What's your next project?

[dr.girlfriend]

Trying to hold myself accountable...I spent $$ to get custom wallpaper panels that are copycats of art I loved that was no longer available.  I have them in a poster tube and really need to get them on the wall.  It will probably involve getting wood backing cut to size, using wallpaper glue to mount them, and then cutting/painting molding to make a frame because they are very large. 

I am not looking forward to any of it, it's not in my wheelhouse, but I want it done!  DH is out of town for like six weeks so my goal is to get it done in the next month.

[deadwing]

I need to figure out what to do with my yard - either grass or a grass alternative that is hardy enough to stand up to my dogs. Last summer I put in a retaining wall to level my yard, so I lost a lot of good grass. Between the lack of rain and my yard getting full sun for most of the day, only sparse weeds grew in. I have absolutely no attachment to my yard being covered in grass, but it needs to be covered in something. One of my dogs loves to dig when there is dirt available - but she's much less likely to dig through grass or similar. Every time I search for "grass alternatives for dogs" I mostly get suggestions for fake grass, which isn't what I'm looking for. I'm open to suggestions if anyone has experience in this area. My neighbor across the street grows grass extremely well, so the path of least resistance may be asking him for some guidance with grass...

[Susie]

I need to finish some WIP before I take on anything new.  

I got 90% through painting the kitchen in January, plus part of the laundry room, then stopped while the 1/2 bath was being tiled and the kitchen backsplash was being redone.  I totally ran out of momentum, the kitchen is such a PIA room to be a work zone.  Kitchens are so fussy to paint, plus ours has like 8 doorways that all needed trim painting.  

Sort of enlarging the same project (because it's all the same colors), I now need to sand the trim that is newly put back in the 1/2 bath, give that a coat of paint, and touch up the walls, plus finish the laundry room.

All in, this project has felt like it has just grown and grown, from just painting the kitchen, to adding the laundry room, to needing to do a bunch in the bathroom, and I'm over it.  I just need to finish.

Then, I need to pick a sink and/or vanity for the 1/2 bath.  Right now we have new tile floor, toilet reinstalled, and a big space where the sink goes.  We all just go out to the kitchen to wash hands, but obviously I need to fix that. 

The 1/2 bath wasn't super well planned.  We'd been waiting like 2 years to get a tile guy in to do the backsplash, and when we finally got him, we wanted to throw the 1/2 bath floor in so we wouldn't be waiting 2 more years to get him for another small project.  Mission accomplished, but we weren't 100% ready with selections for what comes next.  

[moreace01]

I am working on my home office. I kinda want something bright and cheerful. I have found some wallpaper I like for one wall - I don't want to do all the walls. I then need to get rid of a storage cabinet and take down some track lighting, get a dimmer for the current light and move the wall switch cause it's in a dumb spot.


Much bigger project is working on getting rid of the wet bar in the basement, reconfiguring the room as well as the stairway down to it and the area leading down there. We have a very weird house and the first floor looks right down into the basement level. We need to hire someone to figure out how to make this cohesive - as well as take down a very tacky wall of mirrors.


Sidenote - if anyone knows where to get a non-viscose rose pink rug and knows what I should be using for non-builder grade light switches/plates, I'm all ears.

[dr.girlfriend]

Feb 23, 2023 15:47:58 GMT -5 deadwing said:

I need to figure out what to do with my yard - either grass or a grass alternative that is hardy enough to stand up to my dogs. Last summer I put in a retaining wall to level my yard, so I lost a lot of good grass. Between the lack of rain and my yard getting full sun for most of the day, only sparse weeds grew in. I have absolutely no attachment to my yard being covered in grass, but it needs to be covered in something. One of my dogs loves to dig when there is dirt available - but she's much less likely to dig through grass or similar. Every time I search for "grass alternatives for dogs" I mostly get suggestions for fake grass, which isn't what I'm looking for. I'm open to suggestions if anyone has experience in this area. My neighbor across the street grows grass extremely well, so the path of least resistance may be asking him for some guidance with grass...

Would clover work in your area?

[dr.girlfriend]

Feb 23, 2023 17:11:51 GMT -5 Susie said:

I need to finish some WIP before I take on anything new.  

I got 90% through painting the kitchen in January, plus part of the laundry room, then stopped while the 1/2 bath was being tiled and the kitchen backsplash was being redone.  I totally ran out of momentum, the kitchen is such a PIA room to be a work zone.  Kitchens are so fussy to paint, plus ours has like 8 doorways that all needed trim painting.  

Sort of enlarging the same project (because it's all the same colors), I now need to sand the trim that is newly put back in the 1/2 bath, give that a coat of paint, and touch up the walls, plus finish the laundry room.

All in, this project has felt like it has just grown and grown, from just painting the kitchen, to adding the laundry room, to needing to do a bunch in the bathroom, and I'm over it.  I just need to finish.

I know this doesn't work for everyone but I will throw out there that if you need "permission"/encouragement to just hire a painter I 100% say do it!  I used to insist on doing painting myself because I knew I could, but everything dragged on forever.  Now it's definitely something I think is absolutely worth paying for if you have the means to do so.

[orval]

I am redoing a shower surround. They are probably starting tiling in two weeks or so and I need tile! I think I mentioned before, the tub is almond. I am struggling to find a tile that looks ok, not even going for great here. The floor is dark brown wood look tile. We are not changing the tub - trying to keep costs down. Any good tile ideas??

[dove]

We are replacing a French door/patio door with a 3 panel glass slider. The previous door was leaking water into the house, so it was more of a forced project; although we were planning on replacing it, just not this quickly. This is our first project in the new house with a new contractor. If he works out, we will move on to the next big project - primary bed/bath.

[origami]

We’re finally about to start our first floor reno after living for almost 8 months without a kitchen or a real floor. (Water damage. Insurance company being ridiculous etc etc)

Next week movers will be here to pack everything up. Then demo, then hardwood install then the kitchen (everything). And I also threw in ripping out the fireplace mantle/built ins and redoing all that so the new flooring can be wall to wall. 8m ago I was excited about the possibilities but I’m so over everything. I have no time for any of this and I stopped caring a long time ago.

[macmars45]

Now that we know officially that both DS(6) and H are allergic to grass I'm looking into a replacement for that. I want ground cover DS can play on that grows well in central WA state. I also want a tree for the front yard because climate change makes summer temps heat up DS' bedroom like a furnace even with AC, closing blinds/blackout curtains and running a fan. I have plans to visit a locally owned plant store with knowledgeable staff for advice. 

[laterz]

We're going to replace our water pipe. Not even remotely fun. Just $$$ and a PITA.

[deadwing]

Feb 23, 2023 18:18:46 GMT -5 dr.girlfriend said:

Feb 23, 2023 15:47:58 GMT -5 deadwing said:

I need to figure out what to do with my yard - either grass or a grass alternative that is hardy enough to stand up to my dogs. Last summer I put in a retaining wall to level my yard, so I lost a lot of good grass. Between the lack of rain and my yard getting full sun for most of the day, only sparse weeds grew in. I have absolutely no attachment to my yard being covered in grass, but it needs to be covered in something. One of my dogs loves to dig when there is dirt available - but she's much less likely to dig through grass or similar. Every time I search for "grass alternatives for dogs" I mostly get suggestions for fake grass, which isn't what I'm looking for. I'm open to suggestions if anyone has experience in this area. My neighbor across the street grows grass extremely well, so the path of least resistance may be asking him for some guidance with grass...

Would clover work in your area?

Oh that's a good idea.  I used to have a lot of natural clover in the area that got leveled...  IIRC, I'm in zone 6, but not sure if it's A or B (kind of on the line).

[deadwing]

Feb 23, 2023 19:56:01 GMT -5 laterz said:

We're going to replace our water pipe. Not even remotely fun. Just $$$ and a PITA.

I did this in 2019.  My water utility reached out to me about participating in a study on replacing lead service lines and they covered half the cost.  I just had to let them in to take samples maybe half a dozen times over a couple of months.  The cost savings were well worth the minor inconvenience of the study.  Maybe something like that is being conducted in your area?

[dr.girlfriend]

Feb 24, 2023 8:34:33 GMT -5 deadwing said:

Feb 23, 2023 19:56:01 GMT -5 laterz said:

We're going to replace our water pipe. Not even remotely fun. Just $$$ and a PITA.

I did this in 2019.  My water utility reached out to me about participating in a study on replacing lead service lines and they covered half the cost.  I just had to let them in to take samples maybe half a dozen times over a couple of months.  The cost savings were well worth the minor inconvenience of the study.  Maybe something like that is being conducted in your area?

Not a help to laterz probably, but for other people -- not sure how common this is but with State Farm at least you can get an add-on to your homeowner's insurance that covers all underground utilities -- water, sewer, buried electrical or internet cables, etc.  It wasn't that much additional per year -- it was cheaper even than the $14 per month insurance the water company keeps offering us and covered more.  We only found out after we spent $12k to replace our whole sewer pipe but hopefully someone else can benefit!

[dr.girlfriend]

Feb 23, 2023 18:21:30 GMT -5 orval said:

I am redoing a shower surround. They are probably starting tiling in two weeks or so and I need tile! I think I mentioned before, the tub is almond. I am struggling to find a tile that looks ok, not even going for great here. The floor is dark brown wood look tile. We are not changing the tub - trying to keep costs down. Any good tile ideas??

Does any of this help? 

www.kylieminteriors.ca/ideas-to-update-your-almond-bathroom-toilets-tubs-sinks-and-surrounds/

I would probably lean into it and try to go with foresty colors.  Like a light green tile maybe?



www.tilebar.com/chips-2-0-brick-verde-aqua-3x16-polished-porcelain-tile.html?gclid=Cj0KCQiA3eGfBhCeARIsACpJNU9_7W-zZMWvHPVXL6TBdOHY3t2x1N7kYp-DWlcr3u5Wl4UJdbBaO30aAvPTEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

[orval]

dr.girlfriend, thanks! I saw that site with the almond suggestions. The stone look tiles aren't my thing. I was looking at a similar tile to the one you posted in blue or even rose pink(that might be crazy!). Maybe use a darket beigey grout to tie it together. I do like the green but DH does not. What do you think about blue (DH likes) or pink?

www.homedepot.com/p/Ivy-Hill-Tile-Tint-Rosa-2-95-in-x-15-74-in-Polished-Porcelain-Wall-Tile-14-2-sq-ft-Case-EXT3RD106818/317864087

www.homedepot.com/p/Ivy-Hill-Tile-Tint-Blue-2-95-in-x-15-74-in-Polished-Porcelain-Wall-Tile-14-2-sq-ft-Case-EXT3RD106815/317864081

[candreco]

Gearing up to move DD to our lower level bedroom, which also involves building out some closet-type storage and putting a barn door on what's currently a mudroom space. That room is currently a craft room/guest space/occasional second home office, so that stuff all needs to be relocated, which means purging the regular home office and its closet. And then once that's done, DS will move into DD's old room, which will require repainting first, and then finally DS's current room will become more primarily a guest bedroom since most of DH's family has moved closer and is more likely to do overnights now. Thinking through the whole thing exhausts me.

Outside, something needs to be done in the backyard to improve/augment/replace the grass. It's so sparse and the ground pretty compacted and just isn't very appealing, which kills me after we've spent $$ on a screened porch/deck/patio and other landscaping over the last couple years.

[laterz]

Feb 24, 2023 8:34:33 GMT -5 deadwing said:

Feb 23, 2023 19:56:01 GMT -5 laterz said:

We're going to replace our water pipe. Not even remotely fun. Just $$$ and a PITA.

I did this in 2019.  My water utility reached out to me about participating in a study on replacing lead service lines and they covered half the cost.  I just had to let them in to take samples maybe half a dozen times over a couple of months.  The cost savings were well worth the minor inconvenience of the study.  Maybe something like that is being conducted in your area?

Our city used to pay for half, but I think in the last few years they've redirected it to only certain lower income levels.   

[orval]

dr.girlfriend, upon further review, dh is fine with the green! I think we will go that route. Thanks for the help!

[definitelyO]

furnishing our living room - I may start a post for ideas

some little touch ups remaining from the kitchen reno.

replacing all the can lights in the basement
repainting the basement (by this I mean picking the color and hiring someone)
maybe next year - updating the floor tile and toilet in the hall bath and repairing some of the tile. I'm generally happy with the look and feel so nothing majory.

[mrsukyankee]

Nothing we're doing ourselves - we're hiring contractors to redo two bathrooms and making a very small laundry space. One of the bathrooms will be to help as my MIL ages further (handles and a walk in shower), the other is to add a shower to a current bathroom with only a bath.

[hbomdiggity]

My closet needs a huge org/purge effort. We are snowed in so I may actually tackle it this weekend.

We put a sport court in our backyard last year. Now we need to do some finish landscaping, but I need someone to design and it will be $$ I just don’t want to spend right now.

[ny96]

We are putting in a new deck, tearing out an overhanging roof in our backyard that was probably used at one point for outdoor laundry, and redoing the backyard. I’m so excited about the deck. Our current deck is falling apart and we have a very small dog run (useless space) between the deck and the fence. We’re going to extend our deck to the fence and put seating in and then on the other side, extend the deck around to the back of the house. We have a tree next to the deck which we’d love to take out to get more room, but can’t, but the upside is that currently part of the posts in the deck can be removed around the tree and that part is easily knocked over which the squirrels do frequently, and the new deck won’t have that feature, so no more waking up to heavy thumps as a huge piece of wood hits the decking scaring the bejesus out of me.

[ssmjlm]

We put in a pool. So landscaping and a fence are next after they finish.

They still have to do the waterfall and wall on the far end where the pipe is.


I need to repaint our bedroom, repaint the back of our patio door, and we want to redo some stuff in the playroom which will require patching and painting.

[simpsongal]

Nothing big right now, just yard clean up, prepping the new raised garden bed (built but needs soil and amendments). I'll probably clean the porch furniture w/bleach and power wash once the pollen clears. We're planning to host 4th of July, so I'm eying that as a goal for getting the yard in shape

There are small things I could do like paints the basement door trim and wall (from when we replaced the door). I'd like to add a shelf just above our dryer.

We've got some other spending priorities at the moment (travel, new car), so big house projects are on the back burner for a while.

[heygrey]

We have a full gut bathroom reno scheduled for April. Cannot wait!

I also just noticed a section of fence is falling over in our backyard. I really want to push that on our neighbours to manage with their landlord, but I’m sure we’ll end up shouldering the full cost because the alternative of having a rotting fence isn’t an option.

After those two things, I’m only willing to consider free or cheap. I’d like to change up the artwork in our dining room and I want to add more plants to our front garden. Both should be manageable this spring.

[dancingirl21]

After doing a full first floor reno in 2021, we haven't done much, but DH and I started talking plans again.

We really wanted to add on a huge 3 season room - think super peaked ceiling, with a stone fireplace, large seating and dining area. We have gotten a few quotes. Ultimately, though, I think we are pausing on that. We need to do siding and all the trim/fascia/gutters. That's the smart money, rather than the room which isn't a need but a want. We plan to quote all of this in the spring.

We also talked about redoing our kids' bathroom in the next 6 months, and our bathroom. Ours has been done in the last 12 years by the previous owners, but it's not at all our style. Thankfully the layout they chose is exactly what I would have done, so it's just cosmetic changes.

[aspentosh]

It's a low-key house project year.

Repair a few nail pops in the ceiling
We need to put more polymeric sand down on our patio. So decide if we pay for it or do it ourselves (I really want to DIY but H thinks it'll be too hard).
Have our chimney cleaned
Re-caulk a couple areas of trim

[sadie]

Hopefully, it's not a huge year. Woodchip the garden/swingset/back sloped are of our yard. Maybe plant an apple/peach tree and/or blueberry bush. Grind up some bush stumps we hate/build out a garden bed.

Replace carpets in bedrooms.

Upgrade our bed to a king, though we've been saying this for years.