HOME GOALS FOR 2020.
Not only is it a new year but it’s a new decade too.
Oh man, does that mean we have to be even more ambitious in our New Years resolutions?
I hope not. The pressure of a new year is bad enough.
Actually I always feel much more positive about new beginnings in September. There’s something about the frivolity of the summer followed by the conditioning of knuckling down and going back to school. Autumn makes me feel much more focused and determined than January does. That’s the period of time when I will often set myself personal and career-related goals.
But January and the spoken words ‘“twenty-twenty” are a stark reminder that time is ticking on and I still haven’t got around to painting the hallway skirting and buying a new mirror for the bathroom. I have some BIG projects on the go like the kitchen/diner renovation and landscaping the garden, but it’s the smaller projects that I need to get a handle on.
This time last year I wasn’t even sure if we were going to sell our current house or stay put. The limbo was driving me mad and stopping me from making progress with my life. So I set myself some targets. Let’s review 2019 and see how I did…
REVIEW OF 2019 GOALS
1. Make a decision whether to ‘love it or list it’
DONE! We decided, that in spite of everything that was wrong with where we lived, it was still a wonderful home and we couldn’t find a better place to live. You can read all about that big and final decision here.
2. Finish the styling details in the living room
DONE! It’s as close as I can ever be to ‘finished’ and I totally love it.
3. Address the storage issues in the bathroom
DONE! And what a difference it’s made, should have done it years ago.
4. Marie Kondo the shit out of my house
DONE! However this will need redoing when I get my kitchen/diner back in business as a lot of kitchen-related items have spilled out into the rest of the house during the chaos.
5. Not let pink plastic take over the house
DONE! Almost. There is a really cheap pink pushchair hanging around, but on the whole, I’ve kept her toys under control. And I hate saying this out loud because it makes me sound like I’ve become one of ‘those mums’, but I love toy rotation. It keeps me clutter-free, and her interested in her toys. Everyone’s a winner.
So as you can imagine I’m pretty pleased with myself but what about 2020? The kitchen/diner and garden projects will rumble on because they are impossible to ignore, but what about the niggly jobs that I often lose focus on? I’ve learned over the years that it’s completing the smaller projects that can bring the most joy and satisfaction. It gives a feeling of accomplishment and completion with a big sense of relief. And best of all they don’t actually require much effort. So here is my commitment to those little jobs that usually get put on the back burner….
Home goals for 2020
1. Put a shaving mirror in the bathroom
When we renovated the main bathroom we converted a bedroom so it was a huge and expensive job that sucked up a lot of my time and energy. I couldn’t find a shaving mirror that I liked and because it was just a small detail in such a mammoth project I let it slip to the bottom of the list. As a result, the unofficial husband had to shave in the guest bedroom ensuite and shower in our main bathroom, and he’s still doing that 5 years later!!
The poor man gets ready between the two bathrooms each morning and I’m cleaning both! It’s a classic case of not realising what’s really important in the design. I saw the mirror as a ‘detail’ but actually it’s a really important part of how the bathroom functions because he can’t see well enough to shave without one. How a room functions is more important than how it looks. Totally my fault. So my number one home goal is to finally fix this silly issue.
2. Put a new radiator in the hallway
This is rectifying another design mistake. We have a hideously ugly, and out-of-proportion, radiator in our hallway. But rather than doing the right thing and ripping it out and replacing it, I decided to take the path of least resistance and cover it up. The trouble is I don’t love the look of radiator covers and now, rather than an ugly radiator, I have a slightly less ugly MDF box. It mocks me every time I come home, a reminder of my lack of commitment. I took the easy option and got what I deserved.
I tell my clients all the time (even beg them sometimes) to accept the temporary pain and upheaval and focus on the end result that will bring you joy for years to come. I fucked up. So now I am going to accept the time, energy and mess required to replace the old rad. And when I come home to a beautiful Victorian-style radiator rather than an MDF box I will feel joyful and triumphant.
3. Replace the horrid cloakroom floor
Years ago we ripped out a downstairs shower room to create a massive cloakroom. I know!!!! Estate agents and mortgage lenders would hang me for such a crime. But I don’t give a shit what estate agents say. I want my home to give me what I need. And I didn’t need a mouldy downstairs shower room I would never use, I needed a massive cloakroom for all our shoes, coats and bags. AND I LOVE IT.
But what I don’t love is the floor. It’s a top-end vinyl by a reputable company Karndean. But no matter what it cost and how ’top end’ it is it’s still a photograph of wood printed onto plastic and I don’t like it. So the plan is to tile it. I love tiles and we have very few in our house so this is a weekend project I am really looking forward to.
4. Paint the front door
I love Downpipe by Farrow and Ball which we have in our dark living room but when we painted on our front door it didn’t work. I love the chalkiness of their estate emulsion but when the colour is in gloss and outside it looks much less mysterious. It looks like a much flatter grey and it just doesn’t make me feel good when I come home. So it’s going to have to be changed up. Also, I painted it myself and did a really rushed job with little prep. So of course I am now paying the price as the previous purple colour is coming through in chipped areas.
I haven’t thought about colours much, I did ask my instagram family for some ideas and some strong contenders have come out of that, mostly blues and a couple of interesting pink suggestions, so watch this space.
When I started writing this blog I didn’t realise it would be so reflective of the mistakes I have made. So I hope you have found it educational. And hopefully, if any of my clients are reading this, it will help you appreciate the pain you could save if you ignore the fear. Mess and disruption is only temporary, but the joy of a beautiful home will last.
That’s it. I think 4 is enough considering I also have the kitchen, dining room and garden to design as well as my business and daughter to keep up with. Looks like it’s going to be a very busy 2020.
What home project have you guys got planned???
