The In-Between Phase: Renovations are endurance events – if you reframe your outlook and look for small wins you'll find them easier to get through

Country kitchen with yellow island and grey cabinets.

Committed home renovators David and Andrew Harrison-Colley (better known on Instagram as The Home Boys) are part of Ideal Home's new Open House contributors, sharing their thoughts on making a home together and living through the tricky parts. See the rest of their articles here.

There’s something quietly surreal about the days between Christmas and New Year. Time slows down, the to-do lists soften, and suddenly you have space to notice things - the small changes, the shifts in atmosphere, the progress you didn’t realise had happened because you were too busy making it happen.