I’m doing this post a little differently this year, in fact I’m combining two posts into one. What we have achieved over the past twelve months and our goals for the coming year. It would come as no surprise that the DIY process has slowed down a lot since we now have a toddler running around. I’m very aware of how quickly time flies with little ones, so craft work has taken a backseat and we’re spending more time as a family, enjoying our days out.
However, despite the slow pace of the crafts, we have achieved a fair amount I think! Dylan goes to nursery once a week, so we prioritized this time specifically for crafts and it’s amazing how much you can get done when you’re on a time limit and time isn’t easy to come by!!
Here’s a list of our accomplishments as of 2023:
Renovations and handicrafts completed in 2023
Living Room Renovation – 95% Complete!
We’ve put a lot of effort into renovating our living room in 2023, and even though it’s not finished yet, it’s very close! Over the past year we have patched the chimney with lime plaster and installed a beautiful new Victorian tiled fireplace. We’ve also added a plaster ceiling rose to give more period appeal here, and the biggest job of all – we’ve created two DIY alcove units with shelving above.
You may have noticed it in the photo above – but the remaining 5% to complete here, are just doors to the skylight units. Even though there are no closet doors, the room now feels much more homely!
Reseeding the grass
In 2023, we removed the last remaining concrete from the garden, leaving a large patch of dirt. Since our grass was in such bad shape, we decided to dig up the entire area and start over. We chose to use grass seed to keep costs down, and while it’s far from perfect, it’s much better than it looked before! And with a toddler and a dog – let’s face it – no garden will ever be perfect anyway!
I love how much larger the garden is now since we removed the concrete path and added more grass. And if you’re interested in seeing the complete renovation of this space, check out our garden renovation here.
Build a garden dining table
At the beginning of 2023, I was looking for some storage units in the garden to keep Dylan’s toys in. A trip to IKEA to buy some storage benches also led me to some BARGAIN garden chairs. With two new benches and four chairs, I decided it was time to build a new table!
I took inspiration from this DIY Farmhouse dining table and built essentially the same thing, but this time with a simple chunky wood top. The table is much larger than it was before and we can now sit comfortably at the table and eat! I think it works really well in this area and I’m very happy with how it turned out. I can’t wait for BBQ season to start this year!
Complete garden beds in customization
Over the past three years, we have slowly added new beds to our allotment. However, in 2023, we finally completed the project! We added two new beds to the front and the overall appearance of the lot has been significantly improved.
The renovation of the spare bedroom has begun
Earlier in the year we moved from the “master bedroom” to the attic bedroom so we could start work on that room. We now call it the “spare bedroom” because we will most likely be permanently in the attic. So far, we’ve only stripped the wallpaper, but we have a lot more planned for 2024 which you can read about below!
DIY & Renovation Goals for 2024
Complete renovation of the spare bedroom
We have one main goal this year and that is to complete the renovation of the spare bedroom. We are thinking of dividing the room in two to create two rooms. Unfortunately we won’t be able to split the room 50/50, so one room will be small and one medium sized, but I think the space will still work better as two rooms rather than one very large room. We’ll need to knock in a new entrance to do this and then obviously add a wall and install all the new electrical appliances.
It’s a big undertaking, so we’re not really planning many other crafts for this year. We hope to accomplish this before the end of 2024!
Complete the back area for customization
One of the smaller tasks for 2024 is to finish our designated plot of land. Last year we finished adding the beds, but the back of our lot still needs a little TLC. It doesn’t really take a ton of work, but covering the exposed landscape fabric with bark is definitely on the to-do list, as well as building a more extensive support for the pear tree we planted last year.
Other than that, we’d just like to make the back of our lot a little nicer. The bones are there with the design, but it’s not aesthetically complete yet.
This is the plan for 2024! For real-time updates, follow us on Instagram here. I will make sure to update the blog when I can 🙂
Happy 2024!
