Like pretty much most of the country this year, the added downtime of the March – June lockdown period was that I finally managed to get those jobs I had wanted to do completed. I can’t tell you how many posts I have written on here about all my renovation ideas and wishlists for my house. And while I didn’t manage to get them all done, I managed to do a good chunk of the work mostly on my own.

Garden

The garden was my main area of focus for 2020. In December it marks nine years of living in my house. I love my little place, but I hated the garden with a passion. So much so that the only time I ventured out was to take the bins out or hanging the washing on a sunny day. This went on for too many years for my liking.

So when a Facebook friend showed off what she had done to her albeit smaller fully concreted garden space, it was a “hold my beer” moment! Well wine, I set down my wine glass and headed out to put the lawnmower to work tacking my overgrown grass and weed-filled garden.

From there, I covered the grass with a groundsheet ready to have artificial grass laid and got to work in other areas. It was dumping ground for rubbish and items that needed to be disposed of. And a rogue trampoline that hadn’t been bounced on for at least two years. I paid for two rubbish collections from my local council and made three trips to the tips when they opened again to clear ut all the rubbish and unwanted goods.

I bought some new furniture, lighting, ornaments and a hot pink gazebo.

The gate and fence got painted, grass laid (not entirely but more in an “I’m too impatient to wait” kind of way. There was some bark added and a small picket fence and low and beheld, three months exactly after I first started I had the garden of my dreams. It needs more work done, mainly the ground underneath the grass needs to be levelled off and proper artificial grass laid, but I am happy with it for now.

Hall, Stairs, Landing and Bathroom.

I cannot even begin to tell you how much I hated this area of my home. I was in desperate need of new flooring for my hall stairs and landing. After much deliberation and some pretty accurate measuring from myself, I finally ordered my new flooring. The end of May saw me frantically – and drunkenly, refresh the painting my hall and landing area and my bathroom too. I mean, you have to decorate before the new flooring arrives, don’t you!

The hall, stairs and landing are all white with silver glitter in the paint, and it looks impressive in the light. Even more so with the faux crystals drop light shades I put up and the round pewter mirror at the bottom of the stairs. All I need now is some angel wings I have my eye on for the top of the stairs, and all is finished!

The bathroom went from a rainy grey look to a baby powder blue with white accessories. I once read somewhere that you should colour match your home decor throughout the house. My colour match is white! With some new storage and wall prints, my job is finished in there too.

The difference is striking! I have no before pictures to show you as I was too ashamed of the carpet to show people. But now, I can’t stop showing it off. My only issue is it makes the bedroom carpets look awful!

Did I also mention I painted my radiators too? White of course!

Living Room

This one is on my to-do list. I want ot decorate my living before Christmas, Which I know doesn’t give me long as I also need new flooring. I am torn right now as to what flooring to get. I love the idea of having engineered oak flooring, but I am flirting with the idea of replacing my laminate or getting LVT (luxury vinyl tiling) I don’t have long ot make up my mind.

For the decor, I have the most stunning white 3D effect wallpaper for my main wall where my fireplace is (again white fireplace). The opposite wall will be a rose gold metallic colour, and the other two walls will be a chalk white. My colour scheme is currently grey, but I am looking at getting sofa covers to refresh the look and make it all match.

Bedrooms. 

We only have the two bedrooms, and so far, Olivia’s has been decorated recently. I am in love with her wallpaper, and her walls are again chalk-white with a rose glitter in the paint. We are adding in grey/blush pink accessories to pull it together and honestly, it is so pretty or is when it is tidy!

My room is a case of saving the best for last. As both rooms are in dire need of new carpets now, I know my room will be pushed to the back of the queue. For the flooring, I want laminate or vinyl in my room to remove the carpets. I find it easier ot maintain with the Fibro, and I am all for that idea!

So while I have completed a good chunk of my home renovations for 2020, I still have a long way to go, and now our routines are pretty much nearly back to pre lockdown times, only time will tell as to how quickly I get things sorted out!