, we looked at a few houses, but this one stood out because we could get it for less, given all the “modernisation” work it needed. See for yourself in the photos below!

  • Fixer upper entrance
    The entrance
  • Fixer upper kitchen
    The kitchen
  • Fixer upper bedroom
    The master bedroom
  • Fixer upper bathroom
    The bathroom
  • Upstairs bedroom of our fixer upper
    The office

The renovation work so far

Even though the house was in need of a bit of love, it had “good bones”. The area downstairs is reasonably large (for a terraced house), there’s a sunny garden and three bedrooms upstairs. We* did quite a bit of work to get it from house to home though, and it’s still ongoing.

* I’m using the word “we”, but, to be fair, most of the work was done by The Man and his dad, while I looked after Baby J. I would have liked to be more involved, but strangely enough, babies don’t look after themselves while their parents work on projects!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCbkD2Slcko/

Downstairs

Downstairs is where the biggest transformations happened. We (again, not really me haha):

  • Took the wall down that was between the kitchen and the lounge, making the entire area open-plan. That way, it’s much easier to look after Baby J while doing something in the kitchen. Also, in the flat we lived in before, when we had people over, there was often one of us “trapped” in the kitchen preparing things while everyone else was in another room, so we wanted to avoid that.
  • Added a downstairs toilet. Well, it’s not so much a toilet right now as a room that will eventually have a toilet. The little room also creates two “nooks” in the open-plan space, so that where the sofas / the dining table are feel cosier.
  • Took the “old” ceiling down and put a new ceiling up with downlights: it makes the space feel lovely and bright.
  • Ripped up the existing carpet and vinyl, and installed pale laminate flooring throughout. I ordered so many flooring samples… And I’m very happy with the one we chose! You can get a sneak peek below.
  • Got rid of the old kitchen and put a temporary one in its place.

Upstairs

The main changes upstairs were cosmetic, in the sense that we didn’t take any walls out, ha! Three things made a big difference though:

  • Ripping out the old bathroom. It was dated and I get freaked out about certain hygiene things, so I wanted it gone from the beginning. But what pushed The Man into going along with this was discovering that the toilet was leaking and that it wasn’t an easy fix. We were super lucky to score an ex-display bath and basin + toilet unit for much cheaper than market price. The Man and his dad also tiled the walls in two-tone green (it looks better than it sounds!).
  • Painting the walls. They are all white, with the exception of a green feature wall in Baby J’s room. It made the rooms feel fresher and cleaner.
  • Getting new carpet and bathroom flooring. The upstairs used to have different carpets in the rooms and now we have the same grey carpet throughout. It’s a nice thick pile and feels lovely underfoot! We went for vinyl “stone effect” flooring in the bathroom, to have a classic look, but without the coldness of tile. (I get cold feet very easily!)

A sneak-peek at what it looked like when we moved in

I haven’t taken many photos of the house in the past couple months, so here’s an idea of what it looked like at the beginning, boxes and all. Check out my Instagram for up-to-date photos soon!

  • The entrance
    The entrance
  • The open-plan room downstairs
    The open-plan space downstairs
  • The open-plan room downstairs
    The open-plan space downstairs
  • The big boy bed
    The big boy bed
  • Sunset through the kitchen window
    Sunset through the kitchen window

Our future home improvement plans

Downstairs

  • The biggest (and most expensive) outstanding project is to fit the “final” kitchen. The Man and his dad put in a temporary, pre-loved kitchen that works and is cleaner than the original one. But it’s not quite my aesthetic and it leaves the downstairs space feeling a bit “unfinished”. We’re hoping to have a breakfast bar too, which be great when the kiddos are older. We’re currently thinking of having slate grey shaker cabinets below, with (fake haha) butcher block counters and white cupboards above. Check out some of my two-tone kitchen inspiration here (you might need to scroll a bit as I do enjoy pinning beautiful interiors).
  • As mentioned above, we currently have the room that will house the downstairs toilet, but no toilet itself. I’m thinking of going for a blue-tone backdrop behind the toilet and some more rustic / coastal details in there. If you haven’t read my decor inspiration post, check it out here!
  • The rest of the changes are more decor than renovation. I’d like to hang a big world map that I’ve been carrying around with me for years in the lounge. I’m still toying with the idea of a feature wall (dark blue? emerald green?) where the television will one day be. We don’t currently have a television so there’s no rush! It would also be nice to get a pendant light for the dining room, as our downlights are lovely and bright in the daytime, but sometimes a bit much in the evening. I’m still on the hunt for the perfect rattan statement pendant though!

(Note: this post contains Amazon and Etsy affiliate links. If you follow one of my links and make a purchase, I may earn a commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting my work!)

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/jlgoodenough/home-inspiration/

Upstairs

There’s actually not much to be done upstairs now.

  • There’s still some grouting to be done in the bathroom: so that we can put a mirror above the basin and so that the side of the bath can be tiled.
  • I’d like to have a full-length mirror on the landing, so I can actually see if what I’m wearing makes sense, ha!
  • The office could do with a good tidy, as it’s become a bit of a dumping ground for bits and bobs. We need to replace one of the chairs as it takes up a lot of the space in this small room! I’d also like to have some curtains, which will soften the room and help with sound quality when I eventually start my podcast. Join my newsletter here to be the first to know when that is!

Other

  • One big thing that is going to happen soonish is having matching doors in all rooms and handles on all doors! Currently, the office and Baby J’s room don’t have a door and our bedroom and the porch don’t have handles. The doors are already here, but we need the deluge to stop so that The Man can cut them to the right size outside. If you can recommend any simple brass handles, please share in the comments!
  • The walls along the staircase still need painting (as they look a bit shabby right now) and then that will be the last area to be carpeted. We could have them all white or have the bit of wall under the handrail a blue colour – what do you think?
  • A longer-term project (that I don’t feel motivated to tackle now that the weather has turned very hum autumnal) is improving the front of the house and the back garden. Our little home could currently do with a bit more curb appeal: think cracked concrete with various plants poking through. The garden at the back has a lot of potential, but is equally “shaggy” right now. The Man would like a shed and I would like a Santorini-inspired patio area and some wilderness beyond. Check out my garden Pinterest board and then use your imagination!
https://www.pinterest.co.uk/jlgoodenough/garden-inspiration/

So there you have it: the journey our little house has been on and what is still to come! Do you have your own place? What are your decoration / renovation plans? Tell me in the comments below!

I’ve probably forgotten certain things because there’s so much! But you can catch up with how the renovation is progressing and our home life over on Instagram – I’m @jlgoodenough! If you liked this blog post, you might like the one about my overall inspiration for our home’s decoration – check it out here!

I wasn't going to let unflattering angles and the I wasn't going to let unflattering angles and the flu stop me from sharing my first vegan jacket from @willsveganstore! 😅✨

This post isn't sponsored, but feel free to send me free vegan stuff! 😜

If you want to check the aviator jacket, you can find it by following the link in my bio. 😘

If you've read this far, please drop an emoji in the comments if you're more interested in:
🌱 Products from vegan brands
💖 Second-hand finds

#VeganJacket #FashionDiaries #VeganFashion #SustainableFashionBrand #VeganBlogger
“I could never give up meat”… How many times “I could never give up meat”… How many times have we heard that? Or said it ourselves? 🤔

The foods we are used to can have a very strong emotional bond, even though they’re not always the best for us. Plant-based eating is better for our health and the planet (and of course the animals!), but I can understand having cravings for foods we have enjoyed for a lot of our lives. 😬

In the blog post, for each dinner, I’ll offer two options. One is the 100% vegan option and one is the one to use if you’re taking baby steps towards going vegan. Find them by following the link in my bio! 😘

#AddDontRestrict #ForksOverKnives #VeganFood
🌹 Going into work, energy hacks and food experi 🌹 Going into work, energy hacks and food experiments! 👇

1️⃣ Last week I headed into Oxford to work from "the office", aka @oxfordtownhall and had a nice lunch at my old hangout spot @artcafeoxford

2️⃣ I don't share much of my "job job" haha on here, but it is very rewarding making positive changes (or at least trying to) with @oxfordcitycouncil, like involving teenage girls in designing park equipment or trying to get more trees in the city 🌳🏙️✨

3️⃣ Anyhoo, back to fun vegan stuff - I highly recommend the Art Café if you're in Oxford and fancy something vegan, they have quite a lot of variety. The flapjack was a slice of heaven haha. (This isn't sponsored, but I will accept payment in free flapjacks and juices! 😜)

4️⃣ After a long day, it was lovely to come home to some treats I had ordered earlier:
🍄☕ Adaptogenic coffee from @london.nootropics (if you want to check them out, use code jessicagoodenough at checkout for 15% off)
📆🌷 A beautiful @amberdavenport_uk calendar that's going to serve as our family calendar so that we're on the same page this year! 👨‍👩‍👦‍👦😵‍💫😅

5️⃣ I struggled with energy a bit after a few short nights, so I've been trying a few things to stay energised. One of them is finishing my shower with cold water (okay, let's be real, it was cool water, still working on this haha)... 🥶⚡

6️⃣ ... the other one is getting fresh air after lunch to avoid getting caught up in the post-lunch slump. 👢👢🍃

7️⃣ This weekend I made the feijoada recipe from my new @thehappypear book... It tasted better than it looked haha. In fact I'd say it was the yummiest thing I've made in a while. 😋 Not exactly like the meaty ones I had in Brazil (though that was almost a decade ago) but super good!

#ThatGirlHabits #VeganWoman #Motivation
Most people start their vegan journey with food, b Most people start their vegan journey with food, but quickly we start questioning what our wardrobes and homes are full of… And sometimes it’s not a pretty picture. I never advocate for throwing everything out and going on a crazy shopping spree, but if you are in the market for new vegan furniture, here’s where you can get it! 😊

I’ll be honest, I thought I was being clever while writing this list. I thought I’d check out the list of companies with a @theoriginalvegansociety trademark, pluck out a few furniture ones and tadaa… Job done! 🌱

Well it turns out that none of the companies listed actually sell furniture… so back to good old Google. As much as I love @immaculatevegan to find lots of vegan fashion brands, there isn’t a comparable platform for vegan furniture (should I create it??). 🤔

In any case, here are some cool companies I found who sell vegan furniture in the UK (and further afield too)! ✨

#VeganFurniture #InnovativeDesign #VeganLiving #ConsciousConsumer
✨ Here are the lessons I'm taking into 2023: ✨ ✨ Here are the lessons I'm taking into 2023: ✨

👩🏼‍💻 People want my skills, I'm valuable.
⛱️ We can go on trips and make memories.
💔 People can pass away at any point: say the nice things now and make the time to see them.
🖐🏼 It's worth insisting with medical things as their resolution can bring a lot of relief.
🩸 Stress is real - make sure to prioritise self care.
💳 I'm a savvy businesswoman who takes risks and invests in herself because I know it's working. 😊
🧘🏼‍♀️ I need to pick exercise that suits my goals and lifestyle, not vice-versa.
💻 I showed up last year, I'm showing up more this year. 😊

(This is based on last week's video on what happened in 2022, go check it out and tell me what you've been up to in 2022 / what lessons you're carrying into 2023! 😘)

#2022Lessons #LivingTheGoodenoughLife #TakeADeepBreath #StayInspired #FreshStart
Trying to shop vegan but a bit confused about how Trying to shop vegan but a bit confused about how to read labels (or online descriptions)? 🤔

Vegan clothing materials are made without animal products. These can be plant fibres (cotton, hemp, linen) or plastic materials (polyester, acrylic). 🌱♻️

Clothing materials that aren’t vegan are extracted from the skin (leather), feathers (down), fur, teeth and bones of a wide variety of animals. 💔

How many did you spot? 😘

#VeganClothingMaterials #EcoTextiles #ConsciousClothing #GreenFashion #SustainableStyle
✨ First photo dump of 2023! ✨ Details 👇

1️⃣ Goodbye 2022 with a beautiful decoration from the best marraine @astridjabl 🎈
2️⃣ Starting the year with smoothies after quite a bit of chocolate and vegan cheese over Christmas 😵‍💫
3️⃣ My words for 2023 - tell me yours in the comments! 💖
4️⃣ Experimenting with smoothies: apparently you can add too many beans... Tasted a bit "muddy". 😅
5️⃣ This quarter I'm focusing on improving my wardrobe: more to come on that front soon, but as part of it, I'm trying to document my outfits more 💃🏼
6️⃣ I'm also re-focusing on eating my Daily Dozen (by @nutrition_facts_org) and I'll be re-doing the meal plan I created a while back 🫒🍝
7️⃣ Inspired by @gretchenrubin's #Outside23in23, I've been trying to head out of my home office natural habitat more often (though not every day like she is) 🌳

Back to you: how have you started the year? 😘

#VeganGoodLife #IntentionSetting #VeganBlogger #IntentionalLiving
Where we're at with the kitchen renovation: ✅ T Where we're at with the kitchen renovation:

✅ The cupboards are all in
✅ The beautiful breakfast bar with a waterfall worktop is done (photos soon once we declutter it 😬)
✅ All the worktops are in place
✅ All appliances are in place
✅ The hob backsplash tiles are on the wall (the ones you can see in the video are now grouted)

What's still to happen:
💙 Treating the hob worktop (it's currently covered, under the tiles in the video)
💙 Put hob in
💙 Get lights over breakfast bar working
💙 Purchase bins + the "back" of the breakfast bar (or front if you're looking at it from the living room!)
💙 Finish adding cupboard doors
💙 ... and probably many more things!

The Man (aka @robbeaver 😅) has done the vast majority of the work and managed the whole project... I don't think he's in a rush to take on a big project for such a difficult client again. 😜

#FeelingOfHome #HappyHomeDesigner #KitchenRenovation
Our "fixer-upper" renovation + our exciting home improvement plans

Posted By: Jessica Goodenough · In: Vegan home

Let the sun in! Five outfits to celebrate summer 2020
The work-from-home capsule wardrobe for winter 2020-2021 is here!

About Jessica Goodenough

I'm not a regular mum, I'm a vegan mum 😉
Helping you live your best plant-based life 🌱
All welcome - no vegan police here! 💚
Learn more about me here.

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About Photo
Hi I'm Jessica! Welcome to my blog, where you can find vegan lifestyle inspiration to help you live your best plant-based life!

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Get on the List

I wasn't going to let unflattering angles and the I wasn't going to let unflattering angles and the flu stop me from sharing my first vegan jacket from @willsveganstore! 😅✨

This post isn't sponsored, but feel free to send me free vegan stuff! 😜

If you want to check the aviator jacket, you can find it by following the link in my bio. 😘

If you've read this far, please drop an emoji in the comments if you're more interested in:
🌱 Products from vegan brands
💖 Second-hand finds

#VeganJacket #FashionDiaries #VeganFashion #SustainableFashionBrand #VeganBlogger
“I could never give up meat”… How many times “I could never give up meat”… How many times have we heard that? Or said it ourselves? 🤔

The foods we are used to can have a very strong emotional bond, even though they’re not always the best for us. Plant-based eating is better for our health and the planet (and of course the animals!), but I can understand having cravings for foods we have enjoyed for a lot of our lives. 😬

In the blog post, for each dinner, I’ll offer two options. One is the 100% vegan option and one is the one to use if you’re taking baby steps towards going vegan. Find them by following the link in my bio! 😘

#AddDontRestrict #ForksOverKnives #VeganFood
🌹 Going into work, energy hacks and food experi 🌹 Going into work, energy hacks and food experiments! 👇

1️⃣ Last week I headed into Oxford to work from "the office", aka @oxfordtownhall and had a nice lunch at my old hangout spot @artcafeoxford

2️⃣ I don't share much of my "job job" haha on here, but it is very rewarding making positive changes (or at least trying to) with @oxfordcitycouncil, like involving teenage girls in designing park equipment or trying to get more trees in the city 🌳🏙️✨

3️⃣ Anyhoo, back to fun vegan stuff - I highly recommend the Art Café if you're in Oxford and fancy something vegan, they have quite a lot of variety. The flapjack was a slice of heaven haha. (This isn't sponsored, but I will accept payment in free flapjacks and juices! 😜)

4️⃣ After a long day, it was lovely to come home to some treats I had ordered earlier:
🍄☕ Adaptogenic coffee from @london.nootropics (if you want to check them out, use code jessicagoodenough at checkout for 15% off)
📆🌷 A beautiful @amberdavenport_uk calendar that's going to serve as our family calendar so that we're on the same page this year! 👨‍👩‍👦‍👦😵‍💫😅

5️⃣ I struggled with energy a bit after a few short nights, so I've been trying a few things to stay energised. One of them is finishing my shower with cold water (okay, let's be real, it was cool water, still working on this haha)... 🥶⚡

6️⃣ ... the other one is getting fresh air after lunch to avoid getting caught up in the post-lunch slump. 👢👢🍃

7️⃣ This weekend I made the feijoada recipe from my new @thehappypear book... It tasted better than it looked haha. In fact I'd say it was the yummiest thing I've made in a while. 😋 Not exactly like the meaty ones I had in Brazil (though that was almost a decade ago) but super good!

#ThatGirlHabits #VeganWoman #Motivation
Most people start their vegan journey with food, b Most people start their vegan journey with food, but quickly we start questioning what our wardrobes and homes are full of… And sometimes it’s not a pretty picture. I never advocate for throwing everything out and going on a crazy shopping spree, but if you are in the market for new vegan furniture, here’s where you can get it! 😊

I’ll be honest, I thought I was being clever while writing this list. I thought I’d check out the list of companies with a @theoriginalvegansociety trademark, pluck out a few furniture ones and tadaa… Job done! 🌱

Well it turns out that none of the companies listed actually sell furniture… so back to good old Google. As much as I love @immaculatevegan to find lots of vegan fashion brands, there isn’t a comparable platform for vegan furniture (should I create it??). 🤔

In any case, here are some cool companies I found who sell vegan furniture in the UK (and further afield too)! ✨

#VeganFurniture #InnovativeDesign #VeganLiving #ConsciousConsumer
✨ Here are the lessons I'm taking into 2023: ✨ ✨ Here are the lessons I'm taking into 2023: ✨

👩🏼‍💻 People want my skills, I'm valuable.
⛱️ We can go on trips and make memories.
💔 People can pass away at any point: say the nice things now and make the time to see them.
🖐🏼 It's worth insisting with medical things as their resolution can bring a lot of relief.
🩸 Stress is real - make sure to prioritise self care.
💳 I'm a savvy businesswoman who takes risks and invests in herself because I know it's working. 😊
🧘🏼‍♀️ I need to pick exercise that suits my goals and lifestyle, not vice-versa.
💻 I showed up last year, I'm showing up more this year. 😊

(This is based on last week's video on what happened in 2022, go check it out and tell me what you've been up to in 2022 / what lessons you're carrying into 2023! 😘)

#2022Lessons #LivingTheGoodenoughLife #TakeADeepBreath #StayInspired #FreshStart
Trying to shop vegan but a bit confused about how Trying to shop vegan but a bit confused about how to read labels (or online descriptions)? 🤔

Vegan clothing materials are made without animal products. These can be plant fibres (cotton, hemp, linen) or plastic materials (polyester, acrylic). 🌱♻️

Clothing materials that aren’t vegan are extracted from the skin (leather), feathers (down), fur, teeth and bones of a wide variety of animals. 💔

How many did you spot? 😘

#VeganClothingMaterials #EcoTextiles #ConsciousClothing #GreenFashion #SustainableStyle
✨ First photo dump of 2023! ✨ Details 👇

1️⃣ Goodbye 2022 with a beautiful decoration from the best marraine @astridjabl 🎈
2️⃣ Starting the year with smoothies after quite a bit of chocolate and vegan cheese over Christmas 😵‍💫
3️⃣ My words for 2023 - tell me yours in the comments! 💖
4️⃣ Experimenting with smoothies: apparently you can add too many beans... Tasted a bit "muddy". 😅
5️⃣ This quarter I'm focusing on improving my wardrobe: more to come on that front soon, but as part of it, I'm trying to document my outfits more 💃🏼
6️⃣ I'm also re-focusing on eating my Daily Dozen (by @nutrition_facts_org) and I'll be re-doing the meal plan I created a while back 🫒🍝
7️⃣ Inspired by @gretchenrubin's #Outside23in23, I've been trying to head out of my home office natural habitat more often (though not every day like she is) 🌳

Back to you: how have you started the year? 😘

#VeganGoodLife #IntentionSetting #VeganBlogger #IntentionalLiving
Where we're at with the kitchen renovation: ✅ T Where we're at with the kitchen renovation:

✅ The cupboards are all in
✅ The beautiful breakfast bar with a waterfall worktop is done (photos soon once we declutter it 😬)
✅ All the worktops are in place
✅ All appliances are in place
✅ The hob backsplash tiles are on the wall (the ones you can see in the video are now grouted)

What's still to happen:
💙 Treating the hob worktop (it's currently covered, under the tiles in the video)
💙 Put hob in
💙 Get lights over breakfast bar working
💙 Purchase bins + the "back" of the breakfast bar (or front if you're looking at it from the living room!)
💙 Finish adding cupboard doors
💙 ... and probably many more things!

The Man (aka @robbeaver 😅) has done the vast majority of the work and managed the whole project... I don't think he's in a rush to take on a big project for such a difficult client again. 😜

#FeelingOfHome #HappyHomeDesigner #KitchenRenovation
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