Moving on

In the spirit of our bathroom being finished and revealed (by the way, that was super motivating, thank you, everyone who paid us a visit!:), I’ve decided to make up a list of what’s next on the agenda. I find that lists keep things organized, so hopefully this one will help us move along fast and without distractions:

1. Hardwood installation in the living room (in progress). We have installed the floor in two other bedrooms already, but since the living room and the hallway are in the way to our bathroom, they were left to be finished after the bathroom renovation. 
2. Linen closet (in progress). This little nook had been cut in size in order to fit in our PAX wardrobe in the bedroom and was left undone at the time. We were debating whether to keep it at all, but I told V that every bit of storage counts and since it’s already there, we just need to make it work for u;
3. Paint, paint, paint. It’s been a year and a half since we’ve been living with this depressing, half beige half mustardy wall colour (that doesn't look so horrible on the pictures, but really does in real life) and now is finally the time for fresh and crispy white walls;
4. Back door replacement. Our current, solid wooden door with an old screen door needs to be replaced. Not only it’s blocking natural light (it remains closed throughout colder months and blocks the sun), it’s also super impractical. We’ve ordered new door back in May, but since it’s manufactured in Germany, it takes really long time to arrive here. I don’t mind waiting, but I also know that days are getting colder and I really want new door to be installed before winter;
5. Fabric to order and new living room curtains to sew;
6. Media shelve to DIY. Something minimalistic but interesting, something in the spirit of our bedside shelves, something for V to built:);
7. Decide on the dining area. Do we need it at all? Feel like that this topic deserves a new post entirely.
8. Staircase redesign. This project will depend on how the flooring in the living room will go. We’re dying to demolish it to the grounds and install simple, modern staircase. But there is a good chance this may not happen this year. Will shall see.

Only one thing is keeping my spirit up about this picture - no carpet!

Yep, our living room for now:) The niche on the left with just one shelve is our future linen closet. 

V in his "reno position". Who needs yoga, right? Another thing that crossed my mind while taking this picture - if this isn't real love, then what is?

Do you make lists when working on/planning your house projects? Do you find them helpful?

Sold on one image

Usually I glance through house-styling magazines while waiting for my turn at the cashier and when it comes up, I put them right back on newsstand.
 Although a feast to an eye, I find those magazines SO out of reach. Designer tips, like “…add TEXTURE to your room, here is a great $600 rug to help you with that” – don’t work for me - a cautious consumer. I prefer much more “down-to-earth” tips and advices that I find on real-life blogs. They are far more practical in that retrospective and, not to mention, totally free!

As I was flipping through pages with stunning imagery of this Chatelaine special publication issue,

 I was nowhere close to buying it, until I saw this kitchen image:

Image: Chatelaine

It may not tell much to anybody else, but if you see what our kitchen looks like, you’ll get my affection by it right away:

The countertop and floor colour might be different, and we don't have marble mosaic backsplash, but I couldn’t pass the overall resemblance to our “still-in-the-works” little kitchen! I can’t wait to share our experience with this first-ever house renovation that we’ve done. We just need a bit more time applying final touches.:)

2013 – no reno planning year

V's mixing cement for the shower pan

That’s right, no sticking to plans this year and just going with the flow. There are things that need to be done around here, lots of them, actually. So will it help if I make a list and start bugging my only handyman to get them done? Or stress out because things are out of schedule? I don’t think so.

They will get done when they will get done. I made my peace with it.

So, to keep my creative mind occupied, I’ve decided to look for projects outside of home remodeling. The year has just marked its beginning and there are lots of interesting things I could get my hands on.  There is a great variety of classes and workshops being offered for winter/spring in our local activities brochure: from cooking and visual arts to dancing and personal wellness.
I've selected at least six I want to participate in. Of course, I’ll need to narrow down my vigorous selection a bit but it’s great that there is so much to choose from!