Your wallpaper projects sound like so much fun! Projects like that can be so exciting. I have a tiny project for today. I am remaking a broken vase. As for a future project, I have always wanted to macrame the back of my dining room chairs. I might try that someday soon.

I did wallpaper in the breakfast area of our first house, then not again until our last house. I miss both of those. :( I would like to do in our powder room, but haven't. Maybe this will having me looking again. It is such a small room, and I don't want it to take away from the three paintings by Mom hanging in there now.

We are getting ready to have the exterior of our house painted. I am excited, as it is Stonington Gray, which isn't a bad color, I just don't lean anywhere towards gray.

There are a few landscape things I would like done, like getting rid of some Palmetto plants. I call it Florida's Kudzu. It's not as bad, but geez.

Not really a plan, but I got to disassemble the crib turned toddler bed when DD2 and DGD2 went home. Successful nights of her sleeping in the big bed. It is a decent sized room, but it sure looks better without the crib.

I hope you let us follow along on your wallpaper search.

It's all outside right now. Repairs/upgrades to a well and well house, a new shop for DBF, a new wall to enclose the patio and separate it from the driveway to the new shop (and provide privacy from big new house next door), and landscaping and irrigation to make it all pretty. It looks like the set for a post-apocalyptic TV series right now, but here's a little taste:

In the middle of a hall bathroom renovation. Original to the house, we just kept putting this off.

We have done quite a few updates within this year. All rooms painted and we put LV in our basement.

We will be buying all new living room furniture as soon as we have time. The store is a 2 hours away.

I want to redo my landscaping in front of my house. Also replace the shutters and add a new arbor to the side of our home.

I hope you'll indulge me in story time about project creep...

(TLDR: got new hardwood flooring!)

We have an office on the first floor of our house. It's been DH's office since we moved here in 1997. It's always been a mess. Long story short, about a month ago, he says he wants to clean out the office and turn it into a music room. He plays and has many guitars. I am fully behind this project because it means cleaning out the mess! Yaaasss!

After he cleans out the office, I open the french doors between office and living room since they will now stay open once the room is pretty. And realize we have to do something about the flooring. There is ugly 1980s mauve carpet in living room and ugly green office style carpet in office soon to be music room. This cannot stay. I suggest we replace the carpet in these 2 rooms plus the dining room that also has the ugly mauve carpet. I have wanted to rid myself of this carpet for 2.5 decades! So off to the flooring store we go. When we enter DH says, we're going to put hardwood in the dining room, right? Um, no that wasn't what I was planning budget wise. Plus we can't have hardwood in dining room and carpet in living room because they are on either side of the foyer and it will look odd. Another long story short, we ended up with hardwood in all 3 rooms. Yes, more $$ than I planned, but so worth it. It's like a different house and I never want to leave!

Music room. Still some things to do (paint the trim, put up blinds, buy curtains)

Living room (attached to music room through french doors)

Dining room (will most likely get a rug, eventually)

I would also like to add crown molding to the music and living rooms.

Thank you for indulging me in my story and allowing me to share. I am a very happy girl.

The next project is a master bath redo. Also long overdue. Hoping to start around March 2024 but we'll see what budget allows.

I just moved, so I have lots of projects in the works...partial kitchen, one bathroom, some new built-ins. I’d really like to wallpaper the inside of one cabinet that I plan to use as a dry bar. I’d love to use a paper with a moody and elaborate pattern. I’m still searching for several pieces of furniture and lamps.

@jsk can you tell me more about your gorgeous wood floors? What is the wood? Are they engineered or solid? My main floor carpet is going to need replacing in the near future and I've been thinking about wood floors. (And similary debating if I can carry it throughout more of the main floor.) I like the color and grain in yours.

jsk - your floors are beautiful. You must be giddy with the transformation. I lived with brown shag carpet from 1989 to 2010 and then went to hardwood.

We are building new after a total loss fire 3 years ago and I can't wait to do all those little projects such as landscaping and window treatments and decorating our bedroom.

Love this thread, thank you, Tina! I so enjoy hearing about everyone’s projects (and your pictures, jsk!).

DD bought a house, so that’s what I’ll be working on. 😍

I am very torn about projects right now, lol! We bought a fully furnished/decorated 3 bd beach villa this past Spring. It’s an investment, so we have only stayed IN it a couple of times since we bought it. (We had our big trip to Italy this summer so really haven’t had much time for the beach yet.) Anyway it’s a wonderful property with ocean views, but it definitely isn’t my style (think Hobby Lobby signs. All of them, probably.🤣) The only thing I’ve had done was to paint the kitchen cabinets white, which was such a wonderful beachy freshening. And I remove random knick-knacks everytime I am there. (Anyone need a ”When You Wish Upon a Starfish” plaque?)

Anyway, as much as I’d love to do a complete decor-gut, including painting, there really isn’t a pressing need. Nothing is patently objectionable, except…the floors. Oh Lord, they are some pergo mess that is NOT good at the beach! Yuck. I really want sand in place white oak like I have at home, but that’s insanity in a beach rental so I think we will get some subtle LVP that doesn’t look stripe-y.

I have to balance the beach needs with stuff I want to do here, and it makes annoyed. I have a bunch of things to do here, we built 12 years ago and I’d love to freshen up the lighting. I want to wallpaper my powder room, drapes in the master (which is a real project bc I need a designer and custom workroom) and paint a bunch of stuff. Plus new island stools and breakfast room chairs.

Ugh. 🤣 I am packing a suitcase with art to take to the beach when we go in 2 weeks. Swapping out a few ”Salty Kisses and Sandy Toes” wall hangings with some soothing art prints, lol.

My life is a project.🤣

So many great projects. blfenton, I can’t imagine rebuilding after such an event, and i’m glad that you can look forward to the work and joy of landscaping, and the end results!

We have been in our house almost 20 years, and now that our other projects have slowed or stopped (raising kids, caring for parents, selling their properties) we have started OUR list. Every couple of days we add something (just now added to the list: crown molding like we have in the foyer, thanks jsk!) The one I have always dreamed of but balk at is a kitchen reno. Balking because it’s one of those ”if you give a mouse a cookie” things, as well as all the decisions going into that cookie!

The list includes: new windows, attic insulation, address the front porch dropping and water accumlation, replace the garage floor and epoxy or whatever the new one, new driveway. a list of plumbing and electrical fixes and enhancements, do something with the enclosed back porch. address the warped dining room door to the back yard, move some perennials and divide others, replace the Dr Seuss bushes, have the oak trees inspected and treated for the latest insect infestation, and that’s just what I can think of off the top of my head.

I think we will be engaging a contractor to handle most of it, so getting THAT ball rolling is a project on its own.

My project has been put on hold due to the heat. My front doors are stained wood. They have been touched up over the 9.5 years we’ve been here, but this year they are slated for a total re-do. Sand down to the raw wood and start over. And while the painter is here, he was also going to re-stain the posts on the back porch and paint the now-stained beadboard ceiling.

The painter and his crew got the porch ceiling cleaned, sanded, and primed before the triple digit heat came back. He and his crew were showing up at 6 a.m. and working until noon when it was just in the upper 90s. He called me day before yesterday to say they were going to work on indoor projects the rest of this week. Not only is the temperature we are having hard on the painters, the paint won’t bind properly if it is too hot.

I’m having the ceiling painted light blue. I liked the dark stained beadboard ceiling, but I’m tired of it.

Benjamin Moore Constellation

The new floors look great, jsk. My SIL plays the guitar, so the room just inside the front door (to the right) is the music room. They are also hanging on a wall. He plays nightly. The room also has a keyboard for their children.

@jakabedy, did you and BF end up staying in his house, your house or buy a new place? I don't recall hearing the decision.

Well, we have just a tiny project going on - building a whole new house! In another town 3 hours away. LOL Hubby is living in an apartment there and I am holding down the fort at the current house.

Donna

@Allison0704 thank you. My DH plays almost every night as well after I go to bed. He plays through headphones then. When I leave the house, he plays through the amps at sound levels I could not handle!

@blfenton giddy is the perfect description! I stare at them continuously!

I'm sorry to hear about your fire. I hope you enjoy the build process. I would love to do that but DH wants to run away everytime I mention it.

@pricklypearcactus thank you. The floors are maple. Solid wood. I thought about going with engineered because they came in a wider width which I liked, but they were backordered for many months and more expensive.

If you're interested the brand is Mirage Hardwood, Admiration Collection, color Cashmere. I think it's these:

https://www.miragefloors.com/en-us/hardwood-flooring-maple-sierra-exclusive-smooth/

(eta: actually, maybe color is Auburn. The pic I have of the sticker on the sample I had from the store says both cashmere and auburn, so not sure which is the color).

We've only had them for a few weeks, but I am extremely happy so far. Note, we no longer have small children or pets, so I cannot say how they would hold up to that. The store did tell us that maple is softer than oak but they thought they'd be fine for our lifestyle. I thought we'd go with white oak but DH does not like oak at all.

”My DH plays almost every night as well after I go to bed. He plays through headphones then. When I leave the house, he plays through the amps at sound levels I could not handle!”

Are we married to the same man?! You just described my life. 😄

We turned a bedroom into his music room.

Goodness msmeow! That is a big project - 3 hours away, whew! We built our home about 25 years ago and what a job it is. I cannot imagine being 3 hours away. Best of luck to you all! Oh yes BBSTX, I know you are in the south also. We are having higher temps than normal, but not triple digits. The worst thing is the humidity and I would not dare paint outside till that comes down. Love the blue. You have quite a list bpath! We have huge, OLD oaks in our front yard. One developed a hole and it was seeping. If we have to cut that tree, I will cry. I can't even guess how tall it is. We had an arborist come and look at it. We then paid $450 for one treatment (sprayed). Only a professional can purchase the chemicals. Still, if we can extend the life of the tree . . . but it's going to end up being a very expensive tree. We caught it early, so hoping it will last as long as we are here. Nini, you crack me up! I know the place will look great when you add your touch. Jilly what a fun project to work on with your daughter! blfenton, good luck on your build! Share some pix! Fun, you have quite a list! Can't wait to see what you do with your cabinet! Prickley and jsk, I love our wood floors. We have them all over other than the kitchen and baths. (Beautiful home jsk!). Eld, we had the front of our home professionally landscaped several years ago. We've changed it a bit but it's still using their placement plan. I love gardening so the rest of the yard I've enjoyed planning the landscaping along the back of the house and a few "island" beds. This year I will be adding more flowering plants.

Looks great Jakabedy! My hubby is still working - although he is going to part-time. He does machining and fabrication and has a workshop (which is actually a separated extension of our garage. I know your BF will love being at home. Allison, wallpaper in the powder room sounds great. We have some trips this fall, so I probably won't start till after the holidays. Will be a good winter project. I will share when I finally get around to it! ilikefriday you always have great projects!! I hope I didn't miss anyone - thanks to everyone for sharing!

10 days ago, DH and I stood in our barn and watched the uninsulated roofing turned into swiss cheese from hail. We were literally looking at the sky through baseball sized holes. We just stood their with our mouths open. So, assuming we get a bid back, and a crew actually appears, new metal roofs on the barn and the house.

I was in minneapolis for that storm, Barncatz ... we get hail pretty regularly here but rarely that size!

I MUST get to some of my projects this fall ... but I am also planning some travel. I hope to complete my office for sure.. but now that I have learned the sky won't fall if i leave my team untended for a week, travel my inch out some of the projects.

but now that I have learned the sky won't fall if i leave my team untended for a week...

It's a great thing, isn't it?

My boss keeps telling everyone "I liked not vacationing jsk better!" Ha! My company has switched to a no limit vacation policy. As long as you meet deadlines and your boss approves, there's no counting of number of days taken. It's really an amazing policy. And pretty shocking that it exists.

But the lure of travel over home projects is sometimes hard to ignore. When I was talking to a friend at work about replacing the flooring, he said you should do hardwood. I said I'd love to but probably not in the budget. He said just go on one less vacation and you're good. Ha. He has a point.

@Allison0704, it's my same house. DBF kept his house and his parents live there. I kept my house and DBF moved in with me in the spring. Modern love!

I work for a consulting company so we must have bounds on vacation time -- I do have 6 weeks of vacation so it's not like I am super restricted. I just need to use them by the end of the year. No carryovers allowed.

A number of companies here have started the unlimited vacation model which surprised me aft first ... but then I realized that HERE it's the companies that are the worst to work for who are offering it as a benefit. Maybe trying to lure in those who don't know their reputation?

So out of curiousity, Jsk ... have you taken the same, more or less vacation since your company switched to no limits?

Thank you jsk! I really like the maple options. I have been wondering if maple could be a contender for me. I do have one big dog, so that might be something I need to take into consideration. They are so very pretty, maybe it would be worth potential scratches. The width on yours looks really good for solid. The plank width was also a reason I've wondered if I should do engineered.

We remodeled our house 20+ years ago, and we're at the point where it seems like everything needs to be redone! We also just became empty nesters, so big changes in daily routines and lots of new projects. It's so exciting to get things done, but it has been a ton of hard work.

This summer we have done new porch railings and new beadboard porch ceiling. Currently one bathroom has been completely gutted for new tile, and another bathroom will get a new floor once the other bathroom is put back together. What a MESS, the dust from taking out the old tile is unbelievable! Then of course I decided I'd better repaint the bathrooms while they're all torn apart.

We have a rain gutter guy coming next week to fix all the gutters. And I just bought a new kitchen faucet to replace our sad old one!

Jakabedy, that's great news!

I found a few signs. One for my laundry room. One for my mud room...

Then our HOA isn't getting along. The 81 year old in charge of our flower beds spent $9K on petunias....it should have been more like $200. So I offered to take over. I ordered $500 of lily bulbs, a perennial....they'll arrive later in the Fall. I'll fill in with marigolds and other annuals. It will be a BIG project for me. All volunteer work.

I also have 5 hail claims open. One roof has been replaced. My husbands hail damaged truck is #84 in line. It may get in next January. My roofer is coming over for lunch and a business meeting Friday. I'm grilling chicken, making potato salad. Put together a gift bag to thank him for ALL he's doing for us. He's a family friend from waaaaaaaaaaaaaay back. :0)

I need to get rid of the horrible carpet in my three bedrooms and put in pre-finished hardwood. The tricky part is logistics, moving furniture in and out, with four animals and two bedrooms occupied.

I have a number of plants to tie up that were beaten down by the recent rains.

@nicole, $9k for petunias?! That guy needs to be fired and made to repay the HOA. And I am not kidding! I don’t think our Botanical Garden spends that much for petunias. I see the financial reports so I’m pretty sure the hort dept budget wouldn’t support that.

I’ve enjoyed reading about everyone’s projects. Thanks Tina for starting this subject. I still am trying to decide on a new front door color and have made no progress there. This fall DH will be ripping out 3 shrubs I want to replace and I’ll be replanting something there. I’ve almost narrowed it down. And since I lost a few things during the freeze, I still have a couple of things I’m working on in the landscape. Some around here had it far worse than we did.

I am still toying with the idea of having my kitchen cabinets painted and of course getting new hardware. They are in great shape and DH says there is nothing wrong with them. Well, they are 22 years old. I am so indecisive about which way I want to go with color and countertops.

@OutsidePlaying..Gurl! I could use some help with arranging the lilies and fillers? I'll take photos of the islands and start another thread. I guess the budget is pretty BIG....ha ha

Same guy...wanted to put in a NEW fence around the whole area....$400K!!! I stepped in ...said my husband and I would repair the old one. We repaired 3 miles of fencing at a cost of $900...took us 2 days! The HOA people are nuts! They're trying to fire Mark, the only guy that wants to budget our funds. He's restricting their BLOW-IT-ALL-IN-ONE-PLACE strategy. ha ha You should read the emails these guys send me complaining about each other.

So out of curiousity, Jsk ... have you taken the same, more or less vacation since your company switched to no limits?

I've actually taken more this year (1st year with new policy). A lot more. And I had 6 weeks before the new policy!

The new policy came at the perfect time for me. My son graduated college in June. With that big bill done, we can finally start taking real vacations. And taking real vacations we are! I always used all my vacation because like you, it was use it or lose it, but other than Thanksgiving and Christmas weeks, it was usually one or two days at a time because due to other financial obligations we didn't travel much. Now it's more like 2 weeks at a time.

I keep track in my own spreadsheet of my days off and I took a look at the number recently and I was kinda shocked. Well, they did say unlimited!

I will have been with this company 40 years next month. While my co-workers and my boss joke about how much time I've been taking, they also tell me I deserve it. And then when I get back beg me not to go away again!

ETA: re:

that HERE it's the companies that are the worst to work for who are offering it as a benefit.

I work for an enormous multi-national company. While there are definitely cons (bureaucracy) to that, the benefits of this company are really excellent. I started working out of college for a very small (I was the 4th person hired) company. We've been bought over and over and now part of this gigantic corporation, so I've seen it all!

Bunny - I'm not sure if all places are the same, but the place we bought it from installed it and they moved all the furniture. We did clean out the small things before they came, but they did all the heavy lifting. And they kept all the furniture in the same room. They would move it all to one side, lay the floor, put down protective paper over floor and move it all back over new flooring to do the other side.

Minor projects in both houses, now that we are trying to spend a bit more time at the beach house. Rearranging some furniture at the beach house, and we got new porch furniture there at the beginning of summer. At home, just playing around with options for fall bedding and paring back on some clothes that don’t ”spark joy.” I always get the urge to clean closets at the change of seasons!

Zalco, I didn't realize you were not in your home! Here's hoping your repairs are done as quickly as possible!

Oh, dear, Zalco! I remember you had some damage from all the rain at New Year’s, but no idea you’ve been in temporary quarters all this time! Add in the stress from your son’s recent illness… that’s a lot. I am glad your son is improving, and that this project is moving forward. What a trial. I admire your grace.

Lots to be done. Very first decision is new living room furniture for our desert house. The house came with furniture but it is not friendly to my back. So I need to just find something and buy it. I have a problem with over analyzing my decor purchases. That said once I actually buy something, I am generally very happy with my purchase.

jsk, I got a very detailed quote today and they will move furniture, either into another room or to the other side of the same room. They are also willing to treat the three bedrooms as three phases, different days, etc. I want to change out my 3-1/2" baseboards with 5-1/4". I'll buy that and paint it before they install it. I like these guys. I have another place to check out, then, we'll see. It's kinda $$$, but I can swing it.