This whole greenhouse situation didn’t start with a grand plan. It started with me bothering (pleading with) Steve to build it for about 3 years, planting seeds so to speak. Cincinnati trash became my treasure.

It started with our basement… and the realization that we had saved a lot of “we might use this someday” over the years. Knotty Pine paneling from our dining room, a lone pocket door, waterbed boards, what? It’s good lumber! 

And from there, it became a story.

Before the Greenhouse… There Was the Basement

Before a single window went up in the backyard, we had to go downstairs.

Our basement had quietly become a holding/dumping space for the “leftovers”  But it was time to make space for something new. We wanted to finish part of it into a movie hangout spot for our teenage girls. A place for friends, popcorn, late nights, and all the memories that come with that season of life.

So we had a choice.
Clear it out… or use it up.

That knotty pine we pulled from our dining room 20 years ago.
Waterbed frame boards from our friend who gave us bamboo poles from his yard.
An old pocket door that once lived in our home.

Building materials are expensive, so we had saved SO MUCH WOOD!

You could say we built the greenhouse so we could clear the basement… so we could then create a finished movie hangout space for our girls. I always have a project plan:) 

(And yes… that story is coming soon, because it deserves its own moment.)

A Greenhouse Built From Stories, Not Supplies

Every single piece in this greenhouse had a life before it found its way here.

Old deck lumber from Dayton
Windows pulled from the house that the movie Carol was filmed
A front door rescued from a Norwood renovation
Extra windows and wood planks from a friend rehabbing in Amberley
Pavers from Covington, leftover from someone else’s project

And maybe my favorite… knotty pine planks we pulled out of our own dining room twenty years ago and held onto, just in case.

Turns out, just in case finally showed up.

The Kind of Project That Grows With You

This wasn’t a weekend project. I collected for a year before we even started. Sorry, the backyard was a hot mess of stacks of supplies. I also didn’t have a plan, just a rough make it this big, these windows can fit here sort of sketch on a piece of paper. We did get a permit and put in footers, it is built to last!

There were moments where windows didn’t quite fit, where we had to get creative, where the vision shifted. But that’s the beauty of building something from found materials. It doesn’t have to be perfect… it just has to be yours. We could not have done it without our friend Eric, architect and handyman extraordinaire. He did the maths:) 

And slowly, it became more than a greenhouse. Just look at the first to last photo!

The Details That Make It Personal

Inside, it’s not just plants growing. It’s my spot to sit with coffee, read in a rainstorm or just putter. Yes, I am in my “old lady” vibe. 

It’s also memories.

Artwork and little trinkets made by our girls, that had no home.
Pieces we’ve saved over the years, finally getting their moment.
And a flower chandelier I found at a thrift store 15 years ago… just waiting for the right spot.

(If you’ve ever held onto something because you loved it but didn’t know where it belonged… this is your sign. Keep it. It will find its place.)

Why Upcycling Just Hits Different

There’s something deeply satisfying about building a space without walking into a big box store.

Upcycling isn’t just about saving money (though yes, that part is pretty great). I am the queen of free, I take it as a personal challenge to upcycle my projects via thrift, curb or buy nothing groups.
It’s about:

• Reducing waste in a way that actually feels doable.
• Giving materials a second life instead of sending them to a landfill.
• Creating something completely one of a kind.
• Letting your home reflect your story, not a catalog.

And honestly… it slows you down in the best way. It’s that your grandma “make do” mentality. 

You start to see potential everywhere. A pile of wood. A window on the curb. A leftover stack of pavers. It shifts how you look at your home, your garden, and your community. I’ve made so many friends by giving away plants from my garden, upcycling builds community. 

A Little Nudge If You’ve Been Thinking About It

You don’t need a full greenhouse project to start.

Maybe it’s:
Turning old shutters into garden accents.
Using leftover brick for a small patio space.
Repurposing cabinets into a potting bench.
Or finally using that “I might need this someday” stash in your basement.

Start small. Stay curious. Let it evolve.

Because Home Should Feel Like You

This greenhouse isn’t perfect.
It’s better than that. It’s full of memories and personal touches.

It’s layered, meaningful, a little unexpected… and completely ours.

And that’s really the point.

Whether you’re planting roots in a new home, refreshing a space you’ve loved for years, or dreaming up something that doesn’t exist yet… sometimes the best projects aren’t the ones you buy.

They’re the ones you build from what you already have.

If you’ve been thinking about creating something in your home or garden but aren’t sure where to start, I’d love to help you think it through. Sometimes all it takes is a conversation… and maybe a pile of “future treasures” waiting to be rediscovered. Local Greenhouse tour plus coffee, hit me up! 🌿