In mid-April, during our kiddo’s Easter school break, we traveled to Latvia for about 10 days — a trip packed with projects, energy, and transformation. A lot of pre-planning had gone into it before we even arrived: we ordered the windows, sourced the plants, and mapped out the main tasks. Once we landed, it was all about execution — and we got a lot done.
One of the most transformative updates was installing our huge 3x3 meter windows. In the end I decided to split them into 1X3X3
These oversized panes completely changed the feel of the house — flooding the space with natural light and giving us panoramic views of the land. Now, no matter where you stand, the outdoors feels just a step away. It’s the kind of upgrade that doesn’t just look good — it feels good.
While the windows were the big highlight, we also extended the porch with a new step. It’s a simple touch but made a real difference, making the entrance more functional and giving the front of the house a more finished look. Sometimes, it's the little improvements that pull everything together.
Outdoors, the serious work continued. Our goal was to plant at least 20 apple trees this spring — an ambitious dream. While we didn’t reach that number this time, we did plant six beautiful Antonovka apple trees, bought locally from Pure. Antonovkas are a classic choice in Latvia — strong, resilient, and perfectly suited for our climate.
Beyond the apples, we added a dozen more plants around the property, including a few exciting experiments like walnut trees. It’s always a bit of a gamble introducing new species, but part of the fun is seeing what will take root and thrive.
With the major outdoor projects ticking along, our focus will soon shift back indoors. There's still plenty of interior work left, but we’re feeling confident that by the end of summer, the house will be much closer to the vision we’ve been working toward. Each trip brings us a step closer — and this one was a huge leap forward.