2018 Home Goals Report Card (How’d I Do On Those Goals?)

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Well, hello there, y’all! I’ve been having such a great week off, binge watching all of the cheesy holiday romcoms I can find (with a little Bird Box thrown in) before the calendar rolls over to January 1st. I still have two more days of Netflix binging planned, but before we officially say goodbye to 2018, I wanted to review my home goals list for the year and see just how much I got done.

I didn’t get everything on my list finished, but I didn’t expect to. I’d have to actually be Wonder Woman to complete a list like that. But I am very pleased with the progress I made this year.

Let’s take a look, shall we?

House Exterior:

At the beginning of the year, the exterior of our house looked like this…

I had test samples of paint on the stone, and I hadn’t even started on the front porch makeover.

So here are the things that got done on the house exterior in 2018:

There was one item on my original list — building a balustrade on the front porch — that I changed my mind about. I decided that my front porch is too small (it’s wide but shallow) for a balustrade, and since building code doesn’t require me to have one, I decided to leave the porch open.

The two items on my original list that I didn’t get to are:

  • Building and installing five window boxes, and
  • Building the steps and handrails to the side studio door.

So I did eleven out of thirteen. Not bad, right?

The front porch looks completely different now with the white columns, wood porch, and wide steps. And let’s not forget my pinkish coral door painted in Bird of Paradise from Benjamin Moore!

My DIY shutters, painted Gentleman’s Gray from Benjamin Moore, also added quite a bit of curb appeal to the front of the house, and the portico is one of my favorite things I’ve ever built.

navy blue DIY board and batten shutters with black hinges pulls and shutters dogs

I think it’s going to look so charming once I get the window boxes made and installed. And just maybe this will be the year we get some landscaping done in the front yard.

There were four exterior projects done (or at least started) that weren’t on the original list at all. The first is the new front sidewalk, which is about two feet wider than the original. Here’s a look at the original…

And the new, wider, nicer front walk looks like this…

That wasn’t a DIY project, obviously. I don’t think I’d ever take on such a big concrete job myself. Concrete countertops in my kitchen were pretty much my limit. 🙂

The second project that wasn’t planned was this front porch lighting that I installed behind the fascia board.

installing LED tape lights around front porch roof - lights installed and turned on at night

Just a warning that if you do this project, attach the clips to hold the lights up immediately. Don’t count on the sticky adhesive to hold those lights up outside. I failed to get my clips on part of my lights in time, and now part of them are hanging down and require more work. *Sigh*

And then there’s the faux stone skirting that I started adding to the concrete on the front porch…

I still haven’t finished it (but the headboard that I was considering turning into a bench or swing is no longer sitting on my front porch 🙂 ). And now that the weather is getting colder, I’m not sure when I’ll actually finish it. That might have to wait until spring.

And, of course, the biggest (and definitely the most expensive) outdoor project in 2018 was the addition of our carport behind the studio. Unfortunately, the best picture I have of it was taken when I was painting the shutters.

The carport still isn’t finished. It has no lights, no outlets, no ceiling, and no trim on the columns. And none of it has been painted yet. So all of those will be projects I’ll tackle (or hire out) during 2019.

So while there’s so much more to do outside, the exterior of our house went through quite the transformation in 2018. I’ll try to get new full-view pictures soon so we can get a good comparison of the before view and the current view.

Entryway:

At the beginning of the year, the entryway looked much different than it does now. It had the grasscloth wallpaper, liquid acrylic triptych, and gray and white credenza.

I had three things on my original list, and I got two of them done.

There was one item on my original list — painting the front door — that I still haven’t gotten to. It’s such a small project, and yet it continues to linger on my to do list.

But along the way, I decided to change the entire look of the entryway to better suit my taste, and here’s how it looks now…

To arrive at that final look, I decided to add a few DIY projects that I hadn’t originally planned at the beginning of the year.

Living Room:

At the beginning of the year, the living room looked like this…

Unfortunately, I didn’t get much done in here at all. The one project I finished is…

Now the fireplace is a beautiful custom shade of teal — the same teal I used on the entryway wall which is directly opposite the fireplace.

The items on my list that I didn’t get to are:

  • Touching up the paint on the baseboards,
  • Reupholstering two chairs,
  • Make draperies (although I did get one panel finished, which you can see here),
  • Installing chandelier closer to the ceiling,
  • Making throw pillows, and
  • Decorating and accessorizing to finish.

While I didn’t get any of those things finished, I did take some time to make a piece of artwork to go above the mantel.

It’s a pinwheel made of 800 wood tasting spoons. You can click here to see how I made it, and click here to see how I framed it.

Music Room:

Moving on to the music room, here’s how things looked at the beginning of the year…

And while the room still isn’t finished, I got quite a few projects done.

As far as the artwork/wall decor goes, I made two items for this room. The first piece I made was this layered scalloped mirror…

I made it specifically to go over the piano, but when I redid the entryway, I moved some things around. This mirror is now in the living room…

…and the acrylic triptych (to which I added a resin coating) is now hanging above the piano.

For the opposite wall, I made the biggest and most intricate art piece I’ve ever done. It’s a pixel image made with 6400 small round wood pieces (i.e., the mushroom top wood plugs that you use to cover screw holes in furniture), each individually hand painted, and then framed and coated with four layers of resin and sanded it to a matte finish.

You can click here to see how I made the picture and framed it, and here to see how I got a matte finish on the resin.

The music room projects I didn’t get to during 2018 are:

  • Painting and reupholstering the blue chairs
  • Refinishing the piano bench
  • Decorating and accessorizing to finish

And there was one project — building cabinet doors for the lower shelves on the bookcases — that I changed my mind about. Instead, I decided to paint the insides of the shelves the same custom teal that I used on the fireplace and the entryway wall.

And one other project I hadn’t planned but decided to do on a whim was enhancing the stenciled wall design with a black Sharpie marker. Here’s a picture I took during the project that shows the difference a black Sharpie can make. See how much more depth and dimension that middle section appears to have with the simple addition of some black accent lines?

You can see more of that project here.

Hallway:

At the beginning of 2018, I had made a pretty good start on the hallway. In fact, it was almost finished. It just needed a few more touches.

In order to finish it, I tackled the following…

I still need to find the one lost handle for the bathroom door and install it, but I’m still calling the hallway finished. I mean, technically the bathroom handle installation is a bathroom project, right? 🙂

hallway after remodel - teal doors, striped walls, watercolor artwork

You can click here to see the whole before and after post on the hallway remodel.

Hallway Bathroom:

The hallway bathroom was remodeled in 2014 (you can click here to see the before and after), but when I started working on the hallway and decided to paint the hallway doors teal, the teal vanity in the bathroom needed a new color.

I tested out several colors, and finally decided on gray.

I can’t say I’m thrilled about it, but it’ll do. At least I was able to get rid of the test paint colors and have one solid color.

Kitchen:

My kitchen remodel was done in 2014 (you can see the original before and after here), and then in 2017, I went from green cabinets to teal. You can see that before and after here.

So there really wasn’t much to do in the kitchen. In fact, I only had two items on my list for that room, and I only got one of them done…kind of.

My original plan was to replace the glass in the upper cabinet doors. I had broken two pieces when I removed them and painted the cabinets teal. But instead of adding glass black in those doors, I decided to do a decorative metal mesh instead.

You can read more about that here.

The only other thing on my list for the kitchen was to get new appliances. I’m still on the hunt for an all-refrigerator that opens the right way (i.e., handle on the right side) and fits into the 30-inch-wide refrigerator space in my kitchen. So far, I’ve had zero success in finding such a refrigerator. I’m doubting that one even exists.

In addition to my original list items for the kitchen, I also decided to tackle a couple of organization projects in here that were spawned by my pantry build. I started off easy with a tiered spice drawer organizer, which you can read about here.

DIY tiered spice drawer insert - Addicted 2 Decorating

And then I turned a regular cabinet into customized storage with three pull-out shelves. Click here to see how I did it.

how to build organized and customized pul-out shelf for cookware - lower shelf with four most-used pots and pans
how to build organized and customized pul-out shelf for cookware - middle shelf for lids, handles and steamer insert
how to build organized and customized pul-out shelf for cookware - top shelf for measuring cups and spoons

I’m not quite done with the organizational projects in the kitchen, but the rest will have to wait until 2019.

Breakfast Room:

Our breakfast room originally had a door that led into the garage. But during 2017, we had the garage converted into a studio for me. So the metal exterior door that separated the breakfast room from the garage was swapped out for a wood interior 15-lite pocket door that now separates the breakfast room from my studio. But at the beginning of the year, it was still looking kind of rough with the lack of trim and a hole in the drywall where a two-gang switch box had been removed.

So the items on my list for the breakfast room included:

  • Painting the new pocket door
  • Installing the trim around the door
  • Repairing the drywall where switches were removed

I got all three of those done, which you can see here.

Pantry:

At the beginning of the year, my pantry was nothing more than a storage closet where I piled miscellaneous junk.

I was determined to get it finished before the end of the year, and I’m pleased to tell you that I actually did it!

The pantry is finished!!

I finished it just over a week ago (at 11:00pm on the Saturday night before Christmas). Then I spent two days cleaning all of the construction dust and tools, one day with family, and then I’ve been on my one-week blogging break since then. (I like to take off during the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day every year.) So I still don’t have pictures to show you, but I’ll post that before and after very soon!

It’s funny to look back on my original “to do” list for the pantry. It seemed so simple, and included:

  • Adding a new electrical outlet for the chest freezer (which I ended up not doing because I decided against a chest freezer)
  • Building cabinets for storage (I made it sound so simple. After all, it’s just one line item on a list! 😀
  • Making a wood countertop
  • Making or buying a shade for the window

So simple. Just four little “to do” items. Just four little check marks, and then it’s done!

😀

Well, those four little line items (plus a few that I added) took ten-and-a-half weeks to finish, and I’m so proud of how it turned out. I love to go in there and just stare, and remember how it started out, and realize that I did all of that with my own two hands.

But I’ll share the whole thing with you very soon. I promise. I’m aiming for Thursday or Friday.

UPDATE:

I posted the final before and after pictures for my pantry remodel! You can see them here:

My Finished Butler’s Pantry Remodel – Before & After

Miscellaneous

While only tangentially related to the house, one big project I did during this year was build a rolling expandable miter saw cart.

You can click here to see the details of that project.

This has been invaluable, and has made my DIY life so much easier. I need to build a similar cart for my table saw so that I can quit lugging that thing around.

My original list of home goals for 2018 also included a bunch of stuff for the studio, half bathroom and mudroom. Of course, somewhere along the way, I decided to swap out that mudroom plan for a storage closet at the back of the studio. Anyway, you can click here to read all of those 2018 studio/half bath/mudroom goals, or you can just wait a couple of days and read the updated version on my 2019 home goals post, because I didn’t get one single thing done on any of those areas during 2018.

But that’s okay. I knew that there was no way I could get through my entire list in a year, but I wrote them down anyway to give myself options. Truth be told, I’m rather proud of the work I actually accomplished during 2018. It was a productive year, and I made quite a bit of headway on the house.

I’m ready to wrap up 2018, spend the next couple of days thinking about what I want to accomplish in 2019 (and doing a bit more Netflix binging), and then hit the ground running on January 2nd on a brand new list for 2019.

Happy New Year, y’all!

 

 

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55 Comments

  1. Wow! Wow! Wow! While I read every post during the year, I am still amazed to see it all together! I am so proud of you and the work you accomplish. You are Wonder Woman!

    Reply

      1. Have a wonderful New Year Wonder Woman.
        You’re my hero😍
        I felt so happy to see your email and knowing that you finished the pantry
        Looking forward the pantry pictures
        XOXO

        Reply

  3. Congrats Kristi! That’s such an impressive list for this past year! I love the way the exterior is coming together—love the color you chose for your front door! Congrats again on finishing the pantry—can’t wait for the big reveal!
    I’m looking forward to following your plans in constructing some pull out shelves for my kitchen early in 2019. That’s my goal.😆.

    Happy New Year!

    Reply

  4. It is amazing what you have gotten done. And it’s beautiful (of course we like the same colors). Wanted to confirm shutter color is Benjamin Moore Gentleman’s Gray (it reads dark blue to me, thinking of using on my shutters. Also color for door?

    Reply

  6. amazing… you accomplished sooooo much…kudos to you. Looks wonderful…and 2019 will be just as great I am sure.
    Blessings to you and Matt!

    Reply

  8. Congratulations to you! Your persistence and work ethic are a model for us all. But your vision and creativity have no equal! You are such an inspiration to so many of the world’s DIYers. I absolutely love the home you’ve created. It’s lovely, happy, and one-of-a-kind in the best way. Thank you for the opportunity to follow along on the beautiful journey!
    Happy New Year to you all!

    Reply

  9. A couple of things you didn’t mention, the experimental journey with resin and all of the behind the scene stuff that goes with the artistry you put into your projects. AND, the tutorials you do for the projects. Last, the wonderful blog posts you put together, creating, editing, loading. The actual work on the house is one thing, but then you put together the business side for the blog and IG. Not to mention having a life, all that goes with marriage, adopting animals and taking care of self and family, with the circumstances you have. People think it’s so easy working from home. I see all that goes into it, and applaud you. The holiday week off, with your family, is well deserved. Happy New Year, to you and yours.

    Reply

  10. Your work always manages to impress and you get so much done in a year. Your house is looking great, a big difference from when you moved in. Keep up the good work Kristi!

    Reply

  12. Nothing but impressive. You should rest and be proud of yourself. I am curious about your hall bathroom door (of all things, lol.) I was here when you moved/expanded that door and chose the double doors. After some use, how do you like it? We don’t have anyone with special needs in our family but increasingly I’m thinking about universal design for our family. Why not design for everyone at all times? How do you and Matt like this door compared with a pocket door or some other system?

    Reply

  13. Amazing Progress and beautifully done! I too neededa frig that was an unusual size! I was shopping during the Black Friday sales of the month of November, for the best prices of the year Anyway Home Depot had nothing, l went to Lowe’s, I talked to them and they told me they could special order for me! Home Depot did not tell me that!

    Reply

  16. OMG…You have accomplished a lot. You should be very proud of everything you have done. It all looks fantastic..!! I thought at the very end you were going to say that you were done and we’d get to see it….what a tease…now we all have something to look forward to…!!

    Well I hope you and Matt have a wonderful New Year..!!!

    Reply

  19. It’s completely astounding what you’ve accomplished in this past year! Everything you’ve done looks absolutely beautiful! I love looking through the pictures! But — you’re killing me here! I’ve been watching daily for a pantry reveal post, and as I was reading through this post, the anticipation was building in me as you went through each area, heading toward the pantry…
    I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s looking very much forward to later this week! The anticipation continues to build…

    Reply

  20. Kristi and Matt, you are a team, for sure. Congrats to the two of you on your wonderful year of great progress. Matt keeps the communication here in line and observes what you do, Kristi, with pride, I’m sure. He may be contributing more than any of us realize.

    Thanks for giving us the details on not only what you do but how. You are inspiring many people to undertake projects they might never attempt without that.

    I am anxious to see the finished pantry later this week. I am really anticipating the studio project so maybe that will happen in the new year.

    Warm regards from Ecuador

    Reply

  22. Just lovely. But I have to admit I scrolled through very quickly looking for the pantry pics…. alas…. I am patient I can wait… 😉

    Reply

  23. Congrats, Kristi!

    Amazing how much you accomplished in 2018. I’d give you a grade of an A+! There are very few people who could get as much done, on their own, like you have and also make it look so good. You should be very proud. Your home looks fabulous!! I look forward to seeing the pantry reveal after the New Year and also your list of 2019 goals – it’s let us all know what to look forward to in 2019. You and Matt enjoy the Netflix binge. It is well deserved!!

    Reply

  26. Kristi, you have accomplished SO MUCH! And I love everything you’ve done. I don’t know how I missed the mitre saw cart post, but that will have to be my next project! I have always placed my mitre saw on the garage floor, propped up 2 x 4s to each side and used it that way. That cart would make everything so much easier! I can’t wait to see your finished pantry. Happiest of New Year’s to you and Matt.

    Reply

  27. I, like so many here, am absolutely astounded at what you’ve accomplished in 2018. It all looks wonderful.
    I’m also waiting with bated breath to see final pantry pictures. I thought you were leading up to pictures, then left us hanging in suspense 😂. I have no doubt the rest was needed desperately!
    Happy New Year to you, Matt and the rest of your family! Looking forward to seeing what you have up your sleeve for 2019😋

    Reply

  29. Hi Kristi: I have been following you for years. I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, Love your home. Your talents are beyond miraculous. Your color choices are the same as mine. I wish I had your talents. I need new flooring in the kitchen and just have not had the nerve to tackle it.
    I cannot believe what you accomplished this year, room after room is outstanding. Love the tutorials and I also feel like I know you personally because of your blog and sincerity, Happy New Year to Matt, you, Cooper and Peeve.

    Reply

  31. Kristi, you should be very content with yourself. So much was done this past year. If you keep up this pace, I think you could run out of projects except that your creative mind will always find something new to explore. You go girl.

    BTW in a quick check, I found right opening 30” just refrigerators made by Viking and Subzero. Also ones by Amana, Frigidaire, etc. A good vender should be able to help you find the right frig and make adaptations if necessary.

    Happy new year!

    Reply

  32. All these projects plus more in a year where you felt discouraged from time to time! Pat yourselves on the backs! Awesome jobs all around!

    Reply

  33. What an amazing amount you have accomplished just this past year; then when you add in all the previous projects, it’s mind-boggling! I just had to see if I could find a refrigerator that fits your requirements, and I found a commercial one that might work. It’s the Arctic Air AWR25.
    Happy New Year to you, Matt, Peeve and Cooper!!

    Reply

  34. I read everything you’ve accomplished and then I realize that I’ve lived in my house for almost 12 years, and we’ve only: replaced two toilets, 3 faucets and a stove; refloored two rooms and an entryway; painted 5 rooms; got new gutters and outdoor trim; and built a few things (a dining room table, a full wall desk/table space, workbench in the garage and one in our trailer, and a desk for one son’s room). In almost 12 years. 🤦‍♀️

    I need to get the list down on paper like you do. Checkboxes. Somewhere out in public where I can be held accountable….especially because I see exactly how well it worked for you.

    And I CANNOT wait to see your finished pantry. 😍

    Reply

  36. You’ve truly had a banner year on your projects! I bet if you had stuck with JUST your list, and not gone off on non-list projects, you might have had lots of time to create, binge watch and just relax! But it wouldn’t have been healthy for your mental state. Be proud of ALL you’ve done this past year, because there’s probably not one of us who could have done the same! Happy New Year to you and Matt, can’t wait to see the pantry in a full post!

    Reply

  37. Kristi, I think I started reading Addicted 2 Decorating when you were dreaming up argyle in the condo. A LONG time fan. As I read through your 2018 accomplishments, I was surprised at how much happened this year. So very much, that somehow I was pretty sure they happened longer ago. But no, it really was 2018. So you know what I’m impressed by? Most impressed, that is? That your passion for this is entirely undiminished. You’re more than a trooper…you are a hard-charging captain of your own destiny! And I love you for it. On the topic of love: I really love that sneaky peek, and I can hardly wait for the full reveal! As far as those items that went entirely undone? Pshaw! What would *we* do if your house was entirely done? That’s the future, and I look forward to it! Happy New Year!!

    Reply

  38. As a long time follower from when you were doing your condo, I am just amazed and absolutely in awe of everything you do. Your work ethic, your vision, your skills, your creativity are just outstanding and you are such an inspiration. The way you are transforming your home room by room is nothing short of impressive, let alone designing and building and upholstering furniture along the way and creating custom artwork. I think 2018 has been ´the´ most productive year for you. You were definitely on a roll and as fans and followers, are so proud of the achievements you have accomplished this year!!!! I can´t wait to see the big reveal of your pantry……..that alone was an incredibly big project on its own without everything else you did. You ARE Wonder Woman Kristi. I am really looking forward to following your projects for 2019.

    Reply

  39. You need tomake yourself a Wonder Woman cape!!! You are truely amazing. . Happy New Year to you and Matt and Cooper and Peeve!!

    Reply

  41. I remember stumbling onto your blog when you were working on your kitchen and getting ready to pour the concrete countertops. I can’t believe it’s been 4 yrs already. Yours is the first website I check out every morning when I first get into work.
    I have so enjoyed all the changes and projects that have occurred so far. I’m looking forward to all the exciting things yet to come. Here’s to 2019!!!

    Reply

  43. As always, I’m in awe of what you’ve accomplished this year – everything is stunning! And the website has changed, too – when did you find the time for that on top of everything else?
    I’m looking forward to your 2019 journey and am glad I can be a part of it – thanks for being so funny, candid, philosophical and most of all inspiring! All the best to you and Matt for the New Year!

    Reply

    1. Well, I’ve done nothing but sit in bed under a comfy blanket in front of the TV for the last week, so I thought it might be a good time to grab my laptop and give my blog an updated look. 😀 I love binging on Netflix, but I always have to be working on something while I’m watching shows and movies. I’m not the type who can just sit and watch TV and do nothing else. The new blog design is still a work in progress, so things might be a bit difficult to find for a few more days, but it was definitely time for a refresh.. Happy New Year!

      Reply

      1. it’s taking a beautiful direction and it’s pretty amazing that you’ve done this just like that, by the side! congrats!

        Reply

  44. I wrote a comment yesterday (NYE) and came back to see more. WOW, I was surprised by the changed look to the blog – overnite! I am loving the updated style! And I’m like you when it comes to watching tv; I have to be doing something else, usually browsing on the computer or playing a game. Hardly ever watch tv live, I dvr everything I like so I can back it up if I miss something, or pause when I need food or a potty break! LOL!

    Reply

  45. wow wow wow is exactly what I thought too! I started following your blog a few months ago so I hadn’t seen all the projects. Incredible. Just to let you know I made a drawer with my measuring cups and spoons similar to yours because i cannot see the measures unless I put on reading glasses which is a huge bother when I’m cooking. I simply traced around each one with black marker on white vinyl drawer lining and wrote the measure by it. However, they slide when I open or close the drawer. I see yours are on hooks so I’ll have t try that. In my last house I had them on hooks inside the spice cabinet door but my husband didn’t like the banging noise so I had to put felt behind each one. Thanks for all you post, I cannot wait to see your pantry finished! woot hoot.

    Reply

  46. I’m so excited to see the finished pantry. You got a lot done this year. I cannot believe that you did the bathroom in 2014, it’s crazy to know that I’ve been following for at least 4 years (I think I started following right before the bathroom!). Seems like just yesterday 🙂

    I also LOVE your new website format.

    Reply

  47. WOW!!!
    That pantry (what I can see anyway) looks so pretty! You SHOULD be very proud of yourself! Congratulations!!! Well don Kristi!

    PS: Personally I DISLIKE when bloggers take dates away, but it IS your blog,

    Reply

    1. The dates are still there. They’re just at the bottom of the post now. 🙂 I also hate it when bloggers completely remove the dates. I prefer the dates at the top before the post title, but moving it is beyond my technical know-how.

      Reply

  48. Ha!
    I didn’t think there was much if ANYTHING that was beyond your technical know-how. We finally found something people!!! Lol! And thank you Kristi for pointing out the dates are still there.

    Reply