January 2011--month in review

Here's our (okay, my) list of 2011 house goals, and a reality check of how well we're doing on them.

Guest Bedroom

• hang pictures done!
• reupholster antique chair 90% of the way there, with some invaluable help from my father this weekend--it would be done, but I've misplaced the braiding for the trim!
• install closet doors
• fix hinge-bound door so it will actually close

Office

• make and hang curtains 50% done--my mom made the ones for the front windows, and then P hung them--but I didn't have enough fabric for her to do the side windows (are we noticing a theme here?)
• reupholster footstool
• put laminate on top of craft table
• paint and hang door

Hall Bath

• skim coat walls a little more done!
• repaint walls done! (pictures forthcoming)
• really, really scrub grout--and if that doesn't remove yellowing, try one of those grout pens
• hang at least one picture/piece of art
• install closet door knob done! (thanks, honey!)
• install hooks where I can hang my work clothes  done!
• install new light fixture

Hall/Living Room/Kitchen/Dining Room

• knock down walls to make these all a single space
• install structural beam to replace structural wall
• move electrical breaker box to exterior wall so we can knock down the interior wall it's currently on
• patch existing oak flooring where walls were removed
• make new attic hatch
• replace textured ceiling in kitchen
• remove wood panelling and replace with drywall
• remove vinyl floor in kitchen, and lay new hardwoods there and over exposed subfloor in dining room
• commit to new kitchen plans
• build new kitchen cabinets (at least the lower ones)
• get/make new countertops
• install backsplash
• run plumbing for new sink and gas range
• remove windows in dining room, and replace with french doors out to backyard
• buy fireplace screen and make the occasional fire halfway there... 
• replace hearth tile
• make living room curtains (purely ornamental)
• figure out window treatment for front windows that will maximize both light and privacy (plantation shutters?)
• install new baseboard and crown molding
• install doors on coat closet
• fix draft under front door

Utility room

• build utility room
• buy and install new tankless water heater
• run plumbing and install utility sink

Master bedroom

• lay hardwood flooring over exposed subfloor

Master Bath

•  give ugly medicine cabinet a cosmetic face lift

  Crawl Space 

• complete encapsulation 90% of the way there....
• test house for radon
• enjoy running lots of plumbing for new kitchen in new, dry, clean space

Garage

•  fix roof leaks hopefully done?  P did some work up there this weekend, so the next rain storm will tell
• continue to work to make this a functional wood shop for P (so he can spend lots of time out there building me new kitchen cabinets!)

Exterior

• paint foundation to complement new stair color
• figure out how to make exterior brick look good after we cut into it to install afore-mentioned french doors
• paint front door a more lively color (it should be easy to beat white)
• work with P's brother A, a professional landscape designer, to come up with an actual design for our landscape
• remove a few more azaleas got a few done, but I think a few more will come this year, so I'll wait to cross it off--thanks, Dad!
• add more plants and beds to continue moving toward cottage garden look started expanding the little bed into something rather larger
• grow a tomato that doesn't rot before it ripens
• try to agree on privacy plantings for west property line, and plant them so they have some time to grow well, we agreed on plants for the east line, so...
• buy and plant Yaupon hollies on east property line

There's a lot left to do here--but at least we've crossed more items off the list than we've added to it!  :-)