Tuesday Ten – Summer Home Refresh

2016 is flying by!  Seriously, I can’t believe after this next month, we’ll be halfway through the year.  It’s crazy how fast time flies these days.

At the beginning of the year, I started organizing and trying to get rid of all of the clutter.  Well, that lasted for a few days, and I totally did not throw out enough stuff or work on all of the rooms in my house, so I still need to finish that.  I think I really only tackled 3 spaces.  Whoops!

Then spring rolled around and it was time to start spring cleaning.  For spring cleaning, I usually try to clean baseboards and tidy up some places that I don’t always get to on my weekly cleanings.

Now that summer is quickly approaching (hello, June begins tomorrow!), I should probably write down my summer refresh to-do’s, and maybe this time I’ll actually complete my tasks.  😉

Last week, I decided to start working on a mini makeover for our master bedroom.  I have a very small budget, but it’s been on my to do list for quite some time because I just don’t love that room.  I feel like I just put stuff in there when we moved in almost two years ago, but that was it, so it’s time to start making it feel homey in there and a place where I want to be after a long day.  I painted an accent wall a slightly darker gray and then Jacob installed some can lights to brighten up the room.  The new lights make such a huge difference and having them on a dimmer is SO nice!  I’ll share more in the next few weeks once everything is complete.

Here’s a list of my summer refresh ideas I’m hoping to tackle in the next few months:

1. Add crown molding to the master bedroom – This should only cost about $100 or so, so it’s a pretty inexpensive project, but it will be a nice addition to the room.  I’m really hoping to tackle this problem by myself for the most part.  We’ll see!
2. Install outside ceiling fan – Living in Louisiana means an outdoor fan is a must!  It is just so hot some days, so we really need to install the outdoor fan that’s been sitting in our garage for over a year.  This will be Jacob’s project because I’m not familiar with hanging lighting/fans, but I might try to learn how to do it.
3. I’d really like to give our powder room a mini makeover.  I’d like to install some molding on the walls to dress up the room and paint the vanity and walls.  I’ve been on the hunt for a new mirror, but the size is a little less common, so it’s been a challenge.  I’ve seen a few at Homegoods, so hopefully the next time I’m there, I’ll find the perfect one for our space.  This project should be fairly inexpensive, but it’ll probably be a little tedious because of the molding I’d like to do, so it’s probably a good summer project.
4. Hang a floor length mirror in our master bathroom.  Sounds simple, right?!
5. Plant forsythia – I have a few forsythia plants that need to be planted somewhere in our flowerbeds.  I’ve been putting it off for a while, and I really need to plant them, so they can start growing.  Hopefully putting them on this list will make me do it. Ha!
6. Hang curtain in Master Bathroom – I have the curtain.  I just need a rod.  Pretty simple, right?  Maybe I’ll go pick up a rod today…
7. Build outdoor bed or swing – I’d love a little space in front of our privacy wall for lounging.  I can’t decide if I want to create a little bed for reading or hang a large swing in front of the wall.  I’ve been gathering a ton of ideas on Pinterest, so hopefully I’ll decide on what I’d like for the project soon.
8. Replant Agapanthus – We have some Agapanthus (Lily of the Nile) in our front flowerbed that needs to be moved to the back of the bed.  It’s tall, and I think it would look better further back, so I just need to move it to another spot.  Hopefully, I can do that without breaking up all of the roots… or killing it. Ha!  Once I move them, I’ll need to put something else in its place, but that should be an easy task to complete.
9. Add dirt to low spots in our yard – We have a few really low areas that hold water in our yard, so we really need to buy dirt and fill in those spots.  I have no idea how much this would cost, so that’s probably why we haven’t really looked into it yet, but it’s definitely on our must finish list.  After we add dirt, we plan to start a monthly service with a company that sprays your yard monthly to get rid of mosquitoes.  I can’t wait to be able to enjoy our yard without swatting mosquitoes all the time!
10. Pressure wash our house – It really needs it!  There some stuff that’s looking a little “green”, and it really needs to stay white, so we need to pressure wash and clean some things off on the outside of our house.  I have a bird bath I’d like to put in our front flower bed too, but it’s green, so it’ll need to be cleaned first as well.

Those are my top 10 projects I’d like to complete by September 1st.  I think they’re all pretty doable, and most aren’t very expensive.  Think I’ll be successful?  Only time will tell, but I tried to pick things I thought I could actually accomplish in just a few months.  The powder room will definitely be the biggest project to tackle.

I have some other really big projects (replace fence, install patio step stones, build a tv cabinet for outdoor space, etc.) I’d love to do, but I really doubt we would be able to tackle all of them, so I left them off the list this time.  Maybe they’ll happen in the fall or winter…

Do you have any summer refresh ideas for your own home?  Share them!