House Decorating Spin Off

lovemesomemonster · July 2015

Now that we have discussed who does the deciding in the house I want to hear about things you have all done!

Since we moved in we have refinished two bathrooms, built the master bed set, sanded and painted two metal chairs for out front, and I created an "international" wall with clocks set on the time in all the locations I went for work last year and a framed scarf from the UK behind an old window frame. My most recent excitement was going to look for picture frames in a thrift store yesterday and her ringing up 7 frames for $22! It was 50% off day! So I painted them last night and am really excited to start framing some of the artwork I got during my travels!

labro · July 2015

We've done a lot of cosmetic changes in our two years with soooo much more to go.

- Repainted the master bedroom, master bath, main hallway, and living room.

- Removed wallpaper in the guest bath, formal dining room, foyer, and kitchen and then repainted each of those rooms. Also replaced all fixtures in these rooms.

- Almost total remodel of the guest bath including new toilet and all new fixtures. I still want to replace the counter top when we feel like spending the money.

- Complete overhaul of the backyard. We replaced the septic field, had 30 trees removed, put in all new sod, planted 6 or 7 new bushes, new mulch, new rock landscaping around the pond, installed a 15x15 garden bed.

This winter and next year I want to -

- Repaint and reorganize H's home office and the laundry room.

- Paint the garage walls and floor.

- Remove our old wooden railing around the porch because it's eaten all to shit from carpenter bees and replace it with wrought iron railing.

- Redo the front garden island - new mulch, re landscape it, etc. We removed 16 pine trees from it about a year ago.

- Paint the guest bedroom.

- Replace the tile, toilet, fixtures, and counter top in our master bath for a start. Potentially replace the shower stall.

- Replace the garage doors.

- Replace the siding around the house. It's currently a pale green. I think I want the new siding to be a gray with white trim like this.

[Deleted User] · July 2015

I have a rental, we could only paint. And my fiance didn't want to help paint b/c the white walls didn't bother him.

I ended up painting one wall in our living room and the divider wall between our living room / bedroom and then called it quits. We needed to be in quickly so there wasn't time for more. Also, we have like 18 foot ceilings and I was tired of going up and down the ladder so I said "meh."

I actually like it the way it is. Left everything else in the house white.

lovemesomemonster · July 2015

@labro it sounds like you are on a roll with that house! I would love to see some before and after pictures, especially of the yard since that will be a major project for us coming up soon.

@FreelyToBe you did way more than I would have in a rental but that is awesome! We have vaulted ceilings in our house and I refuse to paint because of the reason you stated so FI will have to live with the beige walls! What colors did you do?

NowIamMrsKlein · July 2015

We have a rental so we havent been able to do anything, but we have so many plans for our future house!!

We seriously go to home building stores when we are bored and fantasize. It's probably not very healthy....

teddygirl9 · July 2015

We built new, so technically since we've moved in we havent done much lol.

We have a total of 4 pictures hung, 1 waiting to be hung, and 6 empty picture frames.

Other general decor, bar stools, curtains, pillows.

We have 2.5 baths, but only use 1.5. The other full bath doesnt even have a shower curtain yet, and it's been over a year haha.

ETA- We did build a sweet deck, get patio furniture and an amazing bbq though. Thats totally my space, in the sunshine! Were (he) are in the process of building a home bar. So far we only have the kegerator. Since last year haha.

littlemushroom · July 2015

We were so happy that the house we bought didn't need any work. TheyThe previous owners took the house down to the studs and redid everything 5 years ago, and we liked it all. We liked everything from their paint choices to tile to flooring. It was great to have a truly move in ready house. We might make some changes eventually, but we are happy with everything as it stands in the house.

As first time home buyers, we had a bunch of things we had to purchase for the new house. We were very happy to not need any cosmetic fixes initially. We already purchased a riding lawn mower for our giant yard, a weed wacker and blower, shelves for the basement and garage, a ladder, and myriad other items you don't think of before you are in the house. We are burning through our savings just with those items and want to leave as much as we can for an emergency fund in case something major comes up. Once we have enough to cover a new roof again (just in case, it is only 5 years old now), we can start thinking about long term ideas we have.

The few things we have done in the month we have been there are outside the house. We built a fire pit in the yard in the spot the previous owners had their's. We also put down new pea gravel around stepping stones where it was getting sparse in a walkway.

The few things we want to do this year:

Lower the shelf and bar in the master bedroom closet because I need to stand on my tip toes to hang anything up and can't reach the shelf at all. (I am 5'4)

Re-Paint the front porch because the paint is chipping away in spots, especially on the steps.

Seal the back deck, just to keep it in good condition.

In the long term, we want to reconfigure our giant master bath to have a double vanity and a tiled walk in shower.

labro · July 2015

@lovemesomemonster I STILL don't have good after pics of the yard. It's been a long drawn out process. We did the tree removal last summer, the septic replacement this winter, and the sod this spring and we're in the process of finishing up the mulch and rock. So I have lots of progress pics lol. I'll have to try and get some this weekend. It's honestly a never ending project with our yard. We're always finding something new we want to do.

lovemesomemonster · July 2015

labro said:

@lovemesomemonster I STILL don't have good after pics of the yard. It's been a long drawn out process. We did the tree removal last summer, the septic replacement this winter, and the sod this spring and we're in the process of finishing up the mulch and rock. So I have lots of progress pics lol. I'll have to try and get some this weekend. It's honestly a never ending project with our yard. We're always finding something new we want to do.

Sounds like you have done so much and I'm sure it will be lovely when it's done. I feel like half the battle is the vision of what you want to do!

MyNameIsNot · July 2015

We've done a lot of cosmetic things. The previous owner never painted over the builder eggshell paint, so we've painted every room in the house since moving in 3 years ago.

Other than that, we changed out some lighting fixtures, added dimmer switches in a few rooms, and ran an extra outlet for the electric car into the garage. I really want to add a counter top to the pass-through to turn it into a bar and run hardwoods through the bedrooms, but neither of those are DIY projects.

We're probably going to have to start replacing appliances soon. The microwave died last year. (I'll replace it when I miss it.) I expect that means the other appliances will be following shortly.

BouxRadley · July 2015

We're in a rental, but we repainted and have gone balls to the wall on new furniture so we're content for now.

jenna8984 · July 2015

Well my old house I did several AW/ transformation posts on here. We replaced the roof, furnace, water heater, and windows with all new energy efficient ones.

We replaced all the doors inside and out from disgusting 50's wood to 6 panel white with new knobs. Painted all the trim work white. Painted both bedrooms. Torn out 50's plastic tiles that went along the hallway and replaced it with wainscotting.

Completely re-did the bathroom from 50's mint green tiles including the vanity, toilet, shower, lighting, the works. Partially re-did the kitchen- new counter, new stove, new sink, new backsplash, but painted the cabinets and added new hardware.

The new house we are under agreement to buy we will not be changing a thing. We love the paint colors, the flooring, the doors, everything.

knottie9c5ed33df4bbd226 · July 2015

We both lived at home before we bought our house last October so we've done a lot. Thankfully it came with most appliances and we didn't have to make any repairs or paint so we've focused a lot on other, fun stuff.

-We bought all new furniture for the living room, dining room, family room, guest room and our bedroom.
-We finished the basement; dry wall, carpet, built in bar, bathroom, etc. It was just concrete when we moved in.
-We added ceiling fans in all the bedrooms, the office, kitchen and family room. Our house had none and that wasn't going to fly with us.
-We built a deck in the backyard.
-We (I) planted 6 trees along the perimeter of our yard.

AddieCake · July 2015

All we have done is buy furniture. It makes more sense for us to rent since my husband is gone so much, so we are limited with what we can do. We've furnished our formal living room, formal dining room, and most recently got a new bedroom set. The property manager gave me the ok to change the border in the kitchen, though, so that's next on my list. It's so dated; it has to go!

AprilH81 · July 2015

We have been in our house 14 months...

-Painted entire downstairs

-Kitchen remodel (new floor, paint, cabinets, appliances, backsplash and moved appliances)

-Powder room remodel (new floor, paint, sink/vanity and toilet)

-Painted the front door

-Replaced all of the brass (ICK!!!) door knobs and hinges on the first floor.

-New back door

-Built and installed picture ledges behind the sofa in the family room

-Replaced the light switches and outlets on the first floor

-New ceiling fans in the family room and all four bedrooms

-New outside lights

-Stained the back deck

-New HVAC system

-Painted the guest room

-Painted the guest bathroom, replaced the shower valve and trim kit, replaced all the towel racks

-New electrical panel

-Painted the basement

-Built a bar in the basement

Next up (within the next 2 months) we will be doing a full remodel of the master bathroom, repairing a roof leak, and minor repairs to our fireplace.

southernbelle0915 · July 2015

Oh man.... The list is really long but my favorite projects as far as before and afters were the guest bathroom and our outdoor patio area. They were both a ton of work and we didmost if it ourselves (except for pouring concrete) so super gratifying!

OllisaurusRex · July 2015

We rent, so kind of limited.

Painted everything. Living room, kitchen, screened in porch, hall and tiny second bedroom are a pale warm gray (Seal Point, it's an older Ace color), bathroom is a seafoam green (mistint paint, score!), bedroom is a dark navy (Midnight Sonata, Ace Valspar color). Only need to repaint the bedroom when we move. Also redid the trim and cabinets, from a stark cold white to a warm white (50% Linen, Ace color). Much nicer with the warm wood floor tones.

Put in a ceiling fan in the bedroom. Light was going bad anyway, so landlord said we could go for the fan if we paid the extra. Yes please! Huge decrease in our electric bill because we barely need AC.

jenna8984 · July 2015

hicoco said:

We both lived at home before we bought our house last October so we've done a lot. Thankfully it came with most appliances and we didn't have to make any repairs or paint so we've focused a lot on other, fun stuff.
-We bought all new furniture for the living room, dining room, family room, guest room and our bedroom.
-We finished the basement; dry wall, carpet, built in bar, bathroom, etc. It was just concrete when we moved in.
-We added ceiling fans in all the bedrooms, the office, kitchen and family room. Our house had none and that wasn't going to fly with us.
-We built a deck in the backyard.
-We (I) planted 6 trees along the perimeter of our yard.

@hicoco In 30 years I've literally never had one. Not in the bedroom, living room, none. The house we're buying has them in every room and I'm stoked.

jenna8984 · July 2015

labro said:

- Repainted the master bedroom, master bath, main hallway, and living room.
- Removed wallpaper in the guest bath, formal dining room, foyer, and kitchen and then repainted each of those rooms. Also replaced all fixtures in these rooms.
- .

@labro Your house sounds huge and beautiful. I literally do not have half of these rooms/ items. lol

knottie9c5ed33df4bbd226 · July 2015

jenna8984, growing up FI and I both had them and we sleep with it on every single night so when we realized that we were like "ok, first thing on the list!". 2 of the rooms didn't have wiring in the ceiling so those were a little more work but it's so worth it!

labro · July 2015

@jenna8984 It's not really though!! At least not for our area, I think it's 1750 sq ft. which is on the smaller side of average for the homes where we live.

MyNameIsNot · July 2015

jenna8984 said:

hicoco said:

We both lived at home before we bought our house last October so we've done a lot. Thankfully it came with most appliances and we didn't have to make any repairs or paint so we've focused a lot on other, fun stuff.
-We bought all new furniture for the living room, dining room, family room, guest room and our bedroom.
-We finished the basement; dry wall, carpet, built in bar, bathroom, etc. It was just concrete when we moved in.
-We added ceiling fans in all the bedrooms, the office, kitchen and family room. Our house had none and that wasn't going to fly with us.
-We built a deck in the backyard.
-We (I) planted 6 trees along the perimeter of our yard.

@hicoco In 30 years I've literally never had one. Not in the bedroom, living room, none. The house we're buying has them in every room and I'm stoked.

I guess it doesn't matter now, but they're super easy to install. You can buy a decent one for $75-100 and hang it anywhere that you have a ceiling light. H and I installed them in both apartments we rented. When we moved out, we just took them down and put the light back up.

Even in our first 500 sq ft rental, we saved money on a/c by putting them up.

lovemesomemonster · July 2015

I love reading all of these! Even everyone in rentals seems to be doing a lot to make it home. Now you all are making me feel lazy so I should go get something done around the house! Dang work for getting in the way of fun house projects! Our next projects are:

New flooring in the finished basement
Set up a theater room in the basement
Build poker table for FI (doing it for his birthday)
complete landscaping overhaul outside, first step is design a plan around the MASSIVE rocks they put everywhere or decide to have them all hauled off
Paint outside and refinish light fixtures outside
New roof on rental house
Deck railing on rental house

labro · July 2015

lovemesomemonster said:

labro said:

@lovemesomemonster I STILL don't have good after pics of the yard. It's been a long drawn out process. We did the tree removal last summer, the septic replacement this winter, and the sod this spring and we're in the process of finishing up the mulch and rock. So I have lots of progress pics lol. I'll have to try and get some this weekend. It's honestly a never ending project with our yard. We're always finding something new we want to do.

Sounds like you have done so much and I'm sure it will be lovely when it's done. I feel like half the battle is the vision of what you want to do!

I finally got around to taking some pics this weekend. We're still missing one minor thing. We wanted to redo the path to the pond area and all we need to do now is buy some pea gravel and flagstone for the pathway. But here are some before and after pictures. It doesn't really account for the whole backyard but it highlights the big stuff.

lovemesomemonster · July 2015

@labro it is beautiful! Looks like a great place to sit with your coffee in the morning!

julieanne912 · July 2015

We bought our house in February, and it was a semi-custom home we built from scratch, so there's not a lot of big projects inside to do. I mean, I'd like to get all new living room furniture and all that, but that's way far down the list of things to spend money on. Probably the first bigger thing we'll do inside is paint, as we just did everything white for now.

Our front yard landscaping was just completed this week. We also put in a driveway right after closing (nope, it wasn't included, nothing outside was!). I shouldn't say we really, as we hired a company to do both. It helps he lives 2 doors down though, he's been throwing in a lot of extras that we aren't having to pay for. Now I just wish the plants/trees would grow faster!

We will deal with the backyard next year. We have over an acre so I don't think we'll do a lot back there other than a patio or deck and maybe a flagstone patio kind of thing for a firepit a bit furthur away from the house. We have awesome views so no trees going in back there.

thisismynickname2 · July 2015

Man, I'm jealous reading everything you all have gotten to do!

I would kill for a bigger bed, but we live in an old condo building. The elevators don't look big enough to move in a king size.

I think we need a new couch too, it's getting saggy. But since we want to move next year, it's not worth replacing anything right now. Just finishing the remodel on the bathroom a few months ago was plenty!

julieanne912 · July 2015

Forgot to mention that we did buy a new bed for us (King size sleep number, Zzzzzzz) and a new dining table and chairs/bench right after we moved in.

OliveOilsMom · July 2015

I'm feeling quite lazy reading these lists! Our to do is much bigger than our done! We are mostly in a spending freeze until we can get our credit cards paid off. Then we will start saving to begin our projects. What we've done:

-Replaced the yellow and blue original toilets
-Replaced original 40 year old stove (seeing a pattern!)
-Bought over the stove microwave, washer & dryer
-Purchased area rugs for most of house
-Got all the curtains hung up, purchasing what I didn't have already
-New living room and bedroom furniture (bigger bed - squee!)
-Installed remaining fencing for backyard
-Bought lots of project pieces

Left to do:
-Complete project pieces (bathroom art, remove paint on buffet server, fix coffee table, create bar from base cabinets, fix up old wheelbarrow for garden and probably lots more)
-Fix leaks in bathroom tub and stall shower (in process, but not sure we have all the spots yet)
-Front yard landscaping
-Paint fake door over garage
-Fix ceilings from bathroom leaks
-Install handrail to 2nd floor properly (old owners used anchors for a railing!)
-Touch up paint
-Set up our basement

Larger, Long Term Items:
-Update kitchen (its original to house, minus the appliances)
-Update both bathroom
-Upgrade electrical box
-Install sliding backdoor
-Install deck off the backdoor
-New siding
-Hot Tub

I love our house and we wouldn't have be able to afford our neighborhood if we didn't buy something that was original when the community was built in the early 70s. But I'm thankful for the new roof, new heater, and new hot water heater that the previous owners installed. And the AC is on the older side, but, knock on wood, is working great. So while we still have big upgrades to do, I also know that we will be adding in the equity when we do the kitchen and bathrooms, etc. But it would also be wonderful to just have that all done already!

House Decorating Spin Off

Re: House Decorating Spin Off

Choose Another Board

Search Boards