Wahoooooooo! A list post! I loooooooooove lists! Oh haaaaaappy day.
Now that I’ve gotten that out of my system, this post will continue without the excessive exclamation points & extraneous vowels.
Lots of people have been asking what we’ll tackle next, what order we’ll be doing things in, etc. And our answer is usually: it’ll honestly just depend on our mood and what supplies we have on hand. When it comes to big projects we like to save our pennies and plan things to death, but for small things (which we always recommend doing first so you can live with the house for a while before making any dramatic changes that you might regret) we always just dive in and learn as we go. It’s the only way we’ve been able to accomplish things instead of being paralyzed by indecision. So we’ll hang frames somewhere and if we don’t like them we’ll move them. Same deal for picking paint colors and arranging furniture. And we’ll post pics and details as they occur, not to worry! But just for fun (and because I’m a die-hard list making fool) I thought I’d share a few of the bulleted things scrawled in a notebook by the bed.
My method? Just casually write everything out in list form, circle the small things I think we can get to right away, cross them off as we go, and underline the long term things we want to save for and tackle when we finally have the funds (and are feeling more sure about our approach). Looking at those underlined things from time to time keeps us excited to squirrel away as much 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 really keep you motivated and excited to tweak your house one day at a time until it’s suddenly your love-it-to-pieces home. Anyway, here’s the ol’ list:
To Do (But Not All At Once…):
- Find bold saturated/patterned fabric and DIY some no-sew curtains (using this method) for the living room, future dining room, office, guest bedroom, playroom, bedroom, hall sliders, etc.
- Paint every room (this is one of those slowly over time tasks- we’re thinking about tones seen here in this whole-house color scheme post of yore)
- Paint all the dark wood trim (beams, trim, baseboard, crown) in the living room and the kitchen (some people love natural wood trim, but we love it glossy and white)
- Remove unnecessary bi-fold doors
- Frost the side door that looks in on the kitchen (just tackled this- will post details soon)
- Remove the shelves next to the fireplace (just realized we didn’t share this project yet- soon!)
- Prime and paint the paneling in the kitchen using this method (not sure what color we’ll go for…)
- Redo the kitchen backsplash (check out overstock.com for tile along with clearance stuff from local vendors)
- Get all new kitchen hardware (check out local places, online stuff, and big box stores for best deal)
- Prime and paint the oak cabinets in the kitchen using this method (again, not sure what color)
- Finally refinish and reupholster the craigslist rocker that we got a while back (and find a spot for it in one of the living areas so it gets lots of casual use)
- Recover the leather parsons chair in the corner of our living room (at the white desk) with a bright fun fabric slipcover
- Replace a ton of light fixtures (too many to list)
- Remove all the door handles, hinges, and doorknobs in the house and spray them with oil-rubbed bronze spray paint
- Frame out the mirror in the hall bathroom
- Paint the vanity in the hall bathroom
- Hang a thick velvet curtain in front of our walk-in closet
- Wallpaper or stencil the sink nook in the master bedroom
- Frost or add curtains to the window in the master bathroom (and possibly the other two bathroom windows)
- Turn the area between the addition and the old house with the sliders leading out onto it into a sweet outdoor cutting garden (it’s near the kitchen, and it seems to get enough light… will share details in the spring when it’s planting time)
- Make built-ins around the washer and dryer to create mini mudroom function and replace cabinet doors up top with pull out baskets or drop down blinds
- Paint the front door
- Frame out the porch columns so they’re chunky and square instead of ornate and curvy
- Plant evergreen trees around the perimeter of the property for more privacy from the side, back, and even part of the front (waiting for them to “fill in” will be the hardest part, but getting smaller plants will save us money so we’ll hopefully have patience)
- Pump up the curb appeal with more landscaping upgrades
These ones are circled:
- Paint the back of the future dining room built-ins something fun and bright
- Update and paint the vanity in the master bathroom
- Replace the medicine cabinet in the guest bathroom with a charming mirror
- Paint the dark brick fireplace in the kitchen using this method
- Paint the master bedroom
These ones are underlined:
- Refinish the various wood floors throughout the house (the same shade for a nice cohesive look- dark brown? ebony? light gray?)
- Turn the fireplace in the kitchen into a double-sided fireplace that also opens up into the living room (call the mason who helped open the doorway in our old house just to make sure it’s possible and get an estimate)
- Widen the doorway between the kitchen and the living room
- Create a huge doorway between the kitchen and the future dining room that lines up with the newly widened doorway between the kitchen and the living room
- Build/adapt a custom island for the eat-in area of the kitchen near the fireplace
- Convert the carport into a garage (and pick out a killer garage door to add some dimension and architecture to our flat little rancher)
- Add french doors between the future dining room and the office (for privacy and tons of charm)
- Replace the flooring in the kitchen and mudroom/laundry room (with cork ?)
Furnishings To Slowly Save Up For:
- A queen sized bed for the master (so we don’t have to sleep on our mattress on the floor anymore)
- A big charcoal gray u-shaped sectional for the living room (I’ve dreamed about having a big enough living space for a sectional for at least the past three years)
- A larger TV stand/media center for the living room (ours is laughably dinky, but we’ll craigslist it and put the money toward something that’ll fit the space better- hopefully something thrifted or even something we can build ourselves)
- A giant rug to define the new seating area in the living room (8 x 10? 9 x 11?)
- Some kick-arse stools for the new island in the kitchen once it’s there (find something cheap and reupholster it for more style?)
- A giant round wooden pedestal table for the future dining room (with an expandable leaf to seat 10-12 people)
- Comfy chairs for the future dining table (preferably upholstered parsons chairs so they look library-ish and casual as opposed to hard and wood-heavy)
- New shower curtains and bathroom towels and accessories for the hall bath and guest bathroom
- New energy efficient appliances for the kitchen and the laundry room (we’re waiting for some killer deals, which we’ve heard can pop up in February once new models are introduced- we’ll also check out craigslist and scratch & dent stuff).
- A full sized bed frame, mattress, and box spring for the guest room (then we’ll make a fun DIY headboard)
- A big cabinet or console table for the hallway off of the kitchen (thrifted/craigslisted and refinished?)
- A new console table (since ours is laughably small, we’ll sell it and put the money towards one that’ll better fit the space to help define the entryway in the front of the house)
- His and hers dressers for the master bedroom that we can refinish (preferably super cheap on craigslist or from the thrift store)
In summary, it doesn’t sound like rocket science, but our method is to basically just write everything down and tackle things that are doable and not too intimidating while we save up for the bigger projects. And as for priorities, we generally just do whatever project we’re in the mood to take on (barring anything that needs to be a priority for safety or other extreme urgency reasons). And we definitely jump around from room to room just to stay excited and not feel too regimented and “forced” into doing something that we might not want to deal with yet.
So you’ll see us working on different areas and taking on everything from DIY curtains and paint-related projects to heavy duty renovations and lightweight accessorizing. We’ll share more deets on each of those projects as we tackle them over the next few years (yes, we said years- remember our last house took us 4.5 years to “finish” – and even then there were things we could have noodled for years). Woot! Off to the home improvement store (again) for more supplies. There’s no place like home (depot). Sometimes I wish I had red sparkly shoes that I could click three times and be taken to the hardware aisle…
Psst- Adorable “I heart lists” stationery found here on Etsy.
Psssst- Check out this floor plan post which might make some of the major layout changes & renovations that we’ve listed a bit more clear.
Rachel @ The Avid Appetite says
I love lists! I’m going to adopt this method as we work for paint/furnish/DIY our new home in 2011 :)
Diana says
You guys are always such an inspiration- My husband and I have talked about making a list of things to do to the house since Christmas, Now I have the motivation to actually make a list and prioritize the items.
Annette says
Hey guys! I’m super excited to read about your plans! I can’t wait to see the drama unfold! We recently bought unfinished furniture and stained it ourselves. It might be worth looking into for your needs…
http://barewoodsfurniture.com/index.php
We got two end tables, a coffee table and a TV stand table for $500. We thought it was a good deal for all wood furniture. :) A lot of the stuff they have is made out of parawood. We researched it and found that it’s really just the rubber tree and when all the sap has been drawn out to make rubber, they now cut down the wood and turn it into furniture. They used to just burn it down. Real wood workers don’t seem to love it…but it worked well for us. Just thought you might be interested! Have fun with all your projects!! :)
Sara @ House Bella says
I’m especially excited for you to spraypaint your door knobs, that’s a project I’ve been meaning to tackle but I’m too chicken (and it’s too darn cold outside to spraypaint anything, anyway). Goodbye 90’s brass, hello style!
Katy says
Hi! I looooove your blog and find all of the DIY info so helpful! You guys are very resourceful! Anyway, I noticed this on your list: “Recover the leather parsons chair in the corner of our living room (at the white desk) with a bright fun fabric slipcover”. Can you actually recover leather w/out taking it to a professional? I have a leather chair and ottoman I would love to recover, but am not sure how to go about it. If you post the ‘how-to’ once this gets crossed off the list…please share!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Katy,
You probably shouldn’t reupholster something right over leather for the most part, but if you’re going to make a removable slipcover it can easily be slipped over something that’s leather – so that’s our plan! Who knows if it’ll work…
xo,
s
Jessica says
Three things:
1) I LOVE lists, and have 4 of them going on my “desktop” at the present moment;
2)We did Magnolia acuminata and Nellie Stevens Holly for a natural privacy barrier at our “old” house, and loved it. We bought them at 5 gallon size, and planted them 5 feet apart. They did amazingly well and were very drought/heat tolerant, which is important where we live in NC. Our old lot was irregular, so a fence would have looked goofy, the natural border was much prettier IMO. And finally:
3) OVERSTOCK SELLS TILE?! Off to investigate this, wow, I had no idea!!
L says
We painted our kitchen and dining room paneling, and didn’t even bother to prime. Two coats of Behr paint and primer in one, and they look great! It’s now 8 months later, and we’ve had no issue with bleeding or paint scratching, etc. On the other hand, I didn’t prime the built-ins, and there are just a few spots on there that continually bleed through the paint. Maybe there was an excess on stain there? Oh well, live and learn! http://secretcityranch.blogspot.com/2010/05/with-little-help-from-our-friends-part_28.html
Amy says
I love seeing all the plans you’ve got for the new house – makes me excited for all the future posts!
Are you guys thinking that this will be your “forever” house? I know that for a while Sherry thought your last house would be, but John wasn’t so convinced…
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Amy,
We will never make that declaration again. We love it, but we’ll have to see what the future holds!
xo,
s
Stephanie says
I LOVE lists and notebooks – somewhat of an obsession! I stumbled upon this post yesterday: http://www.chookooloonks.com/the-beauty-of-different/2010/12/29/journaling-101-a-primer-for-those-whod-like-to-start-a-pract.html
I am energized by it :) Such a fun approach to journaling and no better way to have an inclusive ‘listing’ of what is going on in your world. Thought you might be interested?!
Can’t wait to see your projects as they progress! Happy New Year!!
Christa M says
Hah! I too am a list person. I make lots of them though and can find them in almost every notebook I have at home and at work.
I once had a boyfriend that called me Christa Lista…I thought it was a very appropriate name for me.
Can’t wait to see how you use those colors! Oh and I am dying to know what color you’ll be painting that front door.
lisa says
Just to make you feel better: The smaller plants do better in the long run, as they develop better root structure.
Erin says
Love the list (and all lists for that matter!) – it gets me excited, and it’s not even my house. What would you say your best sources are for fabric? I’m on the hunt for some fun fabric to rehupolster some craigslisted chairs in our living room, but so far JoAnn Fabric and G Street Fabrics haven’t yielded what I’m looking for –
YoungHouseLove says
We actually find lots of good stuff from JoAnn and Hancock but you have to really hunt (all of the fabric for Clara’s weekly shots comes from there). We also love local places like U-Fab and William’s & Sherrill- oh and fabric.com has some good stuff too. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Kira says
Thanks so much for this post! I just moved into a new place 3 days after you guys moved into your new house. We bought the house “as is”, so needless to say we have a number of projects to do over the next few years. For some reason, though, I hadn’t thought to write everything down yet. Duh!
First on the list now is to tackle the multitude of wallpaper! I’ve tried my old tactics on a section of it already and it isn’t working. So, I’m tempted to paint over it. Have you ever done this?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Kira,
Don’t do it! It’ll just crack and peel and look bumpy. Definitely remove it! It seems like a long job but it’s a shortcut if you consider how much time it takes to paint it and then try to strip it once it looks terrible. Good luck!
xo,
s
sophie says
with reference to low-voc paint, I just heard from our paint dealer that this often refers to the BASE PAINT only, and that the tints themselves are most often NOT low-VOC.
The following, from Mike Holmes, is worth considering:
“PAINTS AND ADHESIVES
Be aware, however, that while base paint might have low emissions of VOC, the tints you have added might not….
Be careful when buying products that are labelled “low VOC.”
The manufacturer might make that claim, but like calling a product “green” or “natural,” it could mean anything. The “low VOC” designation on a product might just mean “lower than before,” when in reality its emission level might be high when compared with similar products….One standard to look for is the Green Seal, which indicates that a product has been rigorously tested and meets certain environmental standards.Similarly, the Green Label certifies that such things as carpets and adhesives meet certain requirements on emissions of VOCs.”
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Sophie,
Very true! As far as we know Olympic paint (they have a new formula) is the only one without VOCs in the tints and additives, which is why we have been getting them to color-match swatches by any brand to create nice no-VOC alternatives!
xo,
s
Elaine says
Just wanted to share my favorite paint color, which we’ve used in the living area of our current and past homes. It’s by Sherwin Williams and the color is Relaxed Khaki… it’s basically khaki with a subtle green undertone. I love it because it looks good next all kinds of colors if there are multiple rooms in your view.
Linda says
I love your list! I had a thought when reading one item. The round pedestal table with leaves to seat 10-12. I have my great grandmother’s round oak extension table! I am extra lucky and LOVE it at the holidays! It has 6 small 10″ leaves that my grandfather crafted for her. It makes the 45″ table HUGE! Seats 10-12…problem is that the base is in the center..and that makes it “tippy”…as long as no one uses the table to help them stand up you are good…but putting an elder patriarch at the head of the table can spell trouble! (Think SEESAW- doesn’t require much pressure either!)..Just a thought that a farmhouse style with expansion leaves might be safer for a big table. If mine wasn’t a family heirloom…I might consider that. Again…love the list. Just sharing a consideration. Know you guys love to “think it through”! ;-)
Michele says
Hey guys, just wanted to let you know that my husband and I just bought a big, beautiful, charcoal grey, u-shaped sectional ourselves! We got it at the Macy’s furniture gallery, and it’s a brand new piece in their Jonathan Louis collection (not even on their website yet). I can’t remember the exact name of the style off the top of my head, but I think you’d love it! Nice clean, classic lines, soft, brushed cotton fabric, large enough to seat 5-6 adults comfortably, and best of all, it has reversible cushions with a sort of mid-mod look to one side, and a more classic button-tuft look to the other side.
We looked at every furniture store imaginable and all we ever found were shades of brown brown brown and beige beige beige. I was losing hope when we finally stumbled across this one, and best of all, it wasn’t TOO terribly expensive. About $1700 total after some discounts, taxes and delivery. :)
You should go check it out!
Let me know if you’d like me to email you a picture of it so you know what you’re looking for at Macy’s.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Michele,
We’d love a picture if you have a moment to send it out way! Thanks so much for the tip!
xo,
s
Eileen says
Hey YHL,
Don’t forget Benjamin Moore has Natura that has no VOC in the tints and additives too. I learned about that through A Country Farmhouse, more specifically the post http://acountryfarmhouse.blogspot.com/2010/11/green-nursery.html. I was going to get that until you mentioned a couple of posts ago about the Olympic formula change. As much as I love BM, Olympic is a bit easier on the pocket.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes! We’d love to try that sometime! Thanks for the reminder.
xo,
s
Chelsea says
Do you have any style suggestions for scone lighting in a hallway. I’m having a hard time trying to find styles that aren’t too stark and modern or grandma looking.
Thanks!
Chelsea
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, maybe try a local lighting outlet? That’s what we do!
xo,
s
Erin says
Gray floors! I’m intrigued. Not that this is what you’ll definitely choose, but out of curiosity, how would you do that? Stain? Paint?
YoungHouseLove says
There are some pretty weathered gray stain colors out there! Just have to look a bit hard to find them…
xo,
s
Audra says
Hey guys!
I was so excited to see the type of dining table you will be looking for because we just got one like that a few months ago. It was actually my grandma’s table for years and her mom’s before that, so it’s at least 100 years old, but still in great condition. Without leaves it will seat 6 very comfortably and 8 if you squeeze in, then it will open up to seat 10-12 with leaves, and then will open even further (the pedestal actually splits in half to open it up wider) and we can fit about 16 people around it! It ends up being almost 10 feet long and we LOVE it! We’ve already used it completely open a couple of times. Anyway, I guess my point with that ridiculously long comment is to take your time because you can find some really awesome tables out there if you’re patient (which I know you will be). Congrats on the new house!
Sarah says
Ha, I was going to recommend leland cypress as well. We planted ones that were about 1′ and they are now over 6′ tall. I’d estimate they grow a little over a foot a year. We bought the little ones to save $$ too. I believe we paid $3.00 each for them at Walmart, but that was over 5 years ago. At first, they seemed really wimpy and when my annuals blocked them that first year, I started regretting being so cheap. But now, 5+ years later, they look perfect with zero effort. Plus 5 years goes by so quickly-especially when you have little ones to keep you busy!
gena says
We moved to Lavender Hill over 23 years ago and I still have the notebook I made my original lists in… I still use it too ! It’s been added to, crossed out and checked off hundreds of times. I divided it into “room” sections and have paint chips, fabric swatches and magazine pictures glued in…. remember this was pre-computer days. Now I also keep a running list in my iTouch with pictures, color swatches etc. I’m computer savvy these days – lol !
Enjoy the journey of your new home – I’m looking forward to all the fun things you’ll be doing !
gena
Erin says
I spray painted a bunch of interior door hinges and hinge pins in our house this summer and they turned out great! If your hinges are caked in old paint from people being messy while painting the door jambs, the hinges can be soaked in a crock pot filled with water and a bit of fabric softener – works like a charm! I have heard not to spray knobs as they receive too much hands on use.
Kara says
Cork floors are lovely, but I’d think twice about putting them in wet areas. I used to house sit for a couple who used cork in their kitchen. The refrigerator leaked and ruined the cork floor surrounding it (not on my time, thankfully). I suppose with the proper coating it might not be that much of an issue. I’m anxious to see what you two come up with!
Lesley says
great LONG list!! lol I remember you mentioning Johns dad is a Vet. at Lowes and Home Depot.. Vets get 10% off of purchases everyday!! My husband keeps a copy of his discharge papers in the car!! So for those big ticket items that would really help =) 10% can add up!!
Christine says
Are you keeping your existing kitchen cabinets, long-term? I think it is kind of cool when people just use what is there and fix it up… then again, I loved the gut-remodel of your last kitchen, too!
If you are looking for a great deal on big dining room tables, the Crate and Barrel outlet in Alexandria, VA has some fantastic deals. My sister got a sturdy, solid wood 8 or 9 foot table for $150. I’m sure you guys have been to that outlet before… but if you haven’t… check it out!!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Christine,
These cabinets are staying! We’ll definitely update them with new hardware, paint, and maybe even some glass doors on a few of them- but they’re much more spacious and functional than the 50 year old ones in our last kitchen were, so they’re here for the long haul!
xo,
s
Megan says
I am so jealous of your list (yes – I am one of the people like you that LOVE projects)! It makes me want to move so that I can re-do everything too. You mentioned cork for your kitchen floor – and I would say GO FOR IT! I recently put cork in my kitchen (replacing horrible peel and stick tiles – that we definitely peeling). It makes me happy to walk into my house each day and see it. Check it out here:
http://refinddesign.blogspot.com/2010/10/kitchen-floor.html
Elizabeth says
No fair…just saw that Virginia has TWO Crate and Barrel outlets while we in Florida only have one…and it’s sooo far away from me. Boooo
Just looked up those cypress trees that everyone is recommending and that species(?) seems nice, I’m usually not a fan of cypress trees; probably from seeing too many of them in SoCal when I lived there and everyone was trying to turn their yard into Tuscany.
Sarah @ The Strength of Faith says
I love lists!
I just refinished an old dresser and it was so much fun! I used a chocolate brown paint and sleek white knobs, but kept the antique-y wheels on the bottom to give it some nice modern/old juxtaposition. It was fun! I can’t wait to see what you guys do in your bedroom.
hjc says
Ha! You should sell your ‘click your heels’ idea to Home Depot. “There’s no place like Home Depot…there’s no place like Home Depot…”
eileen marie says
Oh Sherry, I <3 lists too, but unlike you too, mine never seems to shrink! (I write it all down & then don't do any of it.) Part of the reason I love you guys is I knew you'd come through w/ the link for the stationery at the end of the post.
PS: If you're looking for a new home for that Clara rug…I know the PERFECT buyer. ;)
jenn says
will you be getting rid of your current dining table when you eventually add the island? im so excited for your kitchen transformation i think it will be the biggest even after a coat or two of paint.
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, we’ll be craigslisting it we think!
xo,
s
Michele Daggar says
Hey guys,
love the posts with the lists! gets me thinking about things that might need a touch up in my own house!
Sherry, you should check out the blog “penelope loves lists” I’d put a link, but I have no idea how to do that (sad and pathetic I know) It really is an organization and list makers heaven.
Michele
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah we’ve heard of that site. Sounds like my idea of a good time!
xo,
s
Usha says
I have a list obsession too….it just makes my head feel a lot clearer to have everything down on paper or the computer! I had a question on your response to Lisa about the cabinet paint: you mentioned you were thinking of using low or no VOC products. Isn’t the oil based primer that you usually use for painting cabinets pretty high in VOC’s though? Unless (hoping against hope) you’ve found an alternative??
YoungHouseLove says
Yes – oil based primer is the stinky gross stuff so we’re going to head to a local green building store and see what alternatives they offer. Hopefully we’ll find something less VOC riddled that still blocks bleed though! We’ll post all about whatever we find!
xo,
s
Roshni says
So exciting!! I can’t wait to read about each of those projects!!
For some reason, I’m not getting updates in FB….grrr! I’ll just keep your site open so I don’t miss out on the posts.
Alexa says
Hi, love you blog and excited to see your progress on the list. My husband and I are still ticking ours off 1.5 years later.
Question for you: have you framed a mirror before? I’d love to see it if you have. That’s on my list for our hall bathroom which I hope to work on in January.
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Alexa,
We haven’t but my friend Katie over at Bower Power has so here’s how she did it! We’ll post details when we tackle ours of course!
xo,
s
Lauren says
A girl after my own heart, Sherry! I LOVE lists and I make them for pretty much everything! I also have the same method of marking things that are smaller projects to be done first so I can feel like I’m accomplishing something. I think it would be interesting to see an updated post about this list in the future so we can see what you’ve added/taken off the list. You’ve probably already thought of this ;-)
sara says
I can’t WAIT to see how everything comes out! And to do them myself :) You guys are so inspiring!
Kathy says
I am with you: Lists are the only way to get a lot of things done. I think they’re especially good for new homeowners because after a few years, it’s easy to sort of get used to the things that you were so keen on remodeling when you first bought the home.
I LOVE that you’re working with your home’s existing “identity” —which will lead to less waste and cost, and more creativity! Sometimes I dream of tearing down walls and making our place larger, but we are trying to be happy with/appreciate a nicely renovated small place instead. thanks for helping us do this.
Ruth says
One of the commenters mentioned using wallpaper in the back of the built-ins instead of bright paint, but you can also “wallpaper” by sticking fabric to the wall with starch. It might be a cool thing to try – not such a health/eco concern as wallpaper plus we would all be glad to hear how it turned out.
YoungHouseLove says
Love that idea Ruth! It’s definitely a possibility!
xo,
s
Lauren Cardwell says
I am surprised you are painting the ceiling beams in the living room? Will you paint them high gloss white like the trim? Will the ceiling also be white? I am kind of liking the dark beams.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Lauren,
Yes, after a lot of deliberation we’ve decided to paint them. We just love trim and beams that are glossy white and we think it’ll keep the standard height ceilings from feeling as heavy and low.
xo,
s
Brynn says
Regarding the big grey sectional on your list….may I suggest the Elliot Sectional from Macy’s? My hubby and I just bought it (I think it’s still on sale) for our new house, which, like you two, we moved into about 2 weeks ago. It’s a 3 piece so there’s plenty of space for lounging, but what I liked most about it was that the seats weren’t too deep so it’s not as visually heavy as a lot of other big sectionals out there. The cushions also reverse to a button tuft detail which I love. Check it out!
Brynn says
I just read through the other comments, and I think the Elliot Sectional is exactly what Michele mentioned above. It wasn’t on their site when we bought either, but has just been added. The “Vintage” color is a great warm dark grey color.
Kerri says
Wow that is one big list! Can’t wait to see the results as you cross things off.
suki says
we have a list of stuff to get done. we just never actually get anything done. :P terrible, isn’t it?
Jenny says
Re. the energy efficient new appliances- we bought a whirlpool gold side by side “resource saver” fridge last year and it uses the same amount of energy each year as a 60 watt light bulb!! (Plus it’s super nice and works great!)
Lonely Wife Project says
Whew! I don’t know if this makes me want to crawl into bed or fly out to Virginia to help you.
Jay says
Whew! I got half-way through your list and had to take a nap. I’m exhausted. It will be fun to watch you take on each project. We have our share of new projects too here at http://www.down-sizingboomer.blogspot.com. We closed on Tuesday. Yippee.
Janie says
I made a list, but when it had pretty much every surface and fixture in every room I got daunted and ripped it up.
Have you considered leaving the beams in the living room brown? We had to remove ours because of a low ceiling, but with a nice high ceiling they add some interest up there.
Are you planning on having a table in the kitchen after you open it up to the dining room?
Have you discovered Printer’s Alley fabrics yet for all those curtains? You put me onto Williams and Sherrill and U-fab, but I stumbled onto Printer’s Alley and they’re awesome. They’re off W Broad Street, hidden behind a McDonald’s near Libby Ave.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah we love Painter’s Alley! So many good fabric choices just waiting to be discovered! As for those beams, we considered leaving them brown for a loooong time but we’re just suckers for glossy white trim so we have to follow our heart on that. It’s a standard height ceiling (not extra high or anything) so the dark beams definitely feel heavy to us when we’re standing in the space.
xo,
s