HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! As of Monday, I am officially back in the office (for both jobs LOL)! Usually I come back from the Christmas break worn out and unmotivated til at least MLK Day. However, I did get much rest and caught up on a few shows I have missed out on the past couple of years. The free time and extended stay at home also made it clear that I will have a long to do list for 2019. I thought going full throttle in 2018 to completely decorate our new home would mean I could relax and enjoy the fruits of my labor in 2019. WRONG! LOL. I found that 2019’s focus will be ORGANIZATION and some finishing touches.
Organize the Garage
We are blessed to have a 2 car garage that fits both my sedan sports car and his larger than life Cadillac. However, they “just” fit. Meaning it doesn’t have a lot of floor space for yard tools, storage, bicycles, etc. So this year I will be utilizing storage solutions that will not take up a lot of premium square footage.
This is my dream layout. Thank goodness we do not have a canoe!
2. Pretty Up + Organize the Laundry Room
Our laundry isn’t large but it met the requirement of my laundry room loving husband: it is a room and it can hold full sized washer and dryer. My husband gets up way before me (until recently I started attending 615am workouts), so he gets dressed in the guest room so he won’t have to wake me. This tends to keep the nicely decorated guest room (my mother’s room) in disarray for his pajamas of the week pile up until laundry is done on Sunday. So I would like to transform the laundry room where it is also a dressing room. It has one wired shelf on one wall currently, but no where to hang clothing. I am not keen on drilling holes in the walls for a closet system. So I am currently leaning towards a stand alone closet organization system.
I love this standalone wardrobe at Target!
3. Add Glassed Storm Door to Entry
We have a beautiful black door at the entry of our home. I have a thing for doors paint bold colors. My first house in IL, I painted the double doors a nice yellow to offset the dark slate colored siding. Anywho, I didn’t like the black door as much when pollen season arrived last year. My beautiful black door was an icky yellowish green. The infamous season of the South even ruined my new vibrant purple wreath. So before I start changing out the outdoor accessories to reflect the warmer seasons (although it is crazily warm in Charlotte these days), I will need a nice pretty storm door to showcase and protect my pretty noir door (and wreath). Unfortunately I can’t go too wild with the door style due to the HOA. However I am looking forward to my entry to look a little something like this.
4. Replace Light in Entry with Flush Mount Chandelier
Our entry has pieces of art that either I painted or we curated from our international travels. However, the light “illuminating” these pieces is a “boob” light. You know those contractor lights that they clearly purchase in bulk when building a community of “cookie cutter” homes. If you look at them, they look like boobs in your ceilings LOL. Anyways I digress. It wouldn’t be so bad if it actually produced enough light. However, with the black door, no windows , and dark flooring in the entry, it makes it tough for that little light to shine bright like a diamond.
I have always wanted a large Sputnik or Anemone flush mount fixture similar to this one offered at Arteriors Home.
5. Repeat #4 for the Dining Room
Same boob light and same issues as stated in to do list item #4. Except for a flush mount, I would like a chandelier. I think the entry will be brass to tie in the brass elements throught the 1st floor. However, since the open concept living space already has brass elements, I may lean towards a black finish. Knowing me and my obsession with brass, I bet I change my mind LOL.
6. Level Up Shelving in Powder Room
I have no idea why we have a rather large “curio” built in our powder room. But I am going to use the opportunity to turn them into a display since there is no shower which means there is no need for towels and such to be stored in the room. I have come across some expensive and inexpensive solutions. I think I am going to lean towards the middle. I want the solution to look expensive as installing wood shelves but with less labor as the inexpensive solutions of covering the wire shelves.
The creative behind the Happy Housie blog may be my favorite solution thus far.
So that concludes my to do list (so far). What things are on your to-do list for your spaces? Please feel free to share in the comments below!