Feathering My Nest 2015

A new year and so many projects I want to complete. I have been making mental notes about what I would like to do in my house this year. Some projects are bigger than others and some cost more money than others.

I would really like to make the entry way a little prettier. I even wrote about this area back in October.  I have found a few tables that are the perfect size, but I haven't found one that I just have to have. So the search continues.

Growing up, my parents always had a picture wall. Now with the help of Pinterest, picture walls themselves have become a piece of art. This is the future home of my picture wall. It is in the hallway that leads to my kitchen, so it is one that I pass all the time. We had family pictures done in December, so I have plenty to choose from. But it is another project I want to check off my list.

It isn't just the picture wall that I want to complete, I have one thing hanging in my house. One thing. I have a lot of walls to fill. This spot is in my family room and I want to use some pictures that my dad took to fill this space.

I love these built-ins, but they are looking pretty bare at the moment. They need a little love to look more put together.

My dining room table and chairs came from an estate sale. One of the chairs is in really bad shape, so they need to be recovered. I know exactly what fabric I want, which is half the battle. But like most projects, it is a matter of time and money.

My upstairs bathroom has a bright future even without a major renovation. My cousin is coming in a few weeks and is hopefully going to paint my vanity. I am super excited about this. I need to get the peeling wallpaper down and paint, but this bathroom can be a keeper for a long time to come. I am even thinking about a new countertop. This would really put some life into this small space.

I know these aren't the only things that I want checked off my list, but they are some of the major ones. I am looking forward to accomplishing a lot to make my house feel more like home. Do you have lots of home updates planned?

One Mess At A Time - The Dining Room

Welcome to the biggest mess in my house - the dining room table. While my kitchen was being worked on, my dining room table was the only flat surface downstairs, not including the floor. On top of that, when my contractor started, I wasn't completely prepared so I was throwing stuff there at the last minute while they were getting started.

Because of all the dust from the construction process, these lovely marks were left on my table. Everything had this thick coating of dust. It was gross. A lot of the stuff on this table needed to be thrown away anyway, so nothing was ruined. Purging is always such a great feeling.

A clean table! Since I am still waiting to get furniture for the downstairs, this is the only room that looks like it is lived in. I enjoy walking in here now.

This cabinet from Target has lived in several states with me - Illinois, Pennsylvania and back to Ohio. It is so heavy! Even though, it is not something that I want to keep forever, it has a spot in my dining room for right now. I am sure I will be able to fill it up.

Next, I have to decorate. But for now, I can at least walk in the room without tripping over random stuff. Just like everything else, this is a work in progress.

What Did I Walk Into?

So, I have been writing about my house for a few weeks now, but I realized I haven't really described what my house looked like when I first saw it and when I bought it.

Underneath all the yuck, I could see a house that had so much potential. The size and layout was great! But it was going to take some money and a lot of effort to make the place be a place I loved.

When I was searching for a house, I had a few things that I really wanted.

• A dining room
• A kitchen with potential
• At least 3 bedrooms
• Preferably more than one bathroom
• Fenced-in yard

I was able to get all of those things, plus a little more with my house.

• 4 bedrooms
• 2 bathrooms
• 2 living areas
• A basement

So what did I walk into? A house with great bones that needed some TLC.

This house has an entryway, which I was super excited about. For some reason, I do not like when you walk right into the living room. The entryway isn't big, but it is a decent size and will be a nice place to welcome guests.

The living room is right off the entryway. It is a pretty big room. Unfortunately, I won't have any furniture in this room for a little while.

The dining room is a room I was pretty insistent on having. Although I have never had a dinner party, I think having a place to have a formal meal is nice. It is also a good place to decorate.

The kitchen needs a lot of help. The stove is a relic. Someday it will get a major overhaul. I just don't know when that day will come.

The family room is the first place to get a facelift. I have already written about taking off the layers of wallpaper. This will be the room I live in the most so it will be nice to have a place that doesn't need any more work.

I can't expect that my house would become a picture perfect home overnight. It is going to take years. But it will get there. I am planning on being in this house for a long time and I can't wait to move all my stuff in and call it home.