Listy McListerson: Updated: a house log

Warning: this is longer than the Oscars, so feel free to fast forward to the good parts. These posts in fact came about when people asked how we organize all the stuff we have on our to-do list. We explained that we in short simply have one long run-on document, and when folks kept asking us to share it (and update it as we went along), it sounded like our idea of a good time. And it is high time that we in fact updated it considering it has been ten months since we last shared it! Yowsa.

In an attempt to keep our eyes from crossing when we read it, we separated what we have done in each room from what we’d still like to do (so we have an active list and a wahoo-it is-done list) and there is an estimated percentage up near the title of each area to indicate how complete it is.

Ok, let us do this.

-The Front Yard (40% complete)-

Done:

• limbed up the magnolia so it no longer blocks the house (more on that here)
• took out the bushes that hid the house (more on that here and here)
• planted grass in the bare patches where we moved bushes
• updated some garden beds, brought in landscaping

To Do:

• we still have a lot of things to transplant/plant/trim/figure out (we tackled three of about ten garden beds out there)

-The Front Porch/House Facade (35% complete)-

Done:

• furnished it with stuff we had from our first house’s porch
• planted some shrubs/flowers
• painted the front door yellow

To Do:

• frame out the porch columns so they are chunky and square instead of ornate and curvy
• stain the concrete porch floor to gussy it up
• add window boxes around the house
• add shutters on the side and back windows (they are only on the front)

-The Carport/Garage (5% complete)-

Done:

• replaced the itty bitty light fixture for a big black lantern

To Do:

• we originally hoped to convert this into a garage, but now we are leaning towards beefing up the columns and adding a trellis arch around the front so it is all lush and fairly like a carport with a pergola instead of being closed in and dark like a garage (we’d lose some light from two windows into the laundry room and office if we closed it in). Perhaps something like this (but with a covered top and a pergola out front along with beefier columns)?

-The Living Room (85% complete)-

Done:

• painted the walls
• painted the trim (it was dark wood when we moved in)
• gray-washed the beams
• got a new sectional (we get asked a lot how we like our Karlstad – in short: we ENJOY him!)
• built a console for behind the sectional
• hung some subtle patterned curtains
• got a new rug, ottoman, and desk chair
• got a larger media cabinet (secondhand)
• built a leaning chalkboard over near the back of the room to balance out the tall slider

To Do:

• add some overhead lighting since there is none (a pendant centered over the table near the back window and some can lights perhaps?)
• turn the fireplace in the kitchen into a double-sided fireplace that also opens up into the living room
• refinish the floors down the line

-The Office (85% complete)-

Done:

• made a built-in double desk
• painted and upholstered some secondhand chairs
• painted and stenciled the walls
• brought in some sentimental art
• updated the old brass chandelier with new color, bulbs, and a giant shade
• brought in an old chair and brought in a file cabinet for more function

To Do:

• add some window treatments? perhaps bamboo blinds for some texture?
• we have consistently dreamed of adding french doors between the dining room and office (for privacy and architecture)
• we’d enjoy to refinish the floors eventually

-The Hall Bathroom (100% complete)-

Done:

• hung the shower curtain higher
• brought in some new window trim for more balance (and to hide a demo hole)
• hung a new light fixture above the mirror
• painted the walls
• framed out the mirror
• hung art and made a chunky shelf
• updated the vanity knobs
• brought in a homemade homemade window shade

To Do:

• nada, at least for now

-The Big Hallway (90% complete)-

Done:

• we are truly glad with our frame collage and the console table that lives in there, so we are not planning anything major

To Do:

• laying a lively patterned runner down on the floors would be pleasant
• we’d also like to eventually refinish the floors

-The Small Hallway (5% complete… at least until tomorrow’s big reveal!)-

Done:

• spray painted the old door knobs for all the rooms off of the hallway in an oil-rubbed bronze finish (update: they are still holding up strong!)

To Do:

• add board & batten
• paint the walls
• add crown molding
• hang art
• switch out the old light and ancient gold and gaudy doorbell chime on the wall
• refinish the floors someday

-The Dining Room (95% complete)-

Done:

• painted the walls
• painting the back wall of the built-ins dark teal
• hung some homemade curtains
• got a large round dining table along with some chairs
• brought in a chippy old painted buffet (found on craigslist)
• hung some yard sale art that we personalized with painted lettering
• brought in a pleasant big show-stopping light fixture over the table

To Do:

• build a giant lazy susan for the middle of the table, so it is awesomely functional when we host dinners (sometimes stuff in the middle is hard to reach)
• eventually refinish the floors

-The Laundry Room (98% complete)-

Done:

• painted the walls
• took out the old shutters from the window
• frosted the big glass side door
• painted the cabinets & replaced the hardware
• replaced the old washer & dryer for deeply discounted energy efficient ones (and craigslisted the old ones)
• built some custom shelves next to the washer & dryer
• replaced the laminate flooring with cork
• hung some art
• made a clothespin chandelier
• mounted our ironing board on the wall to save space

To Do:

• Possibly add a window treatment (woot! this baby is one of the furthest along, perhaps because it is only 3.5′ wide? haha)

-The Kitchen (85% complete)-

Done:

• painted the brick fireplace
• primed and painted the paneling
• replaced all the old mismatched appliances with energy efficient stainless ones (and craigslisted the old ones)
• knocked out a large opening to connect the kitchen and dining room (more on that project here and here)
• redid the lighting (brought in can lights, glass pendants, etc)
• rearranged the cabinets (moved the pantry and the fridge, brought in a peninsula, etc)
• primed and painted the cabinets (and brought in new hardware)
• sold our old granite on craigslist and got new white Corian counters
• tiled the backsplash (all the way to the ceiling on one wall)
• brought in open shelves
• built a microwave cabinet with ventilation to hide it
• hung a new range hood found on craigslist and built a range hood cover
• replaced the old laminate with dark cork flooring
• got stools for the peninsula
• brought in a rug to define the sitting area by the fireplace
• made a lively fabric window shade for over the sink

To Do:

• add something to the back of the peninsula (trim, etc) to finish it off
• possibly add a message board to the side of the pantry? (no chalk since we walk through there and do not want dust on our clothes if we brush against it)
• add trim to the top of the cabinets (we tried this once and did not like it, but we keep wondering if we should give it another go)
• repaint the walls??? (this is a big wild card that we go back and forth on, so we will have to see where we end up)
• eventually reface the fireplace to have a chunky wrap-around wood mantel and a fairly stone/tile surround and hearth

-The Playroom/Big Girl Room (75% complete)-

Done:

• at last cleared out all the clutter thanks to a yard sale, a charity book project auction, and some good old fashioned Goodwill donations
• painted the walls
• made and hung curtains
• got a rug
• brought in a kid-sized table and two chairs for coloring & tea parties (we painted the backs of them red)
• got a secondhand dresser with nine drawers for some fairly excellent storage
• switched out the old ceiling fan for a pendant light
• made a frame collage full of meaningful Clara-objects
• hung three big birdcages on the wall to make an off-centered window feel more balanced
• got all the storage out of the closet so Clara can use it
• got a mattress pad & new sheets for the daybed & brought in more personalized art & toy baskets (more on that here)

To Do:

• paint the ceiling
• add crown molding
• paint or refinish the dresser
• refinish the floors down the line

-Nursery (90% complete)-

Done:

• painted the walls
• hung curtains
• moved in all of her existing furniture
• hung art and brought in baskets/toys
• replaced the light fixture with Clara’s capiz chandelier (the only light we brought with us from our first house since it was so sentimental)
• built a play kitchen & play fridge for Clara
• redid the closet by stamping the walls and sewing a beanbag to create a little reading nook

To Do:

• hang more art on some of the bare walls
• add crown molding
• eventually refinish the floors
• we are sure things will fully evolve in here if a future baby ends up using it as their nursery and Clara moves into her big girl room (but nope, I am not pregnant)

-The Sunroom (60% complete)-

Done:

• spray painted the old slider handles & knobs in an oil rubbed bronze finish (update: they are still holding up strong!)
• painted the walls and the odd unbalanced box of brick
• furnished most of the room using what we had
• hung some art on the walls to make it feel more home-y
• brought in a bookcase for some functional storage

To Do:

• furnish a few still-bare corners
• add some window treatments?
• eventually replace the flooring (the old beige tiles simply are not our go-to)

-Our Bedroom (80% complete)-

Done:

• took off the dated bifold doors between the sink nook and the room
• hung a mirror over the sink window (and took out an off-center medicine cabinet on the right wall)
• took out the granite backsplash on the sink to make it look more like a piece of furniture
• got a new bed (we sold our first home with our bed since it was built into the sleeping nook)
• painted (and then repainted) the walls
• traded the old brown fan for a light and playful Ikea chandlier
• hung some art
• hung some curtains
• rearranged the furniture so the room at last made sense (only took us two years…)
• made an upholstered headboard
• at last brought in furniture for the bare wall across from the bed (still have not hooked up the TV though…)

To Do:

• possibly convert the window that looks out onto the deck into a french door someday?
• possibly tile the whole back wall of the sink nook with something dreamy and gleaming (it is a small space so it will not cost much)
• eventually refinish the floors

-Our Bathroom (75% complete)-

Done:

• hung the shower curtain at ceiling height
• painted the walls
• hung some art
• painted the off-white trim and door a glossy white
• brought in privacy to the window with frosting film
• replaced the toilet (and craigslisted the old one)
• replaced the boob light with a glass pendant (and centered it on the window and door)
• replaced the dated tree border tile with white frosted glass subway tile

To Do:

• in Phase Two we’d like to retile the floor (perhaps with gray hex tiles) and possibly reglaze the beige wall tile so it is bright white (or add beadboard over it?)

-The Guest Bedroom (70% complete)-

Done:

• primed and painted the walls (we use a primer when we are going light to dark or dark to light with walls)
• furnished it (mostly with leftover stuff from other rooms)
• hung curtains and a mirror

To Do:

• hang art on those bare walls
• add crown molding
• paint the round mirror so it pops more (or replace it with something larger since it is a little small)
• replace some of the older simply-using-what-we-have furnishings (like our scratched six year old Ikea dresser that has seen better days)
• eventually refinish the floors

-The Guest Bathroom (10% complete)-

Done:

• took out the most awkward mirror in the world that hung on the back of the door (it reflected your whole body while on the toilet)
• hung a new shower curtain and brought in a bath mat
• hung some art and replaced the mirror over the sink
• replaced the light fixture

To Do:

• paint the walls
• possibly replace some of the tile (not sure what we want to work with and what we want to upgrade so that is TBD)
• get a glass shower door instead of a weird cubby hole with a curtain
• frost the window for privacy
• hang more art on all the bare walls

-The Basement Workshop (85% complete)-

Done:

• cleaned the giant mess that had taken over by donating to Goodwill and the use of a Bagster
• organized all of the tools on pegboards and all of the paint on a built in cabinet
• framed out and painted all of the pegboards
• organized all of the screws and nails in jars that sit on a shelving system for straightforward access
• created some sawdust-proof art and a functional shelf over the main workspace counter

To Do:

• paint the back door that leads to the basement
• stain the floors and the wood counters?

-The Side Lot (10% complete)-

Done:

• Planted two trees

To Do:

• Plant a bunch more trees (we want to naturalize it and make it sort of an orchard – now it is simply a weed-and-leaf-fest)

-The Deck (80% complete)-

Done:

• cleared/transplanted the bushes and shrubs in the way
• mapped out a deck plan and got it approved by the county
• demo’d out the rickety old balcony
• dug our post holes
• failed our first inspection
• framed out the deck
• began adding deck boards
• completed the deck boards & the railing/steps
• furnished the deck (by adding a large dining table, chairs, etc)
• brought in a brand new french door to lead out there (the old door was rotten and broken)

To Do:

• stain/seal the deck (at which point we will at last be “done” with the build, and will share a quite belated budget breakdown)
• swag some big bulb string lights over the deck
• hide the utility box with paint or by building it out with a little cabinet
• add greenery in the form of some plantings around the deck to screen the side of the steps and the AC unit

-The Patio (85% complete)-

Done:

• cleared out all the weeds/bushes/dead trees to make a spot for a patio
• planned and purchased materials to build the patio
• leveled the ground, laid gravel and sand, and laid our pavers
• created a custom curved edge and landscaped the area around the patio
• built a rock box for Clara (and brought in a rain barrel to save water)

To Do:

• continue to furnish the patio (other than two adirondack chairs, it is all simply old furniture that the last owners left behind)
• possibly add some lighting (string lights around fence or from trees?)

-The Backyard (90% complete)-

Done:

• built a compost bin
• cleared out a bunch of crazy overgrown beds so we can in fact have more grass for dog/kid playing
• took out all the monkey grass that encroached on the charming brick paths
• transplanted a bunch of oddly placed bushes so they made more sense
• reseeded the grass

To Do:

• remove the ivy growing up/chocking some of the large trees
• plant some trees in the way back to naturalize that for more privacy (we’d enjoy a pleasant grassy yard with a big woodsy forest behind that)
• add raised bed gardens for vegetables, fruits, and herbs (we have been looking for a sunny spot for them, which is tough since most of our lot is shaded)
• build Clara a swingset? (there is a public playground nearby so we are not sure about one at home too)

In summary, it is remarkable to look back at all the done bullets and reminisce… but we still have a lot on the ol’ to-do list as usual! Thankfully we have learned to simply try to enjoy the journey and take things one day/project/victory at a time. And seriously, is there anything more lively than crossing things off? As for the method to our “project order,” we do not truly think there is one. We simply do whatever we are in the mood for (barring anything that needs to be moved to the top of the list for safety or other extreme-urgency reasons). And we jump around from room to room simply to stay excited and to avoid feeling too forced into doing something that we might not be ready to deal with yet.

We like to keep the bigger projects that we want to save up for in the back of our mind for a while (until we are feeling more sure about our approach so there is no shoulda-woulda-coulda going on later). Thinking about those long term/bigger projects keeps us excited to squirrel away as much loot as we can to make them a reality down the road. And seeing all the crossed off smaller items reminds us that bite-sized undertakings can truly keep you motivated. After a big project, sometimes we are glad to take a breather and tackle the little stuff for a while. And other times we are psyched to keep our momentum up and start planning the next big project right away.

As of this quite moment, we are thinking that we’d enjoy to tackle these folks next:

• adding crown molding to the three bedrooms without it
• boxing in the porch columns
• redoing the carport
• renovating the untouched guest bathroom

So those are “on deck” when it comes to our to-do list. But sufficient about us, how do you make your house to-do lists? Do you keep them on your phone? On post-its? On a big online document? Handwritten in a notebook? How do you decide what to tackle next? Is there any method at all to your madness?