I Completely Transformed My Mom’s Brand New Apartment

I'll be honest with you — being a working mom isn't always easy. There are days I question whether I should be out of the house, whether I'm spreading myself too thin, whether I'm doing enough. But then something happens that brings it all full circle, and I remember exactly why I do what I do.

This project was one of those moments.

A few months ago, my mom signed a lease on a new apartment right down the hill from our house. For those of you who've been here a while, you know she moved to Utah around the same time we did, almost two years ago. The timing of her first move was... memorable. I went into labor the day after she arrived. No big deal!

This time around, I'm pregnant again (baby #3 is on the way!) and her new apartment came unfurnished — which, unlike her first place that was totally turnkey, meant I had a real opportunity to make it something special. So naturally, I kicked her out and got to work.

My mom has been so gracious about letting me do this — honestly, would your mom trust you to take over her entire apartment? I wasn't taking any chances though, so I set some parameters for myself from the start. No paint. Completely within the confines of her lease. And three clear priorities: storage, a cozy mountain theme, and making sure she was fully equipped to host our energetic, enthusiastic, soon-to-be three granddaughters. (Okay, that last one might have been a little self-serving.)

One of my favorite things about taking on personal projects like this is that I get to involve my family in a way that doesn't always happen in my professional jobs. My work teams are incredible — I truly couldn't do what I do without them — but there's something really special about having your kids see what you do and having them help out in small ways.

I’m so happy with how this apartment came together. I focused on smart storage solutions throughout, layered in cozy mountain textures, and made sure every corner of the space felt warm, intentional, and ready for real life — including the chaos of little grandkids on a regular basis.

I talk a lot about building happiness. It's something I truly believe in — that the spaces we live in have the power to change how we feel every single day. But this project reminded me that building happiness isn't always about the scale of what you're doing. Sometimes it comes from small, quiet moments. And sometimes it takes a little more work — like transforming your mom's apartment while seven months pregnant — and it is absolutely, completely worth it.