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The Projects on Deck for 2018!

January 3, 2018

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It’s a shiny new year which means we have a fresh list of project dreams we’d like to complete.  We love sharing these lists at the beginning of the year–for 7 years and counting now! Here’s the first one we shared way back in 2011–to not only give you a peek into what you can expect from us this year, but it also serves as a rough outline for us as we plan our year out. Spoiler alert, 2018 is shaping up to be the year of the cabin! Besides project resolutions, we have business, financial and personal goals we make, but tend to keep those more private. That being said, we do have some pretty exciting things happening with CLJ this year that we can’t wait to spill the beans about. Until then, here are the big projects we have on deck for 2018!

1. Master Bathroom

If you listen to our podcast, you know that a few weeks ago, we found water damage in the girls’ bedroom ceiling (that’s right below our bathroom!). So it’s safe to say, we waited too long to finally tackle our bathroom. It’s the first project on our list and we have a goal to have it done in the first quarter. It’s going to be a complete gut job. Moving plumbing. Making way for a large steam shower with multiple heads and nixing the tub completely. A vanity and sinks for Chris and me. A window so we can have natural light.

Here’s a few inspiration images (via) (check out more on my Bathroom Pinterest board!)

And what it looks like now:

2. Master Closet

Right now you get to our closet through our bathroom and I’m pretty sure it’s going to stay that way or similar? All I know is our closet, even after the mini-organizing overhaul we gave it last year, is the worst. There’s not a lot of storage systems, just a couple of bars. I have a vision in my head of what I’d like it to look like, but that requires a lot more space (ha!), so we’re going to have to get creative to really maximize what we have. Having a functional closet will absolutely be a highlight of the year for me.

Here’s where we’re starting:

3. Master Bedroom

We’ve done our master bedroom, but we’ve never really done it, you know? Actually you probably don’t. You probably have no idea that we never fully attached our baseboards or painted the trim because we were always waiting to shift things around with the bathroom reno. There are weird corners and an awkward entrance into the bathroom that is going to be addressed once and for all. And the broken Ikea shoe cabinet hanging out under our tv that holds socks?

We can do better! With all those major changes, I see our bedroom getting a few minor ones. Maybe a new paint color? Additional trim on the walls? Fresh, simplified art? I’m ready for new nightstands and lamps. Smaller things that will hopefully take our room from the almost-there state it has been in for 4 years to gold, solid gold.

4. Garage

This is one that we’ve been secretly working on behind the scenes. We have a two car garage and we have two cars and we have to somehow figure out how to store all of our tools, too. It’s been a challenge, but we’re making major headway and can’t wait to share our progress. In addition to lots of storage solutions in a tight space, we’ve also recently added lighting, a heater and are also painting the walls and adding an epoxy to the floors come spring so it’ll be a nice place to work.

5. Landscaping

We did a lot of landscaping outside last year, but this year, we’d love to landscape the other side of our yard in front of the fence this year. This is something we should have done years ago, as landscaping takes so much time to mature–but here we are, coming up on year 5 and we’re finally like, “LET’S ADD SOME SHRUBS!”

6. The Cabin

I feel like the projects we want to do at our A-frame need so much more than one number, but making them all their own would be too much–so we have a separate post coming. We have dreams of installing new floors, tackling the kitchen, the loft, dining and living room, the downstairs bedrooms! Originally, we wanted to get the whole cabin completed this year, and while it’s possible, it’s not probable–nor do we really feel it’s necessary. While we’re anxious to one day have it on Airbnb, we’re not going to kill ourselves trying to get it all done in a year. But we are excited to get started. I have a whole post coming for you including how we spent the holidays up there, a first video tour, some problems we’ve already run into and initial plans (including the floors we’re eyeing!) really soon!

Even though we have other projects listed, this will truly be the year of the cabin around here. Hope you’re just as excited as we are! 2018 is going to be jam-packed.

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What do you think?

  1. sirma says:

    Can’t wait to see more……

  2. Robin Pramuk says:

    Wondering about your Ainsley sofa: are you happy with it and what type of fabric did you choose? It looks like wheat. We are thinking about buying this sofa.

  3. Erika says:

    Oh, please share the shoe rack source. Our dressing room requires one and I so dislike how it bends my shoes. I’ve never noticed this style that sits flat on the soles.

  4. Kristin says:

    So excited to see everything! My husband and I are considering moving and I can’t help but think of you guys…we have completely renovated almost every inch of our current home and the thought of leaving it is SO HARD! Was it a tough decision for you guys to leave your previous home??!

    • Julia says:

      We left our first home because Chris got a job offer that required moving to a different state–Idaho. It was really difficult but 100% for the best.

  5. Lacey Graham says:

    I can’t wait to follow along and watch how you tackle all of these projects!

  6. JessB says:

    Can’t wait to follow along!

  7. Shawna says:

    I am curious about your garage heater. What kind, how was it to install? We would like to get one.

    Love your style!

  8. Jennifer says:

    I’m so excited to hear all the details about your cabin remodel! We are building a cabin in Ashton, ID in the spring. It will be fun to follow along on yours!

  9. Abby says:

    Where is your bed from? In our 14 years of marriage we’ve never really had any bedroom furniture! And I’m trying to do it finally. My husband is a landscape architect:):) wanna do a trade! Yard design for interior design. Ha!

  10. Kelli Miller says:

    You mentioned getting new nightstands. Have you seen any lately that have caught your eye? I have been looking and can’t seem to find the right ones. I love your taste and hoped you could lead me in the right direction.

    • Julia says:

      Yes! But as soon as I say, they always go out of stock before I can order them. I have them in my cart right now, but I’m going to sleep on it–haha! I’ll give you a hint though, they have 2 built-in hidden plugs and usb ports. I really wanted something that helped conceal all our of cords. I’m excited about them!

  11. Liz (in OK) says:

    I have some friends that extended their closets into the attic space and they added a third hanging rod. They used a boat hook to get the out-of-season clothes down from the high storage area. But, living in Oklahoma, you can sometimes leave the “winter” clothes up there all year, so it was not that much of a hassle for them.

    Looking forward to the changes this year.

  12. em says:

    Love the print of the black gloved arm holding the bust’s nose! I’ve been trying to find it with no luck….do you know the title or remember where you purchased it?

  13. Allison says:

    I’m excited to follow along in the year ahead! Wishing you good health and productivity, along with sweet memories to cherish (in the cabin!) in 2018.

  14. Jessie says:

    Can you please share your fave paint colors?? I LOVE the black / dark cabinets and the whites you chose for the walls!

  15. AnnaLynne says:

    Excited to hear about your garage! We have a one car garage, that is currently a no car garage because we haven’t come up with a good storage system… It wasn’t bad in the summer, but now that winter is here… ????❄️⛄️????????

  16. Sarah says:

    Would you mind sharing where you got the wall mounted shoe rack?? Its just what I’ve been looking for!

  17. mary says:

    I’d love to see the layout of your master bath and closet in relation to your master bedroom, how the doors all work, etc.

    Then we can all give our two cents : )

    Or maybe that’s exactly what you don’t want …. : (

    lol

    Love you guys!

    • Julia says:

      Hahaha, we always love hearing everyone’s ideas! I don’t know if we ever fully showed how they relate to each other, but if you go through our bathroom and turn left, our closet is back there.

  18. Lisa says:

    Can’t wait to see how all your projects play out! If you haven’t considered it yet, we re-did my closet this year with the PAX system from Ikea and I love it! And it’s only 25 sqft!

  19. Lindsey F. says:

    On the topic of small tweaks to your bedroom: I know you once mentioned that your overhead fan doesn’t have a light. If that leaves you without a light switch for turning on the lights when you enter, I wanted to share what we are in that boat and just added an Alexa and smart plugs. Once you get over the weirdness of a device listening, it’s been a total game changer for the winter in our bedroom! No more having to walk to the other side of the room in the dark to turn on the lights. Looking forward to seeing your 2018 projects!

  20. Molly says:

    So stoked to watch you tackle these projects this year! I’m especially looking forward to the garage facelift because I’m in the same boat- two car garage with two cars, plus we have lots of tools and whatnot to store and I’m interested to see what you come up with!

  21. Sarah says:

    Did you end up with heated floors in your girl’s bath? I’d love to see a diy post about heated floors.

  22. Stacy G. says:

    Sounds like a very full list. Happy New Year!

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