DIY Home Project Wish List

As I’ve mentioned before, my Mom has Multiple Sclerosis and spends much of her time in a wheelchair or in bed. Because of her recent homebounded-ness, I want to do some DIY projects on their home so she can really enjoy being at their home when her energy allows. This is my wish list (via Evin on Pinterest). Maybe it will inspire some projects of your own (I think it will intimidate my Dad).

To give you a connection to the images below and their very brief notations, I’ll explain some of the things I want to do in each area: Inside, Outside and Garden.

The downstairs guest room has pale blue carpet and sunny yellow walls. Colors like Provençal fabrics so I’ll embrace that in the decor. I’ll repaint the iron bed frame in navy to ground the room a bit then use a spare blue/white matélasse for the bedspread and I have a French duvet cover for colder nights that says “Dormir” (sleep in French). I’ll do two original paintings (or one large one) for the wall plus add some watercolors I have of the Eiffel Tower that are matted in dark green which will keep the blue/yellow theme from being too twee.

I want to repaint the hall bathroom, which Mom uses primarily, a slightly darker green-gray than the vintage tiles. Then I will hang a collection of vintage stained glass mirrors on the wall around her vanity mirror. On the opposite wall, I will hang an original acrylic painting I’ll do just for that room. Probably something abstract with lavender. I’d love to remove the over-the-toilet shelves and install actual shelves beside the sink at a lower level (wheelchair accessible) and a wine rack for the towels over the toilet. Same with the other bathrooms in the house. actually. Possibly new paint for all three if time allows. Frost the bathroom windows for privacy using non-patterned vinyl removable sheet.

The living room is huge so breaking up the space into two equally charming conversation areas is good but it needs better definition and the built-in bookcases could do with doors on the bottom half and crown moulding. My Mom has been asking for a while now to tile over the fireplace brick so we’ll evaluate that as well. There is a large coffee table from a garage sale that has seen better days that I’d love to paint and upholster for extra seating but I doubt it will happen because they have two dogs and upholstery isn’t as sturdy to set drinks so spillage will occur. But maybe paint the coffee table to cheer up the space. Brighten the paint of the built-ins and paint the backs of the shelves the same gray as Mom’s bathroom for contrast (and budget-mindedness).

Adjoining the kitchen is a sunroom/breakfast room. I’d like to repaint the walls as it has been 12 years and they’ve been knocked around a bit with furniture but maybe a similar colour. Then paint the ceiling a pale blue and change the wicker light fixtures to small glass ones. A deep clean of the floors too and wood conditioning for the table and chair legs (again, the dogs). The large bay window will earn bamboo blinds and a cushioned window seat (instead of the struggling plants it currently houses).

The kitchen has warm wood cabinets that need a bit of a clean with vinegar and a Magic Eraser perhaps then a deep clean of the floors. I also want to change the wall art in there and organize the two pantry closets.

The family room is pale honeydew melon green right now (think key lime pie ice cream) and I love it because I painted it with my friend (and LB’s Godmother) Alicia and her husband about ten years ago. But I will add built-in doors for beneath the bar and paint chalkboard paint to better define the bar area. I may also paint the glassware cabinet but time may not permit that. Generally, this room will be an eclectic blend of colours, styles and textures to create a relaxed, no rules space. I definitely want to paint the folding doors to the neighboring furnace room. Possibly add built-ins to one corner for off-season storage and to break up the space.

Paint the stairwell with semi-gloss bright white! Add charming shade to lightbulb. Possibly hang artwork on the wall for visual interest. Paint the stairs semi-gloss white with textured navy on the tops of the stairs.

Laundry room ceiling will be left unfinished but painted semi-gloss white. Repaint walls the same white but with a stripe of color around the top of the walls for contrast (possibly freehand quote there?). Leave floors unpainted for rustic look. Spray paint two long garage sale tables and put them in there for folding surface space. Install shelf under tabletop of each for laundry baskets to rest while sorting. Organize shelving against wall and properly label contents. Add motion sensor light. Put countertop section against entry area to use as pantry for household items such as additional coat hangers, dryer sheets, etc… Add ladder, lattice, retractable line or cross beams to hang clothes to dry.

INSIDE

 

Outside, there is much to contend with. I’d like to remove the corner of debris, over-seed all lawn areas, have the trees checked for disease, powerwash the deck and patio, coat the deck in protective finish again, touch up the paint on the porches, add a front gate to the front walk, turn the side porch into a screened porch, plant a bunch of bulbs in lonely spots, fix/smooth out the driveway, add solar light caps to the fence posts at entry, put deer fencing between the boxwoods to keep the dogs from running away, add window boxes on the front and the deck, install a lower wood patio in the back to reduce mud the dogs bring in from playing, add gate to side garden, add arbor to front walk and plant a climbing flowering plant (NOT IVY), trim back the ivy in the garden, remove vine from Magnolia tree, tame the blackberry and rose plants in the side yard, add solar lights up front walk, and much more. The front gate will match the front doors and shutters in a deep blue, all of which need to be painted. If my Dad reads this, I think he will have a fast heartrate at the idea of all this work.

OUTSIDE