As I sit in my office writing this page, a demolition crew is jackhammering the living daylights out of my yards — front and back. From the looks of it I am guessing that the bleached, exhausted hardscape has been in place since at least the 1990s, and I have more or less turned a blind eye on it for the 15 years I’ve lived there.

About a year ago, I embarked on a complete interior remodel, and once you make one update, you notice how many other things need attention. It was time to bite the bullet, and I am over the moon that my ugly duckling of a landscape will morph into a spectacular swan.

In the June/July issue, you will find plenty of inspiration on remodeling and renovating, including features on seven very different homes that share one commonality: each was re-imagined.

Some were taken down to the studs; others were moderately updated or gently enhanced. One—which was built in 1885 and is the oldest standing structure in the town of Jerome—began its life as a warehouse for a mining company. How’s that for adaptive reuse?

All of these projects show the art of the possible, and we hope you enjoy their stories as much as we do.

Whether it’s hanging up a new mailbox, applying a new coat of paint inside and/or out or embarking on a major restoration of your living space, updating our homes is good for the soul.

Yes, the process can be daunting, disrupting and messy. But once the dust clears and you stand back and behold the fresh and new, you will wonder why it took you so long to get started.