Home Improvement

I have an obsession and it is getting out of hand.

I was off work for the last week and I'm pretty sure I wasted the entire week dreaming about home improvement projects. Obviously, the planning must come before the implementing...but I didn't do anything.

Actually, that's a bit of a lie. I decided to practice my carpentry abilities to see if I could pull off making my own ottoman for the living room. I did successfully construct a rather odd looking but usable bird house. Is that a win? I'm not sure either...I'll post a picture later so everyone can be amused.

The foyer:

1. Needs to be painted but we don't own a tall enough ladder, my husband won't let me climb a ladder to paint at 7 months pregnant, and I haven't picked a color. I am thinking a light grey blue or silver so it will flow with the color in the living room. I need to post pictures, I'll try to get better about this.

2. The railing/banister needs a refresh, badly. It has that light oak colored hand rail and it just doesn't look right for me. I want to paint it black, but apparently that is a large project of sanding and stripping and priming. I have done my research, but moving on it might get put on the back burner.

3. I need some decor. You know those fancy houses where you walk in and there's some great big piece of artwork and a dainty little side table with an old style princess phone and a notepad. Maybe that's just in my own head, but I want it. Problem is, I refuse to pay for it...so I wait until something falls into my lap. I'm seriously considering taking up painting just for that big piece, problem is that I might just suck at it.

The Living Room:

This one has been my project for a while now and it is finally beginning to come together. I got a very nice sectional from the pottery barn outlet at a huge discount (originally $4000 and I paid $899!!!). I painted over the ugly poop brown color with a really nice, rich purple color. We got a 60" LED Smart TV on black friday and mounted it over the fireplace. Of course, I always have more plans...

1. I want to hang big giant theater style curtains around the TV and I ordered some movie posters and frames online which I will be very excited to hang up once they arrive.

2. I want to hang a curtain room divider to separate the living room pseudo theater from the kitchen. I'm thinking Ikea ceiling mounted curtain rails but I've been considering an option from pvc pipe...what girl doesn't love a good pvc pipe project??

3. Lighting, surround sound and hiding the wires. I have expensive tastes, it takes time to make expensive things happen on a low budget!

4. Flooring. We laid bamboo flooring in the office and planned on doing the dining room and living room shortly after. It has now been about a year but the money is allocated to a few too many things.

5. Oh and of course the big beautiful tufted storage ottoman that I intend on crafting with my bare hands. Scared? I am too :)


Next time I post I'll try to remember to go into my new plans for my son's room, the kitchen, the bathroom...and pretty much every other room in the house.