Seasons of Change

February 1, 2021

Marie Elizabeth Oliver,

When Caitlin Gossen and her husband bought their two-story, Acadian-style home in 2007, her daughters were just growing out of the baby stage. The house, built in the 1980s, underwent a full-scale renovation before they settled in — including a kitchen makeover and update to the Hays Town-inspired exterior. Flash forward to 2021, with two teenage girls, an 11-year-old son and an Australian Labradoodle, her family’s needs look very different.

“As we evolved as a family, we figured out the space and what we needed it to be,” says Gossen.

Although she hired an interior designer for the original renovation, Gossen decided to tackle the home’s most recent remodels herself. She says the years-long process helped her tap into her love of interior design and reignited her dream of launching a lifestyle blog. Then, when Gossen lost her job in 2020 as a national sales director for a children’s clothing company because of the COVID-19 pandemic, she decided to jump head first into the new venture.

“When the pandemic started, it forced me back into that dream of mine,” says Gossen. “As sad as it was to lose my job, I was excited about this opportunity.”

Gossen launched her site, cgliving.com, on her 40th birthday and hasn’t looked back.

She says she has enjoyed the process of sharing her passion and practical design tips with her readers, especially when it comes to designing a home for a growing family. One of her first posts outlines how she slowly, but surely, transformed her master bedroom into a timeless, tranquil retreat.

Up next, Gossen is looking forward to writing about the process of revisioning her daughter’s room — a project they are both especially proud of.

“Working with your own teenage daughter as a client is very tricky,” laughs Gossen. “She loves the finished project. She was very excited and proud of her space.”

A favorite feature is the hidden-away workspace built inside a former closet. A custom desk with plenty of storage and bright, floral wallpaper became a lifesaver for distance learning. Just one more example of how, in a year full of uncertainty, the Gossens’ home became a saving grace.

Gossen transformed one of the closets in her daughter’s room into an efficient (and aesthetically pleasing) workspace by replacing the existing bifold doors with wood-stained antique doors. Then, she had a carpenter create a custom desktop to fit inside the shelf configuration. A coat of fresh paint and bold floral wallpaper added youthful flair.

Pillows and accessories by Busa Designs helped achieve the classic-meets-boho, teenage vibes Gossen aimed for with this space. For more product details on this and other rooms in Gossen’s home, visit cgliving.com.

Gossen says she was “chasing a spa serenity feel” in her bedroom makeover. Despite having a clear vision of what she wanted, it took her almost three years to acquire the perfect pieces and complete the look. A poster bed with a biscuit-stitched headboard from Hickory Chair served as the perfect focal point.

A complete kitchen overhaul was a critical part of the homeowners’ original 2007 remodel. The Gossens added timeless character with Old Chicago brick details and an island built out of salvaged cypress from a barn on a piece of family property.