A Color-Coded House Map — What’s Done, What’s In Progress, What’s Left To Do, and What Will Be Demolished

Today I wanted to provide a visual, color-coded “map” of my house to show y’all exactly what’s been finished, what’s currently in progress, what’s left to do, and what won’t be done.

I’m hoping that this will not only relieve some frustration for some of you, but for me as well. Quite honestly, sometimes I feel like my head might explode if I have to field yet another question about why I’m wasting time redoing finished areas of my house while my house remains a virtual construction zone filled with unfinished areas that I really could be/should be working on instead of whatever project I’m focusing on right now.

And I figured showing you this color-coded house map was a more helpful way of approaching this topic than my prankster of a husband’s suggestion that I write a post today outlining my new plans for demolishing and redoing the hallway. 😀

(To be clear, I have no plans to redo the hallway.)

Here’s how our house currently looks…





So let me explain what’s going on in a little more detail…

Finished

The areas in the dark pink color are rooms/areas that are finished. These include the entryway, kitchen, breakfast room, pantry, hallway bathroom, and hallway.

Now I know that some of those rooms are listed on my 2019 home goals list, but one of the rooms (the hallway bathroom) is finished now, and the other areas need minor projects done, like purchasing a new dining table for the breakfast room, rewiring a light, and adding some storage organization to the kitchen.

Those are not major construction projects, and I don’t consider the rooms “under construction” just because a few minor projects need attention. If you went to Home Depot and purchased a couple of Rev-a-Shelf organizational pull-out things that you wanted to install in your kitchen cabinets, you wouldn’t render your kitchen “under construction” and completely unusable, right? No. You’d find some extra time in your schedule, install them, and get on with your life.

Well, that’s what I’m doing in my kitchen, except instead of buying a product, I’m making them myself. But my kitchen is still completely usable, and I cook in there every day.

Slated to be finished in 2019

It should not come as a shock to anyone that I wrote a post yesterday focusing on projects that need to be done in my music room or living room. I have this little ritual that I’ve done at the beginning of the year for the last few years, and January 2019 was no exception. I make a list of things that I want to get done on my house during the year.

This year’s list is linked in the sidebar of my blog, which is either over there to the right (if you’re on a desktop) or it’s down below this post (if you’re on mobile) with an image that looks like this…

If you click on it, it’ll take you to this year’s list. You can check my progress any time. I try to keep that list up to date, with finished items crossed off, as the year progresses.

And if you look on this year’s list, you’ll see that the living room and music room are listed, and my goal is to finish both rooms by the end of the year. Neither of these rooms has ever been finished, and until they are, and until I get them just like I want them, I will continue to tweak this, and rearrange that, and repaint this thing, and change my mind about that thing. That’s just my process, and until I actually deem the room finished and have it just like I want it (like my entryway, or hallway bathroom, or hallway, or pantry), then I’ll continue tweaking until I have it right.

But, by no means, are these rooms “construction zones.” The lack of an azalea velvet loveseat or indecision about paint color for built-in bookcases does not a “construction zone” make.

Also on that list is the front porch, where I still need to finish the stone skirting, and then add some chairs and finishing touches.

But again, the goal is completion this year. Those two interior rooms have been on my 2019 list since I published it on January 2nd.

In progress with contractor

As you know by now, the studio is in progress, but the part that’s underway right now (or will be as of 8:00 this morning) doesn’t involve me. The contractor will take care of the electrical work, the HVAC ductwork, the insulation, and the drywall. And until he and his subs are done with that, there’s nothing I can do. He said it could take up to three weeks, depending on when subs can be worked into the schedule.

Believe you me, I’m just as anxious as anyone else to get the studio area done, but for the time being, there’s nothing in there for me to do.

Not even on the radar for 2019

Two rooms — the guest bedroom and Matt’s future game room — aren’t even on the radar for this year. If you look at my 2019 home goals, you won’t find them there at all.

These rooms are the absolute lowest on our list of priorities right now. And until my studio is completely finished, and we have our big addition on the back finished, and we have a driveway poured, there’s no way we’ll be spending money redoing these rooms. One of them will be a guest room, which we have no urgent need for, and the other is being used almost every day as it is since that’s where we have my treadmill and Matt’s exercise bike. So it’s fine just like it is for now.

Slated for demolition

The current master bathroom and the sunroom are both slated for demolition when we do our big addition, so there’s no way I’d spend any money trying to put lipstick on those pigs.

And while the current master bedroom isn’t exactly slated for demolition in the same way, it will be completely torn down to studs and joists during our addition and transformed into a big master bathroom. So while it might be nice to paint the walls and make some curtains to cozy the room up a bit, there’s just no way I’m going to do that when Matt talks almost daily about us starting the addition as soon as the studio is finished.



And that’s the entire house. So hopefully you can see that we’re not living in a construction zone. And there aren’t a whole slew of other rooms that need my urgent attention. I have a few projects I can work on in a couple of unfinished rooms (plus three projects in my kitchen, as I outlined in this post), and then I have the studio. That’s pretty much it until we do the addition.

 

 

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47 Comments

    1. I said that same thing to myself as soon as I saw the colors. Two different shades of pink, but no teal?!?! Blasphemous!! 😉

  1. Excellent post. Very illuminating. And, it’s actually a compliment that so many of your readers considered your living room and music room to be “finished”. Even your unfinished rooms look good to us.

  2. This is excellent! What great progress you have made since you moved in! I love the map – what program did you use to make it? I might find it useful to chart color flow throughout my house, something I apparently have a hard time getting a handle on 🙂

    1. I second the request for more info on what program you’ve used. I love how you’re using it to track progress. Thanks!

  3. I will never ever understand why people think they have the right to tell you what you should or should not do with your own time and money! UGH

  4. Kristi, it doesn’t bother me one bit when you decide to tear out, redo, or change any of the things in your home. First, it is YOUR home and you should have it however you and Matt like it. Second, when you change or redo something, it sparks my imagination about changing things up too. And no matter how you change it, you always make it look so darn good!!!! You just have the eye and foresight to come up with some beautiful stuff. I have always hung on to pieces of furniture that are all wood, family antiques, etc. But I’m just tired of that and have started giving away or donating the things I don’t love or absolutely use in our everyday life. I will wait until I find what I want before settling for whatever is available. I credit you and your blog with inspiring me to do that. I love how you do things and I’m glad you stay true to yourself. You rock in my opinion!

  5. Personally I like that you have all these little jobs going on. After all, if the whole house was finished what would you blog about??

  6. Good morning Kristi.
    I consider myself a guest on your journey with DIY. I am determined to be an artful observer UNTIL you ask for my opinion. Then I will give it. So you go girl!! Keep calm and carry on cause it’s a blast to watch your final product arrive.

    1. Well said, Katherine.

      Yes, Kristi, “keep calm and carry on” at your pace and follow your and Matt’s hearts/needs as you do that. I, for one, know I am along for the ride and enjoying following along. I am too old now to tackle projects as I used to……..but, I sure love to watch you and a lot of the time I think “if I had only seen this when I was trying to do………………
      Your’s is the only site of this kind that I follow.

  7. I think people should just read your posts and enjoy them. It’s your house and you can do whatever you want. We are all just fortunate that you’re willing to share with us

  8. I would move into your house to enjoy what you have done tomorrow, unfinished projects/demolition/construction or no! I love everything about it all! Did I say I love everything about what you have done? My art studio, my desk, and my sewing area are never completely put together–right now two of the three are in a shambles–and that is not much different from having this or that area of your house where you are still working on a project. Your projects are just much bigger and more impressive than my sketchbook, my bills and unfinished writings, or the shirt I am sewing. Oh, and BTW, did I say I love your finished (and unfinished) projects?

  9. Love Matt’s sense of humor! This rendering of your home is awesome and simplified how I see it. Looking forward to all the phases!

  10. I follow your blog because another friend of mine recommended it. I like your “process” and get inspired by your plans even if they aren’t what I want to do (but usually I agree with your choices). I’m in awe that you choose to do so much yourself but also understand the costs of completely remodeling a home are huge! I’m not as handy as you but still want to do things as reasonably priced as possible! You shouldn’t have to sacrifice what you want because of the cost! Keep on doing your thing Kristi! We love following you!

  11. I love the colored map. Matt seems like a great husband. Mine is smart and sarcastic too. I find it usually helps stop my frustration at things that are bothering more than they should. Laughter can really cure alot!

  12. Love love love it! Thanks again for all you do, and your patience with us out here in la-la land watching from afar. 😀

  13. Unless you ask for advice, I think all of us who enjoy watching your progress and the finished product should do just that – watch your progress and applaud your fun choices! Love this blog and wish I had the nerve to make some of the choices you have made. My house is very “neutral” in comparison!

  14. I have followed the same process that you do, i.e., try something and if that doesn’t work, try something else until I get it as I want it. Then I can live with it like that for years until I want to try something new. I don’t ever consider a home as completely and totally “finished”, since, imho, a home is a growing, organic environment subject to revision as needed. You just keep on trying new things, and we’ll keep cheering you on!

  15. I have more anxiety about what on earth I will ready with my coffee each morning after you are done than when you will finish it. I was relieved to learn you will be looking at a flip house when you finish your home. Don’t ever leave us!! 🙂

  16. Where are the car port and sidewalk those should be included in finish and major accomplishments……..make it your own Kristy. As always thanks for sharing.

  17. Love what you are doing with your house. Never settle for just ok. This is your home so you and Matt should definitely make it the way you want. Can’t wait to see what’s next.

  18. That grouping of pictures of your finished spaces is like eye candy to me! I have a lot of teals/turquoise in my house as well ( although I’ve got way more white and gray than you would ever want — {wink} I know because I’ve been following your blog for a long time) and they make me happy! I always look forward to your posts and cheer you on from behind my computer screen.

  19. Love your progress and process! Visuals always help.

    One question, what will be your flooring in your studio. I may have missed it, but can’t remember hearing.
    Will that be first on your agenda, after the construction is done?

  20. Great visual re: color coding. Being that you are a “true Artist”, you will probably continue to tweak long after most of us would consider things to be “finished”. LOVE your blog!

  21. Thanks for both the color coded map (and I’d like to third the request for what software) and the photo collage of the rooms! Not because I was confused, but because it’s all so pretty! I know what the rooms look like from the individual blog posts, but seeing them together is such a visual education… watching the color accents tie rooms together and the way the color threads weave through… fascinating!

  22. I enjoyed rereading your 2019 goals list, and I noticed something I had previously missed.

    You have on your list to install electrical to your wonderful new carport. Perhaps you might consider having your contractor drill the holes in the studs now, or at least the triple thick ones in that area, so that you can then come in and do the wiring yourself later.

    We all know you are perfectly capable of drilling those holes yourself, but maybe you might want this done now, so as not to aggravate the healing of your hand.

  23. And as long as I’m opining… as for asking questions and feedback, it seems to me the issue is that some commenters feel a question about bookshelves is an open invitation to tick off a list of all the things they have an opinion about. And they have an opinion about everything.
    It’s like you asking if I like your shoes, and I then proceed to critique your dress, hair, eye shadow, car, cooking, cats, and the weather. And, adding injury to insult, never touching on the ONE thing you asked for feedback on… your shoes.
    Of course everyone won’t like everything you do, and from your responses I don’t think you expect that either! But you should be able to expect that feedback responses relate directly to the questions you pose. That’s just… sensible.

  24. I never cease to be astonished at the nerve of some people who presume to criticize your taste and judgement in wanting to tweak some of the finished areas of your house. And I do consider them finished. I am excited for you that the work on the studio is starting! It’s going to be awesome. Now that all that is out of the way, anyone who doesn’t realize that tweaking and evolving the finished areas of a house is a normal thing to do is either 1) excessive rigid, 2) boring or 3) living in an ugly environment. There, I said it. Kristi, your house is shaping up into a showplace.

  25. I love this color coded legend because my mind forgets so easily. I’m guessing this is just the house itself, and not the exterior items, because if memory serves me, you were also going to eventually have a garage-type place for your big tools, right? I find myself getting excited for your studio to be done! It’s the same feeling when we were building our house and it was almost there!!! Can’t imagine how YOU feel!

  26. OMG laughing like crazy at “no way I’d spend any money trying to put lipstick on those pigs.” I have to remember that one!!!!

  27. Thanks to Matt for this timely reminder that April fool’s day is getting nearer 🙂 Love his humour! I’ve a more personal question, which of course you don’t need to answer if you don’t feel like it… I always took it for granted that Matt is already using his game room even if the look of it might not be too great at the mo. Now I’m confused about that – where does he live/work/stay in your house? Don’t want to be nosy it just made me puzzle… and as you feel like a (faraway) friend to me after all this years of getting peeks into your life/lives, I just realise that I actually think about things like that when I imagine your lives in your very beautiful house 🙂