Χά�ων Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 Every year I set aside part of my monthly budget to do upgrades or improvements around the house and the property. Last year I did a lot outside with my garden and in the garage. This year I am working inside my house. I am wondering if anyone else is. If you are not feel free to give feed back (or how to instructions to make some of the ideas I link to) and dream with me. Living room: I am getting rid of an older uncomfortable as all get out, butt ugly sofa that I inherited from my parents. I told my mom last week that if she wants it or wants to give it away that she had until it is warm enough for me to load it up and take it to the dump. No one likes it, not even the dog and cat. I am looking at alternatives for easy to move seating options. I *think* I know what I am going to do, but since it is still so much up in the air I am not willing to even say it. Plus I have September as my goal to get additional seating. I have finally decided on book cases. I have a huge wall where I currently am using cheap bookcases that are buckling under the strain. I found this Ivar Hack and feel it is doable for me and within my budget. I have a half wall between the kitchen and the living room and it just sits there naked. I am thrilled that so far I have managed to keep it from collecting junk. The only thing that is ever on it is the CD player that plays audio books. I am moving that to a bookcase and looking at installing speakers in the various parts of the house. That leaves a rather large and empty nothing. So I am looking for something. I like this: http://margaretdonaldsoninteriors.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Idea-House-dividers.jpg But am doubtful I will actually tackle anything like that. No clue what I am going to do. My son suggested using it to store silverware and plates. It is only 6 inches wide, so no clue what I will do. I am open to ideas! Kitchen: I am getting the rest of my cabinets at the end of January! I am making a built in buffet on the far wall in the kitchen. had been debating doing a slightly different style and using butcher block instead of the matching counter top but decided that I did not want to spend the amount I was looking at so it will just be a boring match. I am still excited. :) Once that is in I plan to set up and install a larger indoor aquaponics garden in my kitchen. (March) I have a small set up now and have been working to gather tanks and other supplies to help stretch my budget for it. I moved my table from the kitchen into an unused part of the living room to make more room. Office I took out my office (FYI: a standing desk is great unless you are blind as a bat and use a laptop that ends up being too low for you to actually see the screen) and am putting in an area for my son and I do build a miniature city and surrounding countryside, complete with railroads out of Lego. I put the printer in my closet and rearranged the temporary book case in my room to hold office supplies. I am always amazed at how little I actually use most of it and this has been less of a hassle than I thought it would be. Master Bedroom I need new bookcases. I have three $10 from target is 2003 bookcases that are only standing thanks to ample amounts of glue and half a dozen screws each. Currently, the book cases are a very low priority for me. I may make some additional Ivar Hacks but I really am at a point where all I have on those bookcases are books I rarely look at and the office stuff. Whole House I am hoping to redo all the trim in my house. I found some that I really really like and have learned that removing old trim is not as hard as I thought it would be. I say hoping because the trim I really like is not cheap at all and may break the budget. I am waiting until I finish the kitchen before I decide. Garage As an added bonus to me putting in the Ivar Bookcases I am going to reinforce the bookcases and build a large storage area in the garage. Thankfully, the tools are not nearly as heavy as my books. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 Wow, that's a lot! I just put down new kitchen floors. I used pine boards and screwed them down and then stained them with tea, then vinegar that had been soaked in steel wool. The finished product looks something like this. I'm not quite done, I have to touch and then poly the floors. Next is kitchen counters which I will use 2in pine boards and then finish them to match the floors in the rest of the house - a dark mahogany. This is my inspiration. I also need to retrim the window in my bathroom (which is in the tub - old house). If I had mad skills, I'd take out the window and frame it higher and put in a transom, but that more work than I want to deal with right now. Floor in the bathroom needs replaced, I'll probably just do vinyl. Next summer I have a covered side porch that needs redone. The decking boards are either old termite damage and the boards are the original. Thankfully it is something I can do because the supports are concrete. I also need to do the laundry room floor, which I can't decide. I might take those old porch boards and clean them up and use those. My ex is finally getting his own place in a few months and will be able to take more of his stuff. So I may end up building some bookcases once he gets his last stuff out of the house - most of it's in the garage. I'm slowly painting some rooms because we did all one color when we moved in and I wanted a variety. I'll also get a new sofa at some point. I'm going to add a modern feel, hopefully with an IKEA sofa. There are a few lingering projects besides that, but I'm not sure what to do with those yet. Also, my homeschooling journey will be over in May or June, so I'll be downsizing some books. I am so not emotionally ready to go there yet. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Χά�ων Posted January 1, 2015 Author Share Posted January 1, 2015 I'm slowly painting some rooms because we did all one color when we moved in and I wanted a variety. I'll also get a new sofa at some point. I'm going to add a modern feel, hopefully with an IKEA sofa. I highly recommend sitting in it first. I wanted this one until I sat on it. I plopped down on it and it was so uncomfortable. :( One thing my house really lacks is a guest bed. I was really hoping that would solve the problem. I have a couple of ideas. One is a sectional from http://www.homereserve.com/another is to go back to Ikea and look at the Kivik Footstool with storage and then try and make something to fit the feet into to lock them into place (like the sactionals from love sac have) to make a bed. I figure 4 of them is only slightly smaller than a full size bed. They have storage (bonus!) and should be easy to move around for company. But, I do not know. That is why living room seating is the end of the year item. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 I moved our Craig's list furniture into a new configuration today. Does that count? I am NOT a decorator at all and everything is still where we put it when we moved in over 3 years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milovany Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 FYI: a standing desk is great unless you are blind as a bat and use a laptop that ends up being too low for you to actually see the screen... Hook your monitor up to a desktop computer screen! Well, I gather you've already chucked having the desk). This is what I've done. I have a 17" computer screen at eye level connected to my laptop, so I type on the laptop but watch on the computer screen. I got it for $20 used on VarageSale ... lots of people are ditching their desktop setups. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunflowerlady Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 I want to do some interior painting. It will be lots of work because I am priming and painting over 1970s wood paneling. I found instructions online and I just need to tackle the job. I really believe that will make a large improvement here. Also I need to replace old carpet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Χά�ων Posted January 1, 2015 Author Share Posted January 1, 2015 Hook your monitor up to a desktop computer screen! Well, I gather you've already chucked having the desk). This is what I've done. I have a 17" computer screen at eye level connected to my laptop, so I type on the laptop but watch on the computer screen. I got it for $20 used on VarageSale ... lots of people are ditching their desktop setups. I did that and hated it. I even tried an external keyboard so I would not be as tempted to look at the laptop screen. Still no. It is a better set up with a desktop computer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 Our carpet is d.o.n.e. I'd like to replace it with fabulous hardwood...but I don't know if hardwood would really work for us. If we don't do hardwoods, we will do new carpet. Got to do some thinking and research on those decisions. Our couches are shot...but I haven't found anything in the stores that calls to my heart. Before Christmas, I invested in a set of slipcovers. They look better than I thought so that buys me some time.. I'll set aside dollars for the couch and keep on shopping. I'll be ready when I find one that sings to me. My other true 'decorating' desire is to declutter more. Sigh. That's hard work, but I am beginning to crave cleaner more streamlined areas. My house always looks bland after the color explosion that is Christmas. My new tradition is to buy an orchid in early January for the mantle to add life and color to the room. Last year's orchid is sending out new bloom stalks so I'll have more blooms someday... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 I made a list a year or more ago of a bunch of projects to do around the house. It's a list that will take several years to complete. So far we have replaced all of our kitchen appliances over the course of a year. We just finished getting our dining chairs reupholstered and dh re-caned the ones that were splitting. My next big project will be our bed. Need new mattress/box spring, new mattress pad, new sheets, new comforter, etc. etc.--will be pretty costly if we do it all at once. Will probably do it over the course of several months this year. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Χά�ων Posted February 27, 2015 Author Share Posted February 27, 2015 Bumping. Anyone still managing? I had a loss in income mixed with an added expenses. Guess what the first thing to go was? My kitchen and home repairs. Figures. I am looking at getting an Ivar set up for my ktichen to have the much needed storage. Not as pretty but if the income ever returns I will be able to use the Ivar for the the bookcase and buy my cabinets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunflowerlady Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 We cleaned out my spare room and I am going to paint it soon. I think I am going to choose a shade of green. Sorry about the loss in income. That totally stinks. My work at home job is starting to look like it might be going downhill. After the spare room is done, I will tackle painting the living room and dining room. New carpet is still on the agenda, but that will have to wait until after the painting is done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 Well, still really need to replace mattresses, sheets, etc. in master bedroom, but I'm waiting for an out-of-town shopping expedition (spring break?) to look at sheets in a real mall. I've tried on-line, but I really need to see them in person, and preferably feel a sample if they have one. But I did get a new tablecloth for our eating area. The old navy one had seriously faded and didn't match the reupholstered chairs. I got the red provence one from Williams Sonoma with a 20% off deal they e-mailed me. It doesn't exactly match the chairs either, but it looks better than the old one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 I'm just beginning to bring in some expected dollars so I'm going s.l.o.w.e.r. than expected. Still need to do flooring research--that's next. Right now, I'm deliciously happy to be painting my dining chairs, buffet, and table with Annie Sloan's Chateau Gray paint -- a gorgeous green/gray color. These will update my Tuscan colored dining room...and make me happy. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 I don't have a budget for redecorating at this point, but I would love to replace the lighting above the kitchen/dining table and the ceiling fan/light in the living room. Once we get our car paid off our next month, main priorities will be to fix the downstairs bath fixture which broke and has to be completely replaced (involves cutting out the wall and some plumbing/pipe work) and to replace the light in the master bedroom closet which broke a few weeks ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SallyWilliams Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 Thanks for sharing this with us. It's great that you have considered setting aside an amount of money for home upgrades and improvements. We all know how costly it can be when it comes to remodeling your home. On the contrary, this helps us increase the value of our homes. I love your plans for the different rooms of your house. I hope you could include some pictures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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