Project 2012 ~ My Home

I was blog browsing earlier this morning and stumbled upon a blogger (sorry, I didn't think to jot down which blog it was so if this is your idea, thanks!) who has decided instead of resolutions for 2012, she would make 2012 her "project" year. I liked that idea, so I'm borrowing it.

I am at a crossroads of sort in my life right now. Scott and I became empty nesters this past year when both of our children graduated high school and flew the coop. His son still lives in the same town we do, but he hardly ever comes around to visit us unless he needs money or something like that. My son moved to Arkansas, which is where my mother and both of my siblings live. He has also signed up to join the Air Force for 6 years and will be leaving for basic training in March. In addition to all this, I quit my job back in August to pursue another job that I thought was going to be bigger and better! Well, that didn't work out. So I found another job. Again, moving on to better things. Um, not! That one didn't work out either. Scott was able to secure a much better paying job that is located much closer to home so now I don't HAVE to work if I choose not to. But I've worked all my life so now I find myself bored and with way too much time to think and worry about things I have no control over.

So, I've decided that I am going to focus on my very own Project 2012. Our home. Here's some of the things I'm going to tackle this year:

1. Get organized!!! I have a hard time with this. On some levels, I do great. For example, when I was working, my desk HAD to be neat or I could not get anything accomplished. Everything had it's place. However, at home, my desk area where I keep our mail, bills, etc. is not so organized. So I'm going to work on that.

2. Redo my laundry room. I am extremely excited about this project! Here's a sneak peek at what it looks like now:



Isn't that awful???? Yes, it is!!! Messy, messy, messy and totally unorganized. Laundry is such a mundane chore so I'm going to make it a bit more fun by transforming this room into a brighter place and creating storage to hide all that junk!

3. Mini makeover on my bathroom. Scott and I live in a small house. It's only a little over 1000 square feet. Three bedrooms, one bath. It's fine for just the two of us, although we are discussing adding an additional bathroom as well as making one of the bedrooms larger. But that is something that will have to come in time. So for now, my goal is to make what we have the best we can. The bathroom is currently decorated in a primitive, country style. And while that is ok, I'm ready for a change. Something a little more contemporary and brighter. (Are you sensing a theme here?)

4. Finish our kitchen makeover (cosmetic) we started last spring. We painted our cabinets and countertops, added hardware to the cabinets, added a faux brick backsplash behind the counters and stove area, and painted the walls in the dining area and kitchen. We also added a chair rail to the dining area and painted some freebie chairs I scored from a friend. Money ran short so we stopped there but my end goal is to put in new flooring, replace some of the appliances, install a new sink and faucet, and add crown moulding. Here's some pics of what we've done so far:

Chairs "before":


Chairs "after":


Faux brick backsplash "before":


Faux brick backsplash "after":


Countertops "before". You can also see in the pic that the cabinets were a dingy off white color when we started:


Countertops "after":


Paint colors and chair rail in dining area:


Our "new" white cabinets complete with hardware:


Scott cut out window pane patterns in the top cabinets above my sink area and installed plexi glass behind the panes. I painted the insides of the cabinets with the terra cotta red color we used in the dining area. We installed glass shelving and lights in both cabinets as well. In this pic, you can also see we carried the tan paint color from the dining area over to the kitchen area:




4. Paying more attention to details in my home. I find my decorating tastes are changing. I used to like more of the country look (not ruffled curtains!), but now I'm finding myself drawn towards a more contemporary look with touches of country. I don't know if that makes any sense or not. I like what I like! I find myself drawn to french country and Tuscan country colors. I'll figure it out someday!

Whew, that's quite a list when I go back and read it all! I think I've got my work cut out for me! I feel like our homes should reflect who we are, and not what others think we should be. So I am not trying to keep up with the Jones', so to speak. My goal is to make our home fit our needs and be a comfy place where everyone feels at home.

So, do you have any goals for 2012 as far as your home is concerned? I'd love to hear what you think!

Until next time. . .