Woman Who Couldn’t Afford ‘Dream Home’ Remodels 1980s House One Creative Project at a Time (Exclusive)

**DIY Renovator Transforms 1980s Home with Personal Touches**

In an era where the concept of a ‘forever home’ resonates with many, Theresa Vanderstar stands apart with a refreshing approach to home ownership. For Vanderstar, a passionate DIY renovator, her journey through transforming her 1980s home is not about settling into a permanent structure, but rather about infusing love and intention into every corner despite her belief that she may not stay in one place forever.

Vanderstar, now 35 years old, first became enamoured with her home when she stepped inside and immediately felt the potential for transformation. Among the many features that caught her eye, the staircase stood out as an aspect she aimed to change. “It had dated spindles and an original design that didn’t match my vision,” she explained. With determination, Vanderstar dismantled it and rebuilt it from scratch, later sharing the impressive transformation on Instagram. Although it may not have been the grand staircase of her dreams, she described her work as something she was “obsessed” with in the end.

Vanderstar and her husband purchased their home about three years ago and have been engaged in a series of renovation projects ever since. For her, it’s not just about the physical renovation, but the experience of building and imagining. Referring to herself as someone who enjoys seeing potential in anything, she says, “I’ve always had a bit of a vision when it comes to something.”

Her enthusiasm for home renovations began earlier when the couple acquired a much rougher property during the COVID pandemic. “I had always wanted to renovate and flip houses anyway. Growing up watching HGTV, it looked incredibly fun,” she remarked. Despite the financial challenges their first home presented, which they purchased for $990,000, Vanderstar transformed it with her do-it-yourself skills, ultimately selling it for $1.2 million just a year and a half later.

Her approach embodies a can-do spirit, focused purely on problem-solving rather than dwelling on limitations. “Everything is figure-outable,” she asserts. This mindset has enabled her to embrace new projects with confidence, regardless of her past experience in each area of home improvement.

As major renovations in her current home near completion, Vanderstar is shifting her focus towards smaller, more personal touches. With the house starting to feel more like a home, rather than a construction site, she is excited about the furniture she’d like to construct herself and the decor she’s been collecting over the years. There’s a real sense of completion occurring within her living space.

Despite being busy with renovations, Vanderstar’s concept of a ‘dream home’ remains fluid rather than fixed. “For me, it’s less about one perfect place and more about specific elements that make a space feel right,” she reflects. A dream home for her would ideally include features such as trees for privacy and space for outdoor projects like kitchens and fire pit areas.

Vanderstar’s style is evolving alongside her renovation skills. While she enjoys creating bright and airy spaces with warm textures and Scandinavian-style designs, she also feels a growing urge to experiment with deeper colours. “I’m excited to push more into using colour,” she declared. Recently, she painted the headboard wall of her bedroom a deep chocolate brown and wonders whether to extend that colour scheme throughout the room.

Her journey in home renovations encapsulates the belief that creating a dream home isn’t marked by one defining moment or milestone but rather is developed incrementally, shaped through a series of thoughtful decisions and projects. Vanderstar’s experiences offer a relatable perspective for those with ambitions to transform spaces into something uniquely theirs, even if it may never be a ‘forever home’ in the traditional sense. As she continues to pack each space with intention and innovation, it’s evident that for Vanderstar, the journey itself is what makes the house truly feel like home.