Hi Everyone!
Happy February friends. Welp, its that time of year again! At the beginning of the year every year since I started blogging in 2012 I share a list of home projects we hope and plan to tackle for the year. Just like most of you we slowly chip away at our home little by little, taking on projects we feel we have the time and financial means to complete for the year. Sometimes its a specific theme we are focusing on, other times its things we absolutely HAVE to tackle because #oldhouseporblems, and other times I just get a wild hair to take on something because of a random thought I had in the shower. Such is the life of a designer!
2020 was traumatic AF amiright!? I felt like it was just never ending. It was heavy and weird, and just… A LOT. I needed to let myself get through January in one piece and get my bearings first before coming on to share what I have up my sleeve for this year. Given the circumstances I’m giving myself grace over some of my failed plans for our home last year. This year in light of needing to bring in a whole heap of fresh new feel-good energy into our home I’m thinking big. Like REAL lofty. Here is what we have on the radar for 2021:
Kitchen/Dining Renovation
After 6 years of having our phase 1 kitchen we’ve decided to just go ahead and do a full on start from the studs renovation. I CAN NOT WAAAAIIIIT. The original plan was just to do a cosmetic refresh (new floors, same layout, etc) But nope! We are starting over with the space and I’m soooooo excited. Its gonna be crazy good friends and I can’t wait to take you all along for the ride. I’m already well in to the planning stages and are just waiting on approvals and permits and then we start demo! Along with it we will be addressing our dining area too, which may be my favorite part of the entire renovation. That space has been the one I’ve struggled with most in our home since the day we moved in.
Living Room Refresh
Our living room has been fairly stagnant for some years so I figure now is as good a time as any to give it an updated look as well. We’ve been needing a new sofa for years (we’ve actually not had a brand new sofa in this house at all. In fact, the last time I purchased a brand new sofa was 2006! Naomi and I hadn’t even met yet!) and at the end of 2020 we finally invested in a new one. It’s currently in production and should be coming soon. Once we ordered the sofa I decide to go ahead and update a few other details I’ve been wanting to for a while too. Pretty pumped about this one!
Michael’s Room
Can you believe he’s a TEENAGER now! I can’t even think about it or it’s instant tears. He turned 13 this past year so its time for his room to reflect this new phase. Also with distance learning in place for the foreseeable future we needed to give him a space that could accommodate at home learning. We actually started this project already and are almost done so I cant wait to reveal it to you really soon! Michael helped make every design decision in here and It looks so so good.
Office Studio–
Now here’s one you’ve not heard me talk about at all yet! 2020 brought many things to light, one of which being the need for me to have a dedicated office space now that my business has grown and both kids are learning from home. We’ve discussed lots of ways to make that happen, including converting our detached garage into my studio/guest quarters, and we’ve landed on adding a small studio in the backyard for my office. We are still working through the details of this one, but this is a project I’m very much looking forward to.
Primary Bedroom Completion
This was a project I had on the list to get to this past year and we only got a little bit done with it. We finished out our PAX closet but otherwise didn’t touch the space at all. Certainly looking forward to completing this one.
Side Porch Refresh
Ah yes! My beloved side porch. I love this space right off the living room. The goal here is to update it with new furniture and decor. Nothing too drastic, but definitely want to give it a little bit of attention this year.
Front Lawn & Irrigation
Last year was the year of the outdoor projects and I’m so happy to say we achieved every one of those goals with our new backyard deck, patio, and potager garden:) It’s a dream space and it was just the beginning of our outdoor projects. This year we want to focus on our front yard and overhaul the entire lawn and irrigation system. Currently its a bit of a mess and after 6 years of struggling with the grass and lackluster irrigation Naomi wants to overhaul it and put much better systems in place.
#NaomisPool
And last but certainly not least, we are getting a pool! Well actually Naomi is getting a pool. She and the kids have wanted one for years and I did not. Needless to say spending the last year with one another day in and day out and only being able to turn to your own outdoor spaces for entertainment has me changing my tune. I’m outnumbered on this one. Plus our triple digit summers make it worth it. If you follow me on IG then im sure you’ve been following along on this hot mess of a journey for a while now. Let’s just say it’s been a bit of a rocky road. Lol. We are getting closer to coming up with a design we can both agree on. This one got the axe! Don’t tell Naomi, but I’m actually really really really excited about this project!
Ok friends! That just about does it. It’s a go big and stay home type of situation in 2021 friends! There’s A LOT on this list and I’m eager to get in and get it done. Lets get it! Until next time loves…
Mary says
I am so excited about all of these projects in the works, and can’t wait to follow along here and on IG! And with all the kitchenporn I’ve been drooling over in your stories, I am on the edge of my seat to see your design plans.
Lacie says
A studio!?! Can’t wait to see everything you’re doing and go along for the journey. Thank you for sharing with us!
Jennifer says
Hello, Shavonda! You & your family are certainly in for a lot of exciting building and changing this year! I’m eager to follow it all. Thank you for sharing this with all of us!
I just want to say that I so appreciate your patient answers to polite questions, your #Ad breaks (a la Medina), and your social media boundaries. If you expect it, it will happen! I’m a nurse in a hospital, and everyone has been so stressed out for a year now. One thing I have started doing is intentionally saying hello, how are you doing, even when calling the lab for test results. I always said hello, but added the inquiry, realizing that a slight pause for good manners makes a tiny, pleasant moment for both parties.
Thanks again for your blog & Insta. It is one of my de-stressors for sure.
Carmeon Hamilton says
Soooo excited about every single one of these projects!!! Getting my ticket ready to come visit to experience it all!!!
Sam says
Im already drooling over all of these projects! Can’t wait to see how it all comes together. The office space sounds really exciting.
Nedra says
Ooh! Really excited to hear about the studio and definitely #naomispool!