I love a good project. Don’t you all know that by now about me? A wedding, decorating a house, a pregnancy, a baby (and everything that comes with a baby), selling a house…. Back up.
We took our house off the market. We were encouraged to lower the price on our house and, let’s face it, we don’t need to sell our house. And we certainly don’t want to sell it bad enough to drastically drop the price. We love our house, we love our neighborhood, and we love the convenience of where we are. So selling our house was a want and not a need. We thought we needed more space, but we just wanted more space.
Now our project is going to be making the most of the space that we have. It’s time to take a long, hard look at our house, the space, and make sure we use it all in a way that maximizes our space so we get the most out of it.
Office to Playroom
The office/study is going to be turned into more of a playroom. It’s time for the toys to be stored in the playroom instead of the living room. We’ll play in the living room a lot, but we have a 4th bedroom and we need to use it as a playroom instead of an office. Our computer and shelves will stay in this room, but I’m looking to replace the chair and ottoman with a daybed, like the one below. With the daybed, it kind of serves as a “couch” and can still be a place for guests to sleep when they visit. We’ll also have more storage options that are more baby-friendly for toys, books, and games. (the pictures of the study are almost a year old and the pictures have been replaced with more recent photos.)
Living Room
We’ll basically be doing a furniture shuffle in the living room. Moving or selling the big bookcase, putting our current couch (which is currently on the other side of the room) on the wall where the bookcase is currently, and opening up the room so the back of the furniture isn’t facing the front door.
(These pictures are also from last summer– you can probably tell by the presence of the baby swing.)
On the other side, now that the couch will be moved, we’d like to have sectional. It is such a small area, but a sectional is our best way to maximize seating potential without having to completely block off the room. It’s one big room, but we have to create to spaces because our front door is set in the middle of the room and then it leads to our main hallway. We’ve explored every option and lived here for three years and this is the plan that TC and I have come up with– after many conversations with my decorator mother. Thank goodness for her!
I’m planning on framing four large prints from our recent family photo sessions and hanging them on either side of the television. I’m so tired of looking at the blank walls, but haven’t been reading to commit to anything there. Now I’m ready!
The couch in this photo will be moved to the other side of the room.
This is all going to take a few months as we save money, search for the perfect pieces (no impulse purchases this time), and wait for things to arrive. It’s not a major overhaul, but we’re finding the best ways to use what we have with our space and adding a couple new things to the mix.
Are you a project person like I am? What projects are you currently working on?
working on re-doing our master bedroom right now!
We painted our laundry room yesterday! I love how small changes (like color) can make a difference! Plus, it’s a motivator to get to work on other rooms in the house that just aren’t all that they could be (color, rearranging furniture, or a complete overhaul). Looking forward to seeing your end results!
I can’t wait to see the ‘after’ photos…you have such a great eye for decorating, I know it will be amazing!
currently turning one of our guest rooms into a nursery….having to wait 4 more weeks to find out boy or girl is killing me because I am bursting with design ideas! Good luck with your re-do, can’t wait to see how it turns out!
You know I love a good project too but with a project comes commitment issues and lots of anxiety for me! (hence my empty hallway walls, ALMs bday, etc)!
Love your ideas! My summer project is our front porch. We have an older ranch house, but it has a great long porch and the door is set in the center. I want to put an old-school bench painted black with some outdoor cushions, potted plants and maybe chairs on the other side. Another on-going project is the master…
Projects!! My list goes on and on….this weekend is painting the nursery..stripes…YIKES!
I have to say I’ve been reading your blog and LOVE your house….it has character and you have it decorated beautifully! Some of the transistions you are making we are already talking about–bedroom to playroom….larger sofa for the living room. I cannot wait to see your changes.
Also, thanks for the advice on the video monitor…can you email me what video monitor you would recommend? Thanks!
I think you’re house is so cute. That front door is my favorite. I’m a sucker for rounded doorways. Sounds like you’ve got a good idea where things should be placed. I can’t wait to see after photos.
My project for the summer is painting our living room. We have super high ceilings and it’s going to take a lot of work, but I can’t stand looking at what we have going on in there right now. Good luck with your rearranging!
Searching for a house is my project right now! We’d love to stay in Houston but I fear that the suburbs might be best for us. I’m stressing myself out over this life-changing decision!
I noticed that you don’t have blinds in your living areas…could you give us a little insight into this? Do the curtains get pulled shut for more privacy? I love the openness but it might take some getting used to for me.
I’m almost finished with my multi-purpose room project (former 4th bedroom)… I’ve posted on the design scheme and the progress… I’ll post the final reveal in a week or so… Check out the articles at potterybarnkids.com regarding planning a playroom… Very helpful! Have fun with it, and I look forward to your ‘reveal!’
Can’t wait to see the finished results–you know how much I love your decorating style. Yes, I’m a total project person. No surprise that I work in an event industry, right? We inherited some of my dad’s old furniture when he and my stepmom moved into a larger house last year and with that came the furniture shuffle. It’s been 6 months since we got the new stuff (which I love, because my dad had an interior designer who picked it all out! Ha!) and I’m still working on making it fit with our house perfectly. That’s the fun of it isn’t it?
I love love love your TV stand. Did you buy it “antiqued” or DIY? My husband and I bought a larger home last summer and are slowly replacing our “small house” furniture with some pieces we really like instead of whatever would fit in our small spaces before. Good luck!
Yes!! Right now I’m trying to finish my master’s and fundraising for the KC Holiday Mart and beginning o plan the decoration of the basement! I love projects! I was just telling my hubby the other day that I’m going to be so bored when I’m done with my Master’s bc it keeps me busy and busy!! A Good busy is perfect!!
Good luck!!
I can’t wait to see how it all turns out! You might as well live it a little longer before you really are out of space! Make the most of it!
Currently, I need to paint the downstairs hallway, again. Then from there I’m going to paint some horizontal stripes in out 1/2 bath. I’ve been talking about doing those stripes for years and now it’s time. I should’ve done it this winter but didn’t. Now I’ve decided I’m going to do it now. 🙁 We’ll see.
I am a “project person” too. Right now, my husband and I are trying to close on a new house (we’ll close just as soon as Congress reauthorizes flood insurance), and there will be a ton of new projects that come with that. I get to do the nursery all over again! 🙂 I love working with a blank slate.
If we were staying in our current place (less space) I would be doing the same things you are doing – repurposing and rearranging!
LOVE projects! I’m currently focusing on our main bedroom (new sheets, shams, a lamp for my bedside table, art), and then am planning to move onto the main room and guest room. Wheee!
I can’t wait to see it all finished! I LOVE to organize things. My husband and I also live in a tiny (by tiny, I’m talking 1,000 sq ft) home with our 2 huge labs and a baby on the way. We want to hold off another year or so to buy a larger home so I have gotten to do my fair share of organizing! I highly recommend a sectional for a small space. We purchased one last summer and it was money well spent and gave us more space. (And come to find out we picked one out that George W. has in his home in Dallas) I know you will have fun with your little project and we readers will get some great ideas!!!
I love these ideas for your house! I love projects too, and our current one (and the one that has been in the works for more than a year now) is gutting our kitchen and completely renovating it. The work will start in a few weeks!
Is TC going to actually allow relocation of the law books?
Sounds like some great projects, and I love buying furniture 🙂
Right now, our big project is to wait for all of our stuff to arrive from the States, then set it up in the house! I’m ready to be done with sleeping on a sofabed!
We have a lot we need to do to our house. Just takes time. Good luck and can not wait to see the finished project!
When we realized it’s going to be looooong time before we can sell our condo, I got started on a few projects — kitchen backsplash, kitchen lighting, new hallway frames, repaining the living room/dining room, a new art piece for the living room, and repainting the office!
Can’t wait to see your befores and afters!
Currently working on our master bedroom which also has a sitting room and our master bath. It takes me forever to commit to anything…not sure why!? I’m looking to move a piece that we have in the LR into the sitting room. That will leave a gap in the LR though, so that means a new piece of furniture in there – which means another decision! Ha! Looking forward to seeing your after photos!
I love projects! I’m forever reorganizing or redoing things in my house. Most recently it was my master bedroom closet. I was sick of the janky shoe racks that kept falling apart and just went ahead and put in a bookcase for my shoes, as well as reorganized all my shelving/drawers. I love it in there now!
Working on furnishing our new house. Slow process as we refuse to use credit. Good for you for being patient and waiting out this terrible housing market!
I’m definitely a project person too! Unfortunately my current project is a 2nd grade classroom, so its not nearly as fun as decorating! I can’t wait to see the transformation!
We also turned our office into a playroom. I have never regretted it. I like having a place to store all the toys that isn’t my son’s bedroom. His room isn’t that small but I don’t want it crammed full of toys that distract him from sleeping. Especially, since he sleeps in his toddler bed. I made my extra guest bedroom into an office/guestroom and it worked out great. Good luck with all your changes. And by the way you have a beautiful home.
I have projects coming out the wazzooooo….
1 – Redoing upstairs bathroom (hence the plumbing fiasco this weekend)
2 – Changing downstairs bedroom to playroom/office (but will no longer be happening as soon as I thought since the money I was saving for new floors is going to deductible. See #1) Need new floors, tile for attached bathroom, paint, new sofa…
3 – Want to paint bedroom, but can’t decide on a color. Thinking of light green.
4 – Found a fabulous wooden tray at a flea market this weekend for five dollars I’m going to paint and use like the ones I’m seeing in the stores selling for 40 – 50 bucks.
5 – Walker wants his room to be red. I refuse to have an entire red room, but thinking of some sort of accent wall in there.
I’ve never been one that wanted a big house. Big house = more stuff to decorate it. I’d much rather put my money towards fun experiences and trips/vacations all that good stuff! I think as a society we just think we need more space, but we really could do with so much less! Forces you to spend more time together as a family! 😉
I am definitely a person who has some kind of project going most of the time! Since I am a teacher, summer is my big project time! The last couple of summers, I’ve had big projects like taking down wallpaper and repainting. This year, I’m going for lots of small projects. I have just had a new desk built for my walk-in closet and I’m working on decorating that area. Also hope to finish the decor in the bathroom & bedroom that I re-did last summer.
I too have a lifelong love of projects! And it’s worth taking the time to do them right so the results are just so. Right now I’m (deliciously) deliberating over how to reupholster a chair in my living room. Which will only beget more projects once it’s done!
first off, your house looks amazing! we are currently in the process of moving places and also downsizing. But i also get to choose our appliances (it’s an apt) and want to redo our entire decor – it’s so much fun!
These sound like great ideas. I love projects too. Your furniture is really pretty. Recently, I have been thinking about wanting less space and trying to downsize a bit. It is refreshing in a way. I hope you enjoy the process of making the most of that space you have. (It looks so pretty!)
I do love a good project, but I have a hard time getting the hubby on board with most of them. But the hardest thing for me is to hold back and take my time with it. I applaud you not making any impulse buys! Once I get an idea in my head, I want everything to be done IMMEDIATELY!
Your home is beautiful, by the way. You can kinda tell there’s a decorator in the family.
I love all the photos of your house! It’s actually given me the perfect idea for drapes in my living room. After just buying my first house, there are always projects. Currently I am working on a secondary bedroom, which by the way, if you are looking to “relocate” the chair and ottoman in your study, let me know – it would make the perfect addition in the bedroom I’m working on!
I think last on the list for me will be a secondary bathroom. It’s covered in wallpaper and I absolutely hate taking down wallpaper!
Can’t wait to see the pictures as you work on this latest project!!
I’m such a project person I think it’s a sickness! Right now I’m planning a bathroom remodel for the fall. Right now tt’s too toasty inside and/or beautiful outside in Chicago to start a renovation project. But come fall, watch out! Can’t wait to see how your projects turn out.
Project blog!
Love new projects!! Tomorrow we are starting on our bedroom. Our master bath was totally redone last fall and now it’s time to tackle the bedroom. I’m so excited for the painter to come tomorrow! I wish we could do more (new doors, molding, etc), but we don’t have the budget to redo the entire house. So, the bedroom basics will be great for now!!
I think those will turn out great. Currently we’re working on turning our garage (closed in by the previous owners, but not finished) into a “family room” aka a playroom for E. Then we’ll be able to get most of her toys out of the living room. We’re also turning our guest bathroom into a more functional one (ie: storage for E’s bath stuff while still looking nice) and finishing our guest bedroom. Baby steps… Keep us updated on the changes!
Oh.. and where do you find most of your furniture? Your style is a lot like mine, I’d say there’s no definite “theme” but all the different pieces make for a great finished product. But I have a hard time finding furniture that’s not too “modern” anymore.. Where do you shop?
Oh, I’m definitely a project person. Nothing stays the same for long. I love how cozy your house looks – moving the couch and bringing in a sectional will make both sides of that room so inviting. Can’t wait to see it!
Ah … projects never end at my house! We are currently making the laundry room more inviting and just completed and much-needed fence for our backyard.
Love the ideas for your rooms. I’m all about making the space/stuff you have work!
Wow sounds like a big project, but those are always the best, well maybe to me! Currently cleaning out the apartment, throwing away old stuff(apparently im a closet pack rat, who knew) only to bring in more stuff! But it will streamline all of these plastic containers we have floating around here, can’t wait for your before and after pics!!!
How fun! I love projects too! 🙂 We need to convert my office into a more functional space as well…but it’s so hard to find a starting point! Our poor living room looks like a daycare center with the swing, jumperoo, Jake’s rocking chair, the bumbo, and all the toys that quickly take over. I am sure that you will inspire me to get going on this at our house! 🙂