DIY

The MANY Projects on Deck for 2020

January 7, 2020

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Even when you don’t want to rip down a wall, you can make that space in your home better. Right now.

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Over the break, we took time to just be in our house. It was the first time since moving in in June that we were alone in our home over several days and it felt incredible. It felt like home. Even amongst all of the drywall mud splattered on the covered floors and rearranged bedrooms (we’ve been sleeping in Faye’s along with 20 dining chairs) and lack of furniture. It felt like ours because some of the things we imagined 6 months ago, when we bought the house, were really starting to come to fruition, but also, I think it being just our family there really helped. And it got us thinking.

Maybe we don’t want to be renovating this house for 10 years like we set out to do last year. The start of a new decade, a new TEN years, got us thinking about the last and how we started the 2010s with no kids and now we have three! And by the end of the 20s, our oldest will be 19, going on 20 and likely out of this house, her childhood home. While I have no qualms with a childhood that includes a front row seat to hard work (and I have no doubts she’ll pick up her own set of handy skills in the process), I don’t want our daughters’ entire childhood to be set in a home under construction.

Home is a feeling and I want them to feel that sense of comfort and calm and peace and solitude and safety and togetherness. So as both, a very scary and very exciting resolution, we decided to see if we could fast track our renovation to two years. Not saying we won’t be picking up a paintbrush in this house after 2021, or ever REALLY call our house “done.” It will always continue to evolve. But the major projects that bring a lot of unsettled-ness (hey, new kitchen), as well as the ones that bring all the settled feelings (like a bedroom!)–we want to tackle it all over the next two years. (cue nervous laughter).

So, our plans for 2020 are ambitious. Some of it we’ll be acting as lead and subcontracting things and other projects will be completely DIY. So I think and hope there will be a great mix of content, too. Here’s what we have lined up for this year:

Dining Room/Living Room

Like, yesterday, please. I have it in good faith that the construction in the living room and dining room will be done by the end of January. The tile guy came by yesterday and said he’s going to start on the dining room floor this week and will be done next week. The trim for the living room window is due to arrive next week. The big question mark is the fireplace–like I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT’S GOING ON THERE–but I feel like we’re in a good place to be dust and floor covering free very soon. And then by the end of February, I think we’ll have it livable with base furnishings and then we’ll take our time fine-tuning things.

Office

This is another in-progress that is so close I can taste it. Today, the wood floors are finishing up and then we’ll move things back in place for the last time. We want to add trim to the wall behind the sectional (our Charly is due to arrive in the next month or so) and our logo and scoot in a fridge and a bunch of finishing touches. We have talked about adding more windows in here eventually, but I think we’ll live with it for a bit.

Master Bedroom

In our last house, I was putting the finishing touches on our room as we were putting it up for sale. We never really had a completed room for the 6 years that we lived there and I didn’t know what we were missing until I spent a few weeks in a finished space. Turns out, have your space to unwind and rest at the end of the day be a finished space is SUPER relaxing and rewarding. So in this house, we’re putting it near the top of our list. We’re set to paint our bedroom THIS week! We’re going to tackle our fireplace this month and our bed that we ordered December 1st is going to arrive in February.

Master Closet

When we added a ceiling to the music room, we made the new space upstairs into our closet. Our current master closet (see it below) is pretty much the same size as our last one but a lot less usable due to how it was laid out. Our plan is to tackle our new closet in February (we’re still deciding what system is best, we LOVED our IKEA PAX but would really want to make it look a little more custom if we go that route. We’re also looking into the Container Store and California Closets. Any other recommendations? I think in our bedroom, we’re going more light and bright with contrast trim, so I think it would be fun to make the closet a little more bold.

Master Bathroom

With the removal of our closet from our master bathroom, we took measurements and realized it’s a HUGE SPACE THAT FEELS incredibly cramped. Like a very cramped, long hallway with dressers on all the sides. The bathroom is a 10×21′ space (so, okay, like a very big hallway) but it is laid out SO ODDLY with a bathtub that has a giant stair taking up the majority. We are going to reconfigure the entire thing (right now we’re thinking of a wet room–tub in a large shower–at the far end where the closet currently is) but we haven’t drawn up any plans yet. For reference, we usually go over about 5 ideas before landing on the one. Our goal is to start this April 1st! We’re excited. We’re very excited.

Garage phase 1 (organization)

This is another project that we waited until the very end to do at our last house and we learned, being organized in the garage really helps every project go more smoothly. Knowing where all the tools are. Parking inside. Ample storage for seasonal things–I mean, I’m daydreaming while writing this.

Down the road, we might swap out the garage doors, get new windows to match the rest of the house (the garage windows are at the front of the house!) and a few other phase 2 things.

Kitchen/Pantry/Mudroom

Welp. Yup. Our kitchen makeover last summer was originally only supposed to tied us over a year and then we did it, and LOVED the improved aesthetics so much that we thought, Ohhhh maybe it will last us a good two years. But the truth is, painting the cabinets didn’t improve the function or the awkward layout or the too small cabinetry.

If you follow along on stories, you heard our impromptu dive into the kitchen’s faults on Christmas night. It came on the tail end of hosting a few nights in a row. You know, really having the opportunity to test her out and it also came with a lot of frustration on Chris’s end–the cook in our home. So we decided this summer we’re going to do the kitchen. While we can grill and eat outside, we’ll be making some magic inside. We have some very big ideas that include taking out the current pantry, and expanding the kitchen 6 feet and mudroom 2. When we mapped it all out–it made so much more sense. Can’t wait to share.

Music Room

Our music room is going to house our piano (it was Chris’s great grandmother’s!) and our record player (hence: music room) and hopefulllyyyy a puzzle table. But it’s also going to be a pass through to the dining room and living room and I kind of picture it like this jewel box. I’m not sure if we’ll do wallpaper (okay, I’m leaning wallpaper) or paneling, but I want it to be bold and warm and intimate. Gathering lots of inspiration for this one.

Hallways

Hallways never really make it on a project list and they don’t get a ton of before and after attention, but is it weird that I’m strangely excited to show our hallways some love. You can see our upstairs and downstairs one as soon as you walk in the front door so they are prominent and I want to be very intentional about giving them some attention…and killer lighting.

Greta’s Room

Now that Greta’s room has new carpet, I would say it’s 75% there. But we’re going to take it all the way this year. I’ve been searching high and low for some really good vintage horse art (she LOVES horses) and I’m stewing about what color I want to paint the trim and I need to order a window treatment. Her room was definitely the worst one when we moved in, but also since she’s the oldest, she has grown into her passions a little more so it’s been fun to give her room some much-needed attention and a new, fresh direction right off the bat.

Basement Media Room

Hi, we have a basement that we don’t share very often–it’s currently STILL filled with boxes from our move. It’s small, but kind of great. It has dark gray carpet and dark gray walls and it makes a very natural media room. We’re picturing a big sofa and even bigger screen and paneled walls ceiling with thick crown molding and beautiful light fixtures around the room. We’re really excited to have a space where we can lounge and watch movies as a family and with friends, too. We always get questions about not having a TV in our living room, but we like having it a more tucked away space so we can be a little more intentional about it.

Bonus Projects:

Update Lighting in Faye’s Room. 

Faye’s entire room will likely be on hold until next year, but her lighting could REALLY use some attention now. She has one fixture in a rather odd location and it makes her whole room feel dark and dreary.

Move Polly to Big Girl Bed

My heart hurts even writing this. Polly loves her crib, so we’re holding out as long as we can, but the girl is TALL and truly out-growing it. I know at some point this year, we’re going to need to move her to a twin sized bed and I’m keeping my eyes out for something vintage. I love looking ahead for things like this so I can take my time checking different sites and thrift stores and then pounce if the right thing comes up.

So there you have it. 2000 words about all the projects we’re hoping to tackle in 2020. Of course this list isn’t all inclusive. We already have some fun projects we’ll be doing elsewhere on our calendar. We always like to throw in smaller DIYs, too. Also, I can’t even imagine a whole year going by without tackling something outside. But this is what we’re focused on and getting pumped up for and can’t wait to take you along for the entire year.

Which project are you most excited about?

 

 

 

 

 

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What do you think?

  1. Chris says:

    Most of your plans sound totally brilliant! You might want to skip the paneling in the music room though. The paneling and a wood floor will bounce the sound around pretty horribly. From a “sounds pretty” pov, I’d make sure I had lots of soft stuff to break up the sound waves. Can’t wait to see how it all pulls together!

  2. Candace says:

    I’m excited for those two bold rooms: the music room and master closet! Not because I don’t love light big rooms, but when you have that fun high drama contrast? UGH So good!

  3. Caroline Pampell says:

    Where de you looking for vintage horse art? My daughter loves horses, too. I just don’t know where to begin. We’ve not done much in any of the kids rooms.

  4. Clarissa says:

    My parents bought and started renovating their house when I was 12. What they thought would take 6 months took over 6 years, and I moved out long before they got around to redoing their kitchen. So I totally understand wanting to give your kids a sense of home and calmness while they’re still growing up. I learned so much from watching my parents work so hard DIYing on weekends and after work in the evening, but I wish I had got to see them enjoy their home more as part of my childhood.

  5. Janie says:

    Can’t wait for the kitchen Reno!

  6. JL says:

    Julia, one more thing to note. Condensing your timeline for the house will allow you and Chris more time to devote to planning future accommodations for your business(es) as you expand. You will continue to grow and the current office may begin to feel cramped as well. You’ve previously mentioned possibly constructing some kind of building on your large lot. Imagine a space that will encompass a lounge, a couple of offices, a separate conference/lunch room, a video equipment closet, merchandise and decor storage, etc. This would move the business out of the main house allowing you to convert the current space for personal use…perhaps an artist studio or a library?

  7. Lindsay says:

    I’m Just excited about it ALL. I love watching you guys tackle everything. It will be a lot of work but I’m excited to follow along and take notes for our future renovations!

  8. JL says:

    Julia, I’m most excited about the remaining projects that will make the most difference in how the house looks and functions; the fireplace, front and back stairs, living room beams, master bath and the new kitchen.

    Living room beams: your ceilings/walls on the stairwell side of the room have strong angles and multiple levels, it will be interesting to see how use of curved or straight beams add balance. Master bath: I can see a row of windows down the left side and floating vanities already! I actually love the idea of the wet room. There are in-floor shower heating and enclosure options that are viable to enable use of the space as you like. New Kitchen: I love the vision you and Chris have in reimagining the space. A statement hood and range on the far side of the kitchen flanked by new windows and paneled ceilings will change everything!

  9. I’m so excited to follow along this year! It’s a long list but your why is really strong so I’m sure you’re going to do amazing. And I’m watching for the fireplace too, can’t wait to see the final!

  10. Anabela says:

    Julia and Chris! I’m so excited to follow along with all the renovations! As an adult who grew up in a home that was under perpetual construction I give you major kudos for recognizing that it’s possibly not fun to grow up in a home that’s never done. I always dreamed of having a cozy homey home and my dad just couldn’t stop. Your girls are lucky ????

  11. Angie Dahm says:

    I can’t wait to see what you do with your hallways. We are extending our wood flooring from our kitchen remodel, but I need inspiration for paint, lighting, and new molding. It’s dark and narrow now, can’t wait to make a change!

  12. Jenny says:

    Love reading the plans you guys are making for this year, makes me excited to do the same! Our home has a mostly unfinished basement with no insulation and that feels more extreme in the winter months. My husband & I are hoping to frame out the entire basement and redo the current walls. We’re going to be moving a washer/dryer to make room for a bigger bathroom. I know when it’s all done, it will feel like a brand new house!

  13. Jennifer says:

    Thank you so much, both of you, for sharing your journey with us. I love hearing your decision process, and I love to watch the DIYs and the pros make your vision come to life.

  14. Michelle Martel says:

    I can relate to this . We bought a 1902 Victorian house in December 2017. A major “fixer Upper”. Initially we were going to renovate it slowly but we decided to just bite the bullet and do it all . We did everything, windows, roof, plumbing, electrical, floors, kitchen, and now we are in the finishing stages of the bathrooms renos. A lot of work but all worth it. ;)

  15. Sarah says:

    i Ended up using west elm modular wood furniture in various configurations around the house and closet. I LOVE the shelves in the closet in areas with baskets and shoes holding everything. I used closet hooks and hang bars for the rest but for the price, it is AMAZING quality and space management. I don’t like the closet organizers. They look nice (most of the time) but feel cheep and break so easy. Even the SUPER expensive stuff. West elm has 30% off sakes all Of the time too!

  16. Candice says:

    For 2020 I have my heart set on new carpet in our bedrooms and renovating our two full bathrooms. One reno will be small and the other a complete gut. Hoping that we stay the course with our financials and make it happen!

  17. Heather says:

    Oh my gosh, my youngest is a 2 year old too and reading about Polly moving out of the crib in 2020 is giving me all the “you’re crying, I’m not crying” feels.

  18. Aimee Graham says:

    Can I ask about your tree? Is it real or fake? It’s looks similar to a fake one that I’ve been considering from Balsam Hill.

  19. Makila says:

    I’m excited for you. Not that you need my permission but having it done sooner rather than 10 years will be so good. When I think about how our kids will have lived in our house for a good amount of time after remodeled it,
    It makes me so happy. I’m glad they will live in our home when it feels like our home.

  20. Lexi says:

    I’m so excited about this kitchen. I have never seen a bad kitchen design from CLJ. I do want to say I’m wary about the idea of a wet room. I think I remember Chris liking warm cozy rooms (saunas) but I think in a space as large as your bathroom that would be lost. I love the idea of wet rooms for smaller areas where the warm air is “trapped” and you’re pressed for space. I don’t foresee your space lacking those qualities but I’m not standing in it. I’m excited to see what direction you take though. Even when I disagree with the idea I’ve never disliked the final product!

  21. Maria says:

    I’m so excited to follow along!

  22. caitlin says:

    so excited for the kitchen!! ahh!! ????????

  23. amy says:

    Good for you guys!! I say that if you can bang this all out in two years, then go for it! As a mom of 3 teenagers, I know that life certainly shifts from a majority of home time to that of happily following kids in their activities outside the home. How fabulous for you to have a refuge to return home to during those busier years. I also love how you make this 2020 goal shift in such a positive way and that you explain your reasoning behind it as well. Although home renovations are a wonderful privilege to undergo, living through the actual construction does take its toll, and I think it is healthy for you to acknowledge that. It allows followers who learn from you to also look inward and deliberately decide how they will budget their money and time in order to balance family time and renovations. “Don’t Wait” now has more meaning than one. :)

  24. Julie S says:

    I’m excited for most of these but reserve a special mention for the hallways! Our muuuuch smaller house & DIY reno/refreshes are coming along, and our super dim, boring interior hallway is high on my radar these days. I have simmered many ideas to add architectural interest and settled on one just recently! I’m going to try to persuade hubby to replace the 4 flat panel doors in the hallway before I move ahead on my wall trim though… and that might take a little while.

  25. Kate says:

    What about adding in a sauna to the master bath? Would be so nice during those long cold winters!

    • Julia says:

      I’ve never even thought of that

    • Liesl says:

      We installed a steam shower when we lived in Illinois to keep us warm during long, cold winters. But what we ended up loving it for the most was using it during cold and flu season to help unplug sinuses and drain gunk. We’ve moved since and I miss it so much. It was priceless when our kids got croup!

  26. Kala says:

    Praise Jesus that you aren’t going to take 20 years!!! How on earth do I choose just one of your projects that I’m most excited for?! I am excited for it all!!! The content you put out gives me life and I just can’t live a day without checking in on you!! Lol

  27. Tamara Wynn says:

    I’m super excited to see Greta’s room!! Especially when you said vintage horse artwork. I worked for many years, through high school and college, at the cutest boutique in Flat Rock, NC called The Wrinkled Egg. The owner, Virginia Spigener, has an eye for the best vintage/eclectic/one-of-a-kind artwork and home furnishings. Definitely worth a look at online, or maybe on a trip to Western North Carolina (Asheville area) to pick your own apples and stop in for shopping there and food in the organic bakery/pizza shop in the back (Flat Rock Bakery).

  28. Tamara Wynn says:

    I’m super excited to see Greta’s room!! Especially when you said vintage horse artwork. I worked for many years, through high school and college, at the cutest boutique in Flat Rock, NC called The Wrinkled Egg. The owner, Virginia Spigener, has an eye for the best vintage/eclectic/one-of-a-kind artwork and home furnishings. Definitely worth a look at online, or maybe on a trip to Western North Carolina (Asheville area) to pick your own apples and stop in for shopping there and dinner at the organic bakery/pizza shop in the back (Flat Rock Bakery) which is attached!

    Y’all are the best and I pretty much have all of my family tuned into CLJ!!

  29. Samantha says:

    I used Closets.com in a house and loved it. Its basically the same as California Closets but about half the price. Great online planning tool to play with as well.

  30. Suzanne says:

    Wow so excited for you all! I’m most looking forward to your master bedroom and bathroom and closet! Your last one was dreamy!

  31. Jennifer says:

    I’m excited for all of it but most excited for music room! Jewel box-yes!!

  32. Nicole says:

    The hallways! I’m excited to see what you do!

  33. Megan says:

    I have to know – where did you end up on the dining room/living room archway trim and paint color problem?

  34. Molly says:

    The Kitchen, the master bath and the master closet. But really all of it! You’re so inspiring with your ideas and the details. I love your aesthetic and content. Thank you for sharing so much with us.

  35. Kelsey says:

    Thank god you’re not waiting 10 years! I LOVE watching you transform things. Such a feast for the eyes. Excited for your family!

  36. Camille says:

    I seriously can’t wait for the dining room. That tile! The lights! The table! The fireplace!????????????Ahhhh!!! It’s going to be the best room in the house. Can’t wait.

  37. I am SO HERE for this! I’m also sending you all the good luck vibes because having to design a master closet, a master bath, and your kitchen, on top of all the other projects, in this timespan is so ambitious and sounds exhausting. (We just got done with a year-long process of building a custom home so I am speaking from experience!) It will be a marathon but it will be so amazing. Thank you for taking us along for the ride!

  38. Laurel says:

    Oh my gosh, you guys are ambitious! I’m SO EXCITED. This year is going to be amazing as this all comes together. Can’t wait to follow along as you take us through the transformation!

  39. JessB says:

    You are totally right about not having the girls living in constant construction chaos. It’s no fun! And they are only little once.

  40. Adelyn says:

    Ahhhhh! ALL the excitement! I cannot wait to follow along with all of this. Also, all the questions on a wet room. Does this exist? Have I been living in a cave? We must know more!

  41. Grace says:

    This is very exciting. A lot of work but worth it to really LIVE aim your home.
    We used EasyClosets and really like them. They help customize the space based on your dimensions, but you can change it up to meet your individual needs. You install…easy enough and affordable.

  42. Heidi says:

    For your closet, you can go to a custom cabinetry company that also does kitchen cabinets. They can build any type of closet system and built in dresser drawers that you want! You don’t have to be limited to a closet company.

  43. Erin says:

    The comments have spoken: we need a full post, and probably a week of stories, on wet room inspiration, wet room voting, and all things wet room. I totally agree that all baths must be followed by showers, and I too fear cold showers…
    AND I am kindly asking/really want a full week/post of wallpaper inspo for the music room. No need to vote—yes to wallpapering the music room!

  44. Danielle says:

    Gah I’m so excited for you guys! And me too watching with all the heart eyes!

    • Kate says:

      I love the Ikea Elvarli closet system! It helps keep my walk in more like an inviting room than a closet! We also have a wall with windows, and it framed it nicely.
      So excited that youre speeding up the process!

  45. Melanie says:

    I’m excited and here for it all!!!
    But I’m going to love to see what you do with the music room. I just asked my mom if I could re-do a space in her house and make it the music area so I’m looking for inspiration!

  46. Kelsey says:

    This is sooooo exciting! I can’t wait to follow along – you two are truly my favorite home design couple!

    Is Chris finally going to get his steam shower, or have you moved in a different direction? :)

  47. Abby says:

    This is all very exciting — it will be fun to follow along. I have to ask, though, can you please explain the appeal of wet rooms to me? I’ve seen a few of those pop up on my Instagram feed, so I know what they are…but every time I see one (where the space doesn’t dictate that the tub/toilet HAS to be in the shower area), I’m like WHYYYY would someone do that aside from wanting to be trendy?! I can think of a whole list of practical reasons why it’s not great, but, those aside, I think it looks bad. I don’t mean that rudely because to each their own (truly! I believe if it is what will make you happy in your own house, go for it!), I just truly cannot see it as a pretty look. It looks like poor planning or something to me. So, I’m truly just wondering if there is something I am missing about them…?

    • Julia says:

      I’ve only experienced them one time. We were staying at the Aria in Las Vegas years ago and they had a wet room. And I really loved that you could get out of the tub and rinse off easily in the shower–which I do anytime I take a bath.

    • PJ says:

      Hi Abby,
      I’ve never seen a wet room where the toilet is in the same space as the tub and shower. I’ve only seen wet rooms that only include the tub and shower. Having a toilet in there would be gross :)

  48. Ashley says:

    A vote for Container Store – literally just did ours over the break (our closets are much smaller but we have a his and hers) and I’m IN LOVE. I have visited the Container Store almost every day since for more organization (bins, baskets, bag shapers, boot shapers, the works) in the closet. They were wonderful to work with and their designs made it really easy to visualize and see. We’d take the designs home, look around, come back and tweak things (probably did this about 4 or 5 times) before making the big purchase. It was a fantastic experience and I’d highly recommend!

  49. Cait says:

    Kitchen!! But for closets, note that Elfa’s annual 30% off closet systems sale at the Container Store ends on February 5!

  50. Mimi says:

    Banisters? Railings? Pony wall in the big window room? I say yes to a pony wall instead of a railing and here’s why– think where are you hanging stockings for the 5 of you or all that you wish to host at Christmas time in the near future & long time down the road.?? I have two female friends that had more than 8 children– these women added stockings when their family expanded with marriages–so until then for your 3 beautiful daughters, you mentioned you wanted to host the large Christmas gatherings– where do the stockings go ? On the mantel? On their bedposts? By the door to their rooms (giving you more time to sleep as they open them) Or perhaps you choose not to do stockings, as I have chosen to do. Also the pony wall makes a great “stage” for doing hand puppet shows– or it can be turned into a felt board or white board or chalkboard for fhe lessons/ group games/ helping with math problems….. Just giving out a couple of ideas… to ponder.

  51. Jamie Marabillas says:

    I can’t wait for the kitchen and master bath and the closet so I guess you can say I love ALL of it!

  52. Sara Lyn Smalley says:

    As a child of remodel, I can say that I appreciate you not wanting your children to grow up in a construction zone. My siblings and I didn’t like it, but my parents were all about making it fun. Our house is very old and my parents saved and did one room at a time when they had the money. All the work was done on the weekends, because they both worked full time. It took 22 years in total to do all the rooms (and there still isn’t baseboard trim on the main level of the house….and its now been 29 years). But some fun things we did to make it better: 1). while redoing the staircase with the bare wood shiplap walls exposed, we had a bucket of coloring crayons on the staircase. Anyone and everyone was welcome to color, write, draw, etc on the walls and steps. 2). Grade school art projects are now under all the sheetrock in our childhood home. We hung them and decided to leave them for the next family to find when they remodel. 3). cardboard covering over the windows also turned into an art mural (which are now stapled to the wall underneath the sheetrock. 4). our old chimney bricks are signed by each one of us kids and all of our friends. My parents really hope that the next people who come along our house really enjoy all the treasures that are hidden in the walls.

    • Ashley says:

      I love this! What a sweet way to make the construction zone memorable in a good way for you and your siblings as children. I will say that if I was to buy that house and discover it all when we opened things up, I would have such a hard time going back to covering it up. It would be the sweetest little surprise, I’d probably end up finding a way to preserve something of what we discovered in the construction of it, and then likely leave it as a gift for NEW owners way down the road (while perhaps leaving similar treasures of our own in the remodeling process!). Our friends saw the previous owners childrens’ height measurements in their pantry and painted around it and left the measurements in tact. :) I love grabbing things out of their pantry and seeing it!

    • Rachel says:

      We found an old Navy print (read: military, not the store lol) tacked to the boards under the wall paneling in our living room when we renovated it this summer. The man who built our house was in the service, as is my husband. I saved it and hope to frame it and possibly hang it back up in the living room :).

  53. Julia!!! This is all so so so exciting. I can’t wait to watch and gather inspiration from all you guys tackle in 2020 (and beyond!). After two years of major projects (kitchen 2018, basement 2019), we’re committing to only small stuff in 2020 (ahem and doing actual finishing touches on those big ones), so I’ll have to live vicariously through your work!

  54. Emily says:

    Well that’s depressing. We have the same timeline as you with our kids, with two more stuffed in there. When you lay it out like that, it feels like no time at all.

    If you’re not opposed to a little travel, I strongly suggest checking out Legacy Mill and Cabinet in North Salt Lake, Ut. for your cabinets and closet. They do AMAZING work.

  55. Sarah says:

    I totally support this plan. We’ve been renovating our little house for about five years on and off, and with our first little one on the way, I am ready to JUST LIVE in the house and enjoy the hard work we’ve done! Of course, I’m sure I’ll always find something to tinker with, but the big projects are so disruptive and hang over my head. It feels so good to be soooo close to done! PS- thanks for timing these projects perfectly with my maternity leave, can’t wait to watch! ;)

  56. NancyS says:

    Just going to comment on the vintage horse art since I am an over the moon horse fanatic. My favorite art is my personal pictures. After looking for months for a large picture of some sort to hang over my fireplace, a friend from the barn posted a picture of her horse, outside, with a foggy winter mist in the background. It was exactly the “tone” I was looking for & she didn’t have a problem with me stealing her FB photo & blowing it up. It’s perfect. And I love looking at all the photo’s of horses I’ve ridden over the years & the great time at the events we were at. Maybe Greta has a favorite horse at her barn she’d love to remember 10 years down the line. When you do find the perfect vintage items to add – don’t forget to link it for all of us little girls that never outgrew horses :)

  57. Molly says:

    Wow! You guys have so much on your plate! If anyone can do that much in a year it’s you guys! I can’t wait to watch and follow along!

  58. Kate says:

    Just curious… If you want the girls to “feel that sense of comfort and calm and peace and solitude and safety and togetherness” in the home, why not tackle their bedrooms before you tackle yours/the kitchen/music room/closet/etc, to give them that personal sanctuary amidst all of the construction? Age appropriate adjustments (crib to bed) can be made at any time…
    Cheers to 2020.

    • Chris says:

      I think their rooms already are that way for them. Too many changes on kids can be rough, so we swapped out their carpet and we’re just letting them enjoy their rooms as places they can escape to while the other things get addressed.

  59. caitquinnjoyce says:

    SO EXCITED to follow along. You guys are just the best and I love, love, love everything you do. Keep being YOU in 2020. I think I’m most excited for the kitchen and the master suite!!! EEEEEEEE

  60. Melanie says:

    I can’t wait to see it all!

    One question that I’d love to see you do a post about is how do you incorporate different design elements in a house (wallpaper, paneling, neutrals, bold colors, etc.) without it looking like a mishmash of jumping on the latest design trend in each room. I think the answer is probably a cohesive color palette or design style, but I’d love to see examples of what that looks like.

  61. SB says:

    This is all so exciting! I love the idea of wallpaper in the pass-through music room. I would kill for a bathroom that size, but I would steer way clear of a wet room. Wet room makes for a cold showering experience because the steam has so much room to spread out–anywhere that isn’t getting directly hit by water is just room temp against wet skin–BRR. They also kinda defeat the purpose of having a separate tub that you don’t have to clean as often as you would a shower/tub combo… They get dirty just being in the wet room, plus now you have to clean the OUTSIDE too!

    • Justynn says:

      I’m going to second this. I think the wet room idea is interesting in concept, but i cant help but think of the areas behind and around the base of the tub that you have to clean and scrub becasue they get soap residue from the shower, and how difficult it would be to clean there. And I second the bigger shower colder shower concept.

    • Haley says:

      I came here to say almost the exact same things!

      Also Erin Kestenbaum SLAYED her IKEA closet https://erinkestenbaum.com/2018/12/12/hacking-the-ikea-pax-into-a-fully-custom-closet/

    • Jenn says:

      Agreed! Was going to say this too! I can totally see how it would solve some of the “long hallway” issues but I think it would be a huge pain in the long run.

    • KP says:

      +1 from someone who just moved into a house with this setup – a wet room makes for a cold showering experience.

    • Tiffany says:

      I agree. To me the wet room seems like a room for looks more than function. And instead of showering after a bath I use a hand shower attachment to my bathtub filler. It also helps clean the tub.

    • Christina says:

      I can’t tell you how many “wet rooms” I have had to redesign for owners after they live with one! Proceed with caution and do a ton of research. Pay special attention to conditioning (HVAC) and venting. Depending on the size, the shower alone can not keep the space warm enough and your heated floors can’t be in the space (code). I’m sure you will come up with the perfect solution – you all usually do!

    • PJ says:

      Loving this thread! We’re building a new house and considered a wet room briefly, but it didn’t work with the setup we wanted (which I guess I should be grateful for now). We also considered a walk in shower and a very experienced plumber, who’s a close friend, advised us against it.

  62. Robin says:

    Wow! You guys are sure going to be busy in 2020, but I love the idea and sentiment behind the big push. I always draw so much inspiration from your projects, so I can’t wait to follow along!

  63. Ellen says:

    Well girl…if anyone can tackle this monster list in a year or two…y’all can. I have nothing but faith in ya! No doubt it will be gorgeous too. I’m here for it!

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