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State of the House: 2020 Plans + Projects

by | Dec 31, 2019 | Decorating Inspiration, feature, My Seattle House

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State of the House: 2020 Plans + Projects

We’ve been in this house just over four years. I remember it was around years 4-6 in my previous house (and most of our homes) when I really started to feel like I was fully “at home.”

Not that I didn’t feel at home or enjoy living there prior to that, of course, but it seems to take me a few years to get over the move and into the groove again. HA! Maybe I’m slow, but that’s how I roll.

State of the House: 2020 Plans + Projects
Our Side Patio Makeover

It’s easy to forget, overlook or underestimate how stressful and unsettling moving can be to your everyday daily habits and rhythms. Moving is fun in some ways, but after moving quite a few times over the years, I think I finally have it embedded in my mind that moving really will be a lot more work and take more time than it might initially seem.

I’m guessing it’s probably not quite as unsettling if the house is custom-built or “perfect for you in every way” from the day you move in (I haven’t had that experience!), but no matter what type of house I’ve moved into, I find it takes time, patience and creativity to feel really settled and make spaces feel more like my own.

That brings me to why I wanted to kick the new year off with a “State of the House” post for 2020.

If you didn’t see my 2019 in review post yet, go here!

In case you missed the news awhile back or you’re still wondering, we’re NOT moving. Unless there’s an unexpected turn of events, our plan is to stay put for awhile (maybe for years!).

State of the House: 2020 Plans + Projects

Knowing the decisions and investments we make here will serve our family well for years to come is a very settling and inspiring way to start a new year!

I’m still a dream house chaser so I’ll admit it’s sometimes hard for me to let go of the idea that “a more perfect house for me” is out there waiting to be discovered (thus my NYT bestselling book Love the Home You Have).

State of the House: 2020 Plans + Projects
Kitchen Makeover Details

But I almost equally love the idea of taking our time to make a forever home ‘perfect” for us. We’re used to moving every four to six years and having to leave all of our projects and personal touches behind for another family is never easy, so staying here beyond four to six years and getting to enjoy our projects long term literally does seem like a dream!

State of the House: 2020 Plans + Projects
Our Fireplace Makeover

Staying here means we will be able to continue to make memories around familiar spaces and find joy in the simple rhythms of life here.

It means we can create spaces with more passion and continue to infuse our personality into them.

It means we can build upon the vision and spaces we’ve already completed and make every corner of this house look more like home.

We have fun specific plans this year, so you’ll get to see more house updates and reveals this year (both from me and my girls!)!

State of the House: 2020 Plans + Projects

I’m most excited to work on projects that will add charm and character to our home. It’s the little details that make me the happiest, so I foresee lots more character on its way!

I am definitely looking forward to bringing more function and order to our home (more decluttering, tidying and organizing!). There are so many parts of our home that are still exactly as they were the day we moved in! We just set stuff wherever we could find a spot and it’s all still right where we put it LOL! It’s definitely time to zero in on more organization and decluttering.

If organizing your home and life is part of your resolutions for 2020, check out my books Make Room for What You Love and Simple Organizing!

State of the House: 2020 Plans + Projects
Basement Flooring Makeover

I really can’t wait to work on new spaces this year. Particularly I will be addressing the function and furnishings in our lower level (stay tuned for a special exciting announcement on that!) and believe it or not I want to finally give attention to the long-awaited bathroom makeovers!!

State of the House: 2020 Plans + Projects
Painted Brick Exterior Details /// Our Trex Deck Makeover

This spring and summer we’ll be back outside to continue working on our outdoor spaces, particularly this year we’ll be making more headway on our front yard in our efforts to bring more curb appeal (on a budget) to the front of our home.

Do you have any fun plans for your home this year? I’d love to hear!

Happy new year to you all!

If you didn’t see my 2019 in review post yet, go here!

14 Comments

  1. Kim

    Happy new year! Can’t wait to see what you have planned for your home in 2020. I will live vicariously through you this new year watching you make changes. Lol. We made some improvements on our home this past year and need a break. Most recently put in new quartz kitchen counter tops the week before Christmas! We just want to relax this year and enjoy our home!

    • Linda Grubbs

      Happy New Year Melissa! I’m excited to follow you again this year… bring on the projects!

  2. Debbie Keith

    I can’t wait to follow along! Like Kim said, I’ll live vicariously through your projects since we have two girls getting married in 2020 — one in February and one in May. As hubby said, it’s going to be a crazy, broke year! LOL Perhaps your projects will fuel inspiration for some things we want to do down the road. Enjoy all the fun of the process. I’m sure each one will be amazing! ~ D.

  3. Samantha

    I can’t wait to see what you have planned! I am looking forward to going through the Make Room For What You Love challenge this month. Your view on home and stuff is so helpful and refreshing!

  4. Jeanne

    I hope you focus on the bathrooms early since that’s my area to desperately redo and it I should daunting to me. Such permanent decisions! Your house is lovely and so warm and inviting.

  5. Susan Shipe

    My husband and I just moved into a tiny house, 399 square feet. The challenges are fun and so far we have achieved great “vertical” strides. Our Queen bedroom appears to be just about the size of your small guest room. One bed and two tiny nightstands. We simply adore it.

  6. Pat M.

    We followers of your blog have a tendency to forget that you have a lower level to your home that we seldom see. I’m looking forward to your including that area in your tours and reveals in 2020.

    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      I tend to forget too since I spend 95 % of my time on the main floor! Haha!

  7. Jill Bailey

    After 15 years of discontent, I’m finally staining and painting our 90s staircase. I’m nervous it won’t look good but it already doesn’t look good. I’ve decided this is the year!

  8. Ann L Sielaff

    I feel so much like you about our home now. We’ve done some smaller projects to make it more homey, but our budget was so limited. So now we’re working on the kitchen and trying to SQUEEZE that into the budget. We are on a 3 year house shelf-life average so far in our 22 years of marriage, and I just want to stay in this no-so-perfect-but-quaint house and continue to make it a home. Happy new year

    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      After awhile, staying in one spot sure sounds more appealing, doesn’t it? Happy new year, Ann! Enjoy your kitchen project and that no-so-perfect-but-quaint house! :)

  9. Becca

    Can you share where you got the floral print hanging on the blackboard in the cover photo for this post? I absolutely love it!

 

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