Our home improvement goals for 2018 involve a lot of getting things finished and looking good so we can enjoy our home and yard.
2017 Home Improvement Review
Last year’s goals were to remodel the kitchen, replace a fence, and redo the lighting in our kitchen and living room. Well, I guess 2017 was a year of incomplete projects for us because we got part-way through each of those goals.
The kitchen is mostly finished. We just need to install hardware, add the trim and finishing edges to the cabinets, complete the command center, and put in flooring. Okay, when I write that out, it sounds like a lot. But so much has changed already in the kitchen compared to last year. You can see all our posts about our new Ikea kitchen here. And there are a lot more kitchen posts coming soon! (I just need to write them!)
To replace the fence, we tore out the old, falling-down one. It was a great day. Partly because we had some friends help, it was all done in one day. Unfortunately the yard has been unfenced and open since then. I’ve done some research about building a horizontal fence, and we’re ready to tackle building a new fence this year. (That’s part of one of our resolutions below.)
The kitchen lighting is pretty much done. We just need to replace one more light switch with a dimmer and it will be finished. So I should be writing a post about our kitchen lighting and electrical plan soon. The living room lighting didn’t happen, and I don’t think we’re going to be replacing that lighting in 2018.
Here’s what we are going to be working on this year:
Landscape the Side Yard
Once we build a new fence for the side yard, it will be time to work on its landscaping. There is a tree that needs to be removed along with a few other overgrown plants. We’ll need to clean up the area and add new plants, a seating area, a pathway, and possibly a water feature. Maybe we’ll even start painting the exterior of our house in that small area. Just to test out colors. Hmm…I think we’ll start with the fence and see how far we get.
A Dining Room Makeover
Along with finishing up the kitchen, we’re going to update and makeover the connected dining room. We already have a beautiful mid century table and cabinet, but the rest of that room needs a good clean-up and overhaul, especially after all it’s been through with the kitchen renovation.
More Parties
My third resolution has less to do with improving our house and more about improving our home. Once our new kitchen is finished (or at least has handles on the drawers) we’re going to start entertaining more. Our parties have been popular posts here on Simple Practical Beautiful, so I figure we need to host more parties so I can share them with you.
Check back often to see how we’re keeping up with our resolutions. Or better yet, sign up for the newsletter below and get all our DIY projects and ideas delivered to your inbox.
Have a great 2018, and happy homemaking!