A Full Rundown Of Home Makeover Projects & Links: a house log

Packing up our current house and new-house-floor-laying continues…

… but we did not want to scoot outta our beloved current house without one more updated Listy McListerson full of everything we have checked off and a few things we’d enjoy to have done if we were staying here longer (those are bulleted at the bottom). #warningitslong

Simply for lively, here is the quite first list that we shared for this house back in 2010. I enjoy how plans seem to evolve as you live somewhere and figure out what we enjoy/want as you go. It is also truly funny how swiftly your eyes adjust and you forget what you began with, is not it? Seriously, a week after we knocked a big doorway between the dining room and the kitchen it felt like it had consistently been there.

– The Front Yard: 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

– The Front Porch: Complete! –

Done:

• furnished it with stuff we had from our first house’s porch
• planted some shrubs/flowers
• painted the front door yellow
• framed out the porch columns so they are chunky and square like the carport columns (instead of ornate, curvy, and un-ranch-like)
• brought in window boxes around the house and filled them with fairly plantings
• painted the siding on the porch to set it apart from the same-colored trim and assist our yellow door pop

– The Carport: Complete! –

Done:

• replaced the itty bitty light fixture for a big black lantern
• brought in a column on the left for balance and built a pergola to add some dimension and interest to our flat little ranch

– The Living Room: 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 – 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
• brought in some overhead lighting since there is none (a pendant centered over the table near the back window and some can lights)
• built a shelf for the awkward space above the TV

– The Office: 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
• brought in some bamboo blinds for texture

– The Hall Bathroom: 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 window shade

– The Big Hallway: Complete! –

Done:

• we brought in a frame collage around the console table that lives in there, which made it one of our go-to spots in the whole house (and yes, I am going to spackle and paint every last hole in this house for the new owners, which in fact was not too bad in our first house)

– The Small Hallway: Complete! –

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!)
• brought in board & batten and painted the walls
• switched out the old light and ancient gold and gaudy doorbell chime
• brought in crown molding
• hung some playful calendar art

– The Dining Room: Complete! –

Done:

• painted the walls
• painted 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 light fixture over the table

– The Laundry Room: 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

– The Kitchen: 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
• repainted the walls
• brought in molding to the top of the cabinets
• refaced the fireplace with a new wood mantel and a fairly herringbone marble tile hearth and surround

– The Playroom: 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 of the random clutter 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)
• brought in crown molding

– Nursery: 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
• built a play kitchen & play fridge for Clara
• brought in crown molding

– Clara’s Closet: Complete! –

Done:

• took out the old bifold door and hung a curtain on the closet instead
• redid the closet by painting it and then stamping the walls
• sewed a beanbag to create a sweet little reading nook

– The Sunroom: Complete! –

Done:

• spray painted the old slider handles and 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
• brought in some window treatments
• painted the little marble table next to the egg chair (did not journal about that, but the color is Nightfall by Benjamin Moore and I had a test pot leftover from this)

– Our Bedroom: Complete! –

Done:

• 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 (never hooked up the TV though…)

– Our Sink Nook: 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
• upgraded the knobs with $2 finds from Hobby Lobby

– Our Bathroom: 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

– The Guest Bedroom: Complete! –

Done:

• primed and painted the walls (we use a primer when we are going light to dark or dark to light on walls)
• furnished it (mostly with leftover stuff from other rooms)
• hung curtains and a mirror
• brought in crown molding
• hung a bigger mirror over the bed
• replaced some of the older simply-using-what-we-have furnishings (more on that here)

– The Guest Bathroom: 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
• painted the walls, trim, and ceiling
• frosted the window for privacy and brought in a fabric shade (more on that here)
• hung more art on all the bare walls, painted the mirror, and brought in accessories (here is the big $50 reveal)

– The Basement Workshop: Complete! –

Done:

• cleaned the giant mess that had taken over by donating to Goodwill and using 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

– The Side Lot: Complete! –

Done:

• Planted two trees and naturalized it a lot from the sparse leaf pit that we inherited so it looks woodsy and wild (which makes it awesomely zero-maintenance and provides more privacy from the neighboring house)

– The Deck: 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)
• power-washed and then stained/sealed the deck
• camouflaged the utility box with some brick-colored paint (mentioned here)

– The Patio: 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

– The Backyard: Complete! –

Done:

• built a compost bin
• cleared out a bunch of crazy overgrown beds so we could 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
• took out the large vine on the tree near the upper patio

It is so much lively to look back at all the completed bullets and reminisce. We are going to miss the heck outta this house. And since a home is never truly done, we thought it would be lively to include some things that could have been exciting to do down the line if we had stayed…

• turn the fireplace in the kitchen into a double-sided fireplace that also opens up into the living room (we needed a mason/architect since it would have been a load-bearing wall that we were altering)
• refinish the floors throughout the house in a richer mocha tone like the cork in the kitchen and laundry room for a more seamless effect (like our first house)
• paint the ceiling in the playroom a glad and playful color like soft teal
• redo the flooring in the sunroom (the beige tile was neutral and in good condition, but it was not our go-to)
• convert our bedroom window that looks out onto the deck into a french door
• possibly tile the whole back wall of our bedroom sink nook with something dreamy and gleaming (we could not decide if it would look too bathroomy in the bedroom so we went back and forth on this)
• retile our bathroom floor (perhaps with gray hex tiles) and possibly reglaze the beige wall tile so it is bright white (or add beadboard over it?)
• add raised bed gardens for vegetables, fruits, and herbs and build Clara a swingset (this is one of those bullets that we want to “bring with us” to the new house)

Here is hoping the next owners pick up where we left off and we can house crash them someday!