Thanks everyone for all of your encouraging comments on my last post. Despite the epic failure that was Home Goals 2013, I still have plans floating around in my head and ambitions for 2014, so I’ve decided to get them out of my brain and onto paper screen.

Of course, I still want to accomplish everything that was on my list for Home Goals 2013, so I have to include them. However, I’m going to reorder the list. (Like that’ll make a difference.)

I considered including “current state” photos to shame motivate me to action, but then I didn’t think that was very encouraging, so I’m going with inspirational shots as I did last year.

1. Painting.

I’m not usually a fan of frame collages, but they sort of work for me in a hallway. Source: Houzz

• Main floor hallway
• Kitchen

As I mentioned in my last post, prep for painting the hallway and kitchen has already been completed. I just have to choose a colour and pick up a brush. I’m leaning towards Benjamin Moore’s popular Abalone pictured above.

I’m not putting the living room on this list even though it was there last year because, really, what’s the point in painting if we’re only going to mess it all up when we redo the fireplace? The dining room is adjacent/attached to the living room, so it can wait too.

2. Laundry room.

I love pretty much everything about this laundry room from Knick of Time.

Same to-do list as last year:

• Fix the leaky foundation wall
• Paint
• DIY a fun light fixture
• Build a drying rack

With a few additions:

• Level the washing machine
• Freshen up the cabinets
• Build a new hanging rack
• Find/build a free-standing cabinet for the hallway to the laundry room.

Yeah, that’s smart. Make the project that I couldn’t accomplish last year even more complicated for this year.

3. Master bedroom. Ooh, look! A new to-do!

I don’t know about you, but I love Tommy Smythe’s rooms. Hey Tommy, wanna come decorate my bedroom (on my budget)? Source: House & Home

• Remove popcorn ceiling
• Paint
• Buy a queen size bed
• DIY a headboard
• Relocate light switch
• Replace light fixture
• Make/find window treatments
• Paint dresser and replace hardware
• Refresh dinged up closet doors
• Decorate and personalize a little bit

4. Furniture. Another new to-do.

Source: Ana White

I’d like to make/find a few pieces of furniture:

• Refresh bookshelves and living room TV stand with new trim and paint
• Coffee table for the living room
• Sofa table for the living room
• Hutch/cabinetry/built-ins for dining room
• Narrow dresser for my office
• Hutch for my office
• Cabinet for the laundry room.

5. Living room fireplace.  Yes, hope springs eternal.

Add a mantel and drop this fireplace, screen and all, in my living room, please. Source: Country Living

• Replace the woodstove-esque insert with an open hearth one
• Reface with fieldstone
• Put up a new rustic wood mantle

Please? Can this happen this year?

6. Landscaping.

My dream, dream, dream vegetable garden. Source: Country Living

I don’t think this to-do is ever going to go away. Perhaps I’ll get some professional help this spring.

• Reestablish the flowerbeds around the house
• Plant grass seed where old firepits were and clean up the detritus that’s still hanging around
• Tidy the east shore of the pond and build a new firepit near the water
• Continue to plant the turnaround
• Put in a vegetable garden (yup, that’s a new one)
• Continue with the landscaping master list

Aaaand I think that’s enough. Here’s hoping I do better at crossing a few of these things off this year than I did last year.