I’m not going to lie. These days this is pretty much all I want to do (add Burger, Clara, and John in there and I’m even more mooney-eyed and kissy-faced). But to everyone who requested an updated Listy post, I finally got ‘er done. We last shared our to-do list in November, so this check-in is well overdue – and I figured it could make us feel somewhat accomplished just to look at all the stuff we’ve crossed off since then. Picture me making Zoro-esque slicing sound effects with every slash (Teddy thought it was hilarious).
These posts were born when people asked how we organize all the stuff on our to-do list and I explained that we basically have one long run-on document that we update as we go. They said “share it!” and I said “done” and now we post it three or four times a year, just to see where we’re going and to take a second to soak up what we’ve accomplished. The bonus side effect is that looking at all of those not-crossed-off-yet bullets helps to get our brains going so we can plan the next few projects we want to tackle. Plus we get to snap some updated photos. Like a few spring-y outdoor shots like this.
- The Front Yard (20% Complete) -
To Do:
Remove the trees that are dead/decaying/diseased beyond repair (an arborist and a home inspector helped confirm which ones should go)
Get all exterior siding and trim repainted (there’s peeling paint, some rot, etc)
Dig up all the quickly spreading ground cover
(we still have some mulch beds to tackle, but the parts we graded and seeded are groundcover free)
Aerate, level, and seed the yard
Make planting beds up front and mulch and plant them
Transplant some of the crowded/overlapping boxwoods on either side of the portico (around the back or into other planting beds out front?)
Redo old cracked concrete walkway from the driveway to the front door (add curves and pretty planting beds on both sides)
Add some nice hard-scaping around the front (we’re so inspired by this house’s landscaping – so we’d love to add some raised stone beds)
Plant a few green dwarf maples (it’s our favorite thing that we planted one at our previous house – you can see it in this post under the window on the right)
Add low curved brick borders on either side of the driveway wired with lights (some of the houses nearby have ‘em and we love them)
Get the driveway paved
- The Portico (30% Complete) -
To Do:
Repaint the portico and sidelights (peeling paint = everywhere)
Paint the front door
Arch the portico ceiling (it’s low and one house up the street has an arched ceiling with a gorgeous hanging lantern)
Paint and panel the front triangle thing once we arch it (or before? the gray triangle just feels flat lately)
Add a few planters,
a new double-wide door mat
, new porch lighting, etc
- The Garage (3% Complete) -
To Do:
Change out the tiny/rusty light over the garage doors
(we attempted this, hence the 3% ranking, but we’re not sold, so we might replace them)
Repaint garage doors and add some nice hardware to beef them up
Add a pergola over the double garage doors with vines creeping over it
Finish the interior of the garage with drywall to create a workshop on one side and storage around the perimeter (add pegboards, shelving for paint and tools, etc)
Reuse kitchen cabinets in the garage (they’re dinged up in a bunch of spots around the doors and frames, but would be great for the garage)
Redo the four steps that lead from the garage to the kitchen (remove old carpeting and paint them? rebuild them completely?)
Build a box on casters for scrap wood storage in the garage (we need a system to keep it from being all over the place)
Maybe we should get old lockers and paint them fun colors and remove some of the doors for storage? (love these!)
Possibly add plumbing for a utility sink out there (we’ve always wanted one in our “workshop”)
- The Foyer (80% Complete) -
To Do:
Remove the doors that block the flow into the kitchen (and the pretty view out the back windows that will someday be french doors)
Paint blue trim, doors, and sidelights
Remove wallpaper and repaint the walls
Replace the old foyer light
Turn the extra toy closet in the foyer into a craft and toy closet for Clara
Repaint the foyer ceiling
Deal with the grout that haunted my dreams
Replace tile? (only if it’s unsalvageable – there are a few areas where it’s pretty beat up)
Turn the other foyer closet into a shoe/coat closet with some functional built-ins
- The Stairs (90% Complete) -
Remove the old carpet from the wood stairs
Paint blue railing spindles and trim
Stain the top rails dark to match the runner
Paint the walls and ceiling
Paint the stair risers
Install new striped runner with a rug pad under it
Hang some art
Possibly hang a big chandelier overhead since the ceiling is so lofted above the top of the stairs
- The Half Bathroom (35% Complete) -
To Do:
Remove wallpaper
Repaint all blue trim (and door)
Upgrade door hardware & hinges
Paint walls
New mirror (something larger and higher – John can only see up to his shoulders now)
Paint vanity (use odor blocking primer)
Upgrade lighting
Replace leaky faucet
Replace vanity & seashell sink (Phase 2) Note: We like to live with kitchens and bathrooms (and give them smaller budget-friendly updates) for at least a year before doing any major gut-jobs or renovations (this helps us get a better feel for how we use the space, and allows us to save our pennies for something thoughtful that we won’t regret (more on that here)
Replace unsalvageable tile floor? (Phase 2)
Here’s a shocker since this house is covered with old wallpaper, but we’re actually flirting with adding some cool new wallpaper since there’s no tub/shower in there (grass cloth? something charming like this or this?). Could be fun! Or a tiled accent wall… (Phase 2)
- The Dining Room (10% Complete) -
To Do:
Clean and reseal the wood floors
Upgrade built-ins (remove scrolly tops? build up to ceiling? paint white?)
Paint all of the blue trim
Remove the wallpaper
Repaint the walls
Upgrade lighting and curtains
Add
furniture
, a rug (?) and art
- The Living Room (10% Complete) -
To Do:
Clean and re-seal the wood floors
Prime and paint the bright pink walls
Take down the old curtains
Whitewash the brick fireplace wall
Prime and paint the thick woodwork that wraps around the bottom half of the room’s walls (we LOVE it, and think it’ll be gorgeous in white)
Figure out window treatments (bamboo blinds + curtains? printed roman shades?)
Add more recessed lights to evenly light the room (there are just three near the fireplace)
Turn the overhead beams into a coffered ceiling (like this)
Build/find a nice big built-in-looking cabinet that holds the TV?
Get gas logs after we save up our bucks (Phase 2)
Add stacked stone or built-in molding around the fireplace? (Phase 2)
- The Office (20% Complete) -
To Do:
Take down the old curtains
Clean and re-seal the wood floors
Paint all the blue trim, baseboard, crown, etc (66 window mullions = yikes)
Paint the walls and ceiling
Add a double desk
that J & and I can share somewhere (we’re about halfway through this one, hence half the cross out)
Bring in more storage (bookcase, file cabinet, craft/photography zone, etc)
Get good desk chairs
Add curtains/window treatments
Hang art & create a brainstorm-zone on the walls (bulletin board? chalkboard?)
Make sure there’s a kid zone for Clara and Teddy (we have a table for them, but we want to update that area)
Get a big cozy rug
Add two large potted plants (lemon trees? fiddle leaf figs?)
- The Kitchen (35% Complete) -
To Do:
Take down the old curtains
Remove the wallpaper
Remove shelves thank flank the sink window and add shelves there
Move the cabinet over the fridge forward so it’s accessible
Get a table for the eat-in area
Paint the walls
Update the old kitchen lights
(although we’re still on the fence about the pendant near the stove, so that might end up in our bedroom)
Paint the pantry door and the door to the garage
Prime and paint the woodwork and trim
Paint/stain the cabinets
(they’re too beat up to keep forever, but they’ll eventually end up in the garage when we do a full kitchen reno)
Remove almond microwave over stove and add an inexpensive vent (put microwave in pantry)
Update the old almond fridge and dishwasher with affordable fixes (appliance paint and a panel change-out)
Organize the pantry (prime & paint it, add shelves & baskets, etc)
Update the old counters with concrete & seal them
Update the old floors with peel & stick tile like our first kitchen (this would be the end of Phase 1)
Full kitchen reno for Phase 2 (new heated tile floors, new cabinets, new counters, new appliances, backsplash tile, etc)
Convert giant triple window behind table into french doors leading onto the deck
Open the wall between the kitchen & living room and add built-ins on either side (sort of like the dining room built-ins in our last house)
Further pimp the pantry with pull out drawers (and replace the door with frosted glass?)
Amp up the “command center” area across from the triple windows
Paint the new kitchen french doors and door to the sunroom (black? charcoal? soft turquoise? white?)
- The Sunroom-Turned-Veranda (80% Complete) -
To Do:
Rip up old carpet and padding
Permanently remove the broken base heater
Convert sunroom to an open covered porch with new columns and no more sliders (many of the sliders are bad and the posts are rotten)
Loft the ceiling
Add beadboard to the ceiling and paint it soft blue
Redo the electrical to get two fans in there
Paint all the trim, window trim, walls, and the french door into the living room
Retile the floor with outdoor-safe stone to upgrade the old concrete floors so they’re less slick, more level, and less stained
Add sconces to the posts around the room
Build a box to hide the wires that creep down the brick wall near the french door
Furnish the room with deck-friendly outdoor furniture
Build a brick outdoor fireplace off of the sunroom after we open it up? Kind of like this, but different…
- The Master Bedroom (15% Complete) -
To Do:
Remove old carpeting and install hardwoods
Repaint all of the cream trim and doors white
Add faux wood blinds to all windows for privacy/light blocking
Repaint the walls
Repaint the ceiling (or even plank it or wallpaper it like this for texture?)
Possibly add built-ins along the entire bed wall so there’s a nook for the bed to tuck into? Or some sort of window seats? More built-in storage would be great.
Add a ceiling light fixture (there’s nothing in there)
Bring in art, curtains, etc.
Add a fireplace (this is a Candice Olson inspired pipe dream)
- The Master Bedroom Sink Nook (50% Complete) -
Rip up the carpet in sink area (we didn’t put hardwoods there because we eventually want to tile it)
Replace the mirror over the sink for something bigger
Paint the walls and the trim and the ceiling
Stencil and seal the subfloor (to tide us over until Phase 2)
Add some simple shelves to the empty side of the vanity for balance
Stain/paint the vanity and add new hardware
Phase 2 (a full reno where we knock down a wall and combine the master bathroom with this sink nook area)
- The Master Bathroom (30% Complete) -
To Do:
Remove the glass shower door
Bring privacy to the window with some blinds
Remove the wallpaper
Paint the walls and trim and ceiling
Replace the bathroom mirror & upgrade the lights
Completely redo the master bath down the line for Phase 2 (the fun blue hex floor tile is in rough shape and we want to expand the footprint into the sink nook area so it’s all one space (soaker tub? tiled shower as well? double sink? should be fun!)
- The Master Closet (40% Complete) -
To Do:
Repaint all of the cream trim
Paint the walls and ceiling
Rip up the carpet and stencil the subfloor
Phase 2 (we’ll either extend the tile from the bathroom or the hardwoods from the bedroom into here, just have to decide if we’re moving the door or not)
New light fixture
Organize/build out/pimp the entire space (we’re envisioning cabinetry with drawers, shelves, rods at different heights, etc)
-Upstairs Hallway (75% Complete) -
To Do:
Remove old carpeting and install hardwoods
Repaint all of the blue trim and doors glossy white
Get all new hinges and door knobs (they’re not only bright brass, many of them are rusted/corroded so they can’t just be sprayed)
Upgrade to a Nest thermostat (we hear nothing but great things about them, and John is drooling for one)
Stain/paint the bannister and posts
Paint the walls and ceiling
Replace the old hallway lights
Convert hallway linen closet into built-in open shelves or cabinets with shelves over them (sort of like this?)
Add crown molding
Maybe add thick wood wainscoting (like we have in the kitchen and living room) to the upstairs hallway to break up the long space?
Hang art
- Clara’s Room (90% Complete) -
To Do:
Remove old carpeting and install hardwoods
Repaint all of the blue trim and doors
Add window blinds & curtains
Paint the walls and ceiling
Make a canopy wall for Clara’s bed (with lights)
Paint the door to her closet bright pink
Add crown molding
Hang art & bring in things like her play kitchen when the crib moves to the nursery
Make her deep sloped ceiling-ed closet into a little playhouse within her room
Add a ceiling light fixture (boo! there’s nothing in there!)
- Nursery (90% Complete) -
To Do:
Remove old carpeting and install hardwoods
Repaint all of the mauve trim and doors
Add wood blinds (for light blocking) and hang curtains
Furnish the room (rug, bring in crib, changing area, toy zone, chair for nursing, etc)
Make built-ins on either side of the crib (to accommodate a future twin bed lengthwise or full/queen widthwise)
Add crown molding
Repaint the walls and ceiling
Make a crib skirt and a mobile, hang art, etc
Paint the door a fun color like Clara’s (green?) and organize the closet
Add a ceiling light fixture (boo! there’s nothing in there!)
Finishing touches (line the curtains with blackout fabric, get a changing pad cover, add something on the crib wall, etc)
- The Guest Bedroom (12% Complete) -
To Do:
Remove old carpeting and install hardwoods
Repaint all of the cream trim and doors
Organize the closet that’s overflowing with gift wrapping supplies, fabric & sewing stuff, crafts, etc.
Clear out all the junk in this room since it sort of exploded when we tackled the nursery
(we got this done 48 hours before Teddy was born, just in time for Nonna’s arrival)
Paint the walls and ceiling
Add crown molding
Add a ceiling light fixture (nope, there’s nothing in there either!)
Bring in
a bed
and a dresser/desk that can accommodate my sewing machine so this room can multi-task (it has the prettiest view/light – I’d love to creep in there and sew on Sunday afternoons)
- The Hall Bathroom (8% Complete) -
To Do:
Paint
the door and
trim
Paint the walls and ceiling
Replace the faucets
and mirrors
and lights for a mini-update (Phase 1)
A complete redo is in order (Phase 2) since the old tile is stained/cracked and the tub & fixtures leak. Maybe we’ll do herringbone slate? Marble? Extra long rectangles of tile like this?
- Laundry Nook (20% Complete) -
To Do:
Remove old carpeting and install hardwoods
Replace the washer & dryer with something more energy efficient down the line
(the washer died on this, so we tackled this faster than we thought)
Lay something under the washer and dryer
(we used wood planks that we stained and sealed like we did at our last house to add stability and blend in with the hardwoods)
Completely redo the nook (new doors for noise control, new cabinets/shelving – or more cabs/shelves if we re-use the existing ones)
Add a swanky tile backsplash and some great art/lighting (I want to make it a fun little surprise jewel box at the end of the hallway)
- Unfinished Storage Room (0% Complete) -
To Do:
This will serve as an awesomely large storage room for a while (we have no current need for additional finished rooms), but down the line we’d love to finish it – maybe as a movie room / bunk room for older kiddos? This’ll be waaay down the line, but we dream of:
Adding drywall
Getting flooring
Adding lighting
Possibly enlarging the windows to let in more light
Building out the closets (so there’s still some storage under the eaves)
Furnishing the space with built in beds, a TV, a big sectional for lounging, etc – wahoo!
- General Whole House Ideas (7% Complete) -
To Do:
Slowly upgrade all lights in the house to LEDs to save energy
Replace all of the gold/wallpapered/off-white switchplates and outlets in the house (we’ve replaced around 50% of them so far)
Upgrade to nicer frames, drapes, sheets, and curtain rods over time (they’re not cheap, but we’d love to be “grown ups” someday – even if it takes us 10 years or so to get there!)
- The Back Deck (50% Complete) -
To Do:
Remove the giant oak tree that’s practically growing into the house
Patch the deck hole after the tree is removed
Strip and stain/seal the entire deck
Replace any rotten/ warped boards as we go
Add double wide stairs off the back of the deck that line up with the new french doors that we’ll add off of the kitchen
Possibly build a pergola for more architecture and shade off of the back of house where the future kitchen french doors will be (square to the sunroom)?
Build outdoor furniture like a table or lounge chairs for the deck
- The Backyard (15% Complete) -
To Do:
Remove random slate pieces from the backyard
Aerate or level the yard
Seed the yard in the fall
Plant large holly bushes for privacy from the other houses that our wooded lot backs up to
Transplant a few things for a better layout, like the pretty peony bushes in the middle of nowhere (not pictured)
Reseed again in the spring/fall
Build a swing set
Plant an edible garden (not sure what the deer won’t eat, so I’ll have to do some research)
Redo the old cracked concrete walkway between the garage and the deck
Add more privacy plantings around the rest of the yard – tiered trees, bushes, and flowers (we plan to save up for these and add more each year)
Build some raised planters and hardscaping
Possibly add a patio area somewhere around the deck?
Make a wooden teepee in the corner of the backyard with Clara and then plant some vines to grow around it to make a cool little hideaway (like this)
Build an air conditioner cover with wood boards like this
Whenever we share this list people wonder how we choose what to do next or know what order to tackle stuff in. We just do whatever sounds fun and whatever works with our current budget (barring anything that needs to be moved to the top of the list for safety or other extreme-urgency reasons). We jump around a lot, which seems to keep our momentum up, so instead of being so sick of doing small updates to the kitchen for ten weeks in a row we painted/stained the cabinets over the holidays and recently dove back in to update the counters with Ardex. As for what’s next on the list, we’re hoping to:
continue adding storage/function in the freshly painted office
finish up the nursery
organize and paint the guest room
nix the blue trim in the dining room
get back outside and do some privacy planting as soon as it’s a tiny bit warmer
What does your to-do list look like these days? Is it super long and detailed? All in your head? Just a few “on deck tasks” to keep you from getting overwhelmed? For some weird reason I feel more in control when I write it all down (just to get it out of my head I think) and then John and I can zero in on a few “next projects” and push the rest into the backs of our minds.