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January House Goals Progress

I believe that last year was the first year I made a master house goals “to do” list at the beginning of January for the whole year, and then for the first seven or eight months, I did a “Last Month’s Progress/This Month’s Goals” post at the beginning of each new month.

While I did make a master list of house goals for 2018 (you can click here to see that), I hadn’t really planned to do those monthly progress posts this year. But y’all…I kicked butt on that list in January. I mean, I came out of the gate strong, I kept a great pace all month, and I got stuff done. Some of it was done by my own hands, and some of it was hired out, but the bottom line is that things were getting checked off of that list.

So today, I felt like taking a little victory lap with a progress post. (Wow, I sound really braggadocios today, don’t I? 😀 I don’t mean to be. I’m just very excited about getting such a strong start to the year.)

So let’s check out the progress so far.

The biggest change last month is that the whole exterior of the house was painted. Granted, I didn’t do that myself, but it’s done. ✅

You can click here to see more pics of our newly painted house, as well as some “before” and “progress” comparison pictures.

Then I had the porch lights installed ✅, and I painted the front door a very happy coral color called Bird of Paradise by Benjamin Moore. ✅

My brother and I were able to remove the sag and straighten out the roof line on the front porch by adding new (stronger and taller) porch posts. ✅

And a few days later, I had the ugly concrete ramp removed from the side of the porch. ✅ (Don’t worry. Matt NEVER used that ramp. It was way too steep and dangerous.)

A post shared by Kristi Linauer (@addicted2decorating) on So that’s five things checked off of the list for the exterior of the house. Woohoo! That’s a strong start.

Now let’s see the progress inside. In the living room, I painted and re-tiled the fireplace. That wasn’t on my original list, but I added it because it needed to be done, and it was a pretty big job, so…✅

In the music room, I finished refinishing the piano. ✅

In the hallway, I built new drawers and finished the cabinet. ✅

I also finished painting the console table ✅, and I framed and hung the artwork on two walls. ✅

In the hallway bathroom, I chose a new paint color that wouldn’t clash with the hallway door color, and I repainted the vanity. ✅

And in the breakfast room, I painted the new 15-lite door ✅, installed the door casing ✅, and repaired the hole in the drywall left by the removal of the switches. ✅

That’s a strong start to the year, right? By my count, that’s fourteen items crossed off of my 2018 Master List of Home Goals in the month of January!

I have no idea if I can keep up this pace all year long (probably not), but so far seeing things get crossed off of the list has only motivated me to keep going and get more done. So here’s to an amazing and productive February!

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53 Comments

      1. Ah! 🙂

        I have a question. Where do you currently have your laundry? I know where you plan to put it when you redo your sunroom, but where is it now? In the sunroom? Just curious.

        1. My washer and dryer are in the sunroom against the wall shared with the hallway bathroom (just under the area where the bathroom window used to be).

  1. Are you planning on publishing a master to-do list for the entire year again Kristi?

    I really enjoyed following along on that last year. As well as having an idea where you were going to go with things.

    And I’m SUPER curious as to what you’ve got planned this year!

    1. You’re welcome! I edited the post a bit at the beginning to add the link since I’m sure others missed it as well. I love having that list to refer back to regularly. I gives me such focus and direction and I don’t spend quite so much time spinning my wheels and getting nowhere. So I hope to do one at the beginning of each year until the house is done. 🙂

  2. That’s an awesome start to 2018! The exterior of your home looks great and that front door color is just yummy. If you get a bunch more stuff crossed off the list in February, you should take a couple of weeks to relax and plan your next moves so you don’t get burned out.

  3. Kristi you have started this year strong and motivated and you’ve made amazing progress in a month. That was a lot and I counted the fireplace re-do as 2 projects, one for the repainting and one for the tiling! I bet it feels so awesome to have so many items finished already and checked off your list. It’s great following your progress and everything you achieve!

  4. Girl, you did kick it in January!!! Great job on all those projects. Here’s to a very successful February. I always look forward to your posts. You tell it like it is, you’re an upbeat and positive person and I just enjoy seeing all you do to make your house spectacular.

  5. Everything you have done is now looking so spectacular, I sure hope you can see that! Sometimes our eyes get immune to the effect, know what I mean? Astonishing how much better the front looks without that strangely built ramp, too. Will you replace it with a more standard angle ramp?

    1. Not in the front. If we still had a front-entry garage and were keeping the driveway in the same place, I would put a ramp in the front. But now the garage is a studio, and the driveway will be moved so that it goes to the side of the house and around back, where there will be a carport. The main ramp will go from the studio to the carport. We also currently have a ramp from the music room, into the sunroom, and to the back door. When we tear that down and rebuild, we’ll be sure that there’s easy access out the back door to a deck with a ramp down to the yard and access to the carport (as well as other areas) that way as well.

      1. That makes a lot of sense. Creating a roomy and really convenient and safe entry area for Matt will be a blessing in all kinds of weather and you can make it much more attractive, too. Your progress everywhere is wonderful to see. I hope you are both pleased.

  6. So few people who use social media in any form have a reason to brag. So, you just keep doing all the awesome and amazing things you do and brag all you want! You have a right and we’ll all keep applauding!!

    1. I actually have considered that. I’ve also considered wrapping just the base of the porch columns with stone. I only have enough for one project — either the base of the porch, the base of the columns, or the side wall of the porch. It’s hard deciding which one of those would make the most impact! 🙂

      1. Love idea of wrapping porch columns. Landscape can hide porch base and wall on porch would not be worth effort.

  7. You have every right to brag! That was great deal of work done! That best part is that you can see the progress each time you drive up to your house or all through your rooms! Way to go Kristi!🥇🎊✅

  8. Congratulations on so many jobs well done and finished! And thanks for reassuring me about that front ramp, lol. The house is looking great, and I’m sure it’s so much fun to walk around and see all the projects completed. Onward and Upward!

  9. PHENOMENAL progress already in 2018! I would be ecstatic if I could accomplish something near equivalent by New Year’s of next year. I continue to be AMAZED at how many and how well you accomplish the projects you take on; YOU are AMAZING. It was my good fortune to have found you. Though I can’t recall the circumstances under which you first came to my computer screen, you now brighten my days. THANK YOU for being in my life.

    Speaking of the new drawers you made for the hallway cabinet: I keep wondering if you have ever done a blog in which you describe the process of building drawers. If so, I have missed that one…but in my present search to view All Blogs Kristi, if it is there, I will eventually come across it. A clue from you would hasten the process though.

  10. I look forward to you blog posts every day and am so proud of your progress. A list does keep one focused. I can’t wait to see you cross more off your list. I hope you take care of the little stuff before you tackle the pantry or studio. I love reading about your thought process during your big projects. Keep up the good work!

  11. Congratulations! Not only did you cross many things off the list, you, and we, were fortunate that they were such visible accomplishments. It makes such a difference when one can walk in a room or drive up to the house and immediately feel good about it.

  12. *cries happy tears* I’m so proud! As one who basks in the DIY successes of others, I couldn’t be happier for you and your accomplishments. I would be unbearable and telling everybody and their mama how awesome I was if I’d done all that. I’m just stoked that I got some blinds hung in my naked kitchen window. Took my design cue from your living room Roman shades. :O)

    As always…well done!!

  13. everything looks beautiful and it is so much FUN following along. I am amazed and in awe of the work you have accomplished on your home.

    I noticed in your picture with the ramp removed, the concrete steps under the kitchen windows. Will those be removed also or are you planning something special for them?

    1. Neither. 😃 I’m hoping that the landscaping will hide them. Concrete removal is expensive, and I think they’re out of the way enough that I can hide them.

      1. From what I can see, you should be able to hide those stairs with shrubs (if that’s what you have planned). Any plantings should be far enough from the wall of a house so you could comfortably get behind the plants and access the house to paint shutters, clean windows, do general maintenance, etc. If you hire out the landscaping, don’t let them crowd the plants too close. Research mature size of plants and then have them planted accordingly. It might look a little sparse in the beginning, but you’ll appreciate the care taken. Plants rubbing up against the house can be destructive also. Congratulations on all you’ve done this past month, everything looks great!

  14. What a start! Great job, as always. I have to comment on how wonderful the new color looks on the fireplace. The color is perfectly suited for you and IMO the right color to compliment the shades.The outside is what I am most excited about. I can’t wait to see the progress out there. I always look forward to your posts.

  15. Wow! You are soooo talented, driven and inspiring. Enjoy your work, your blog format and your can do spirit.

  16. Congratulations!! You absolutely have bragging rights. I’m so glad you share your plans and your progress. You are a true inspiration, Kristi!

  17. It is said that putting down written goals is really pivotal to accomplishing goals. So that and the fact that you are a human dynamo really sets you apart. Amazing and just so pretty, everything!

  18. Wow, you really are off to a good start! Watching it is so much fun. I was just thinking you need to repeat the color of the front door somewhere, and in your hallway there it was on a lamp. Should probably repeat it once outside, too. My grandson painted my front door yellow before he went back to college, and I’m looking to repeat it in a couple of chairs and also on some birdhouses.

  19. I am so impressed! You totally deserve and should ‘own it’ with your victory bragging! I always look forward to reading your posts. Thank you for inspiring us.

  20. What will we ever do when you finish this house? Hopefully that’s sometime in the distant future! I did want to ask where you’ll use your table saw, miter saw, etc. once you finish the studio, or do you plan to use those tools there?