A (non)Definitive List of 2021 Home Resolutions

So, it's that time again- that time when we create potentially unreachable goals for our lives in the next year and then upset ourselves when they're not achieved. So, since I'm basic and wanted something to write about, I thought I'd continue this trend but instead focus on a few home projects we'd like to accomplish, complete, conquer, etc. in 2021. As the title suggests, this is by no means a definitive list, and I'm positive more items will be added as the year goes on, but it will at least give us some persective towards planning. These are ranked from, by my guesstimation calculations, least labor-intensive to most.

Switching Up Hardware & Lighting

We'll start off easy. While our guest bedroom receives great natural light, the light fixture itself isn't exactly...our cup of tea. Same goes for the office. Why? Well, because they’re boob lights. Yes, you read that correctly, and now you have a moniker that will never leave your brain whenever you encounter these commonplace fixtures. We're by no means the first to write about boob lights, and as funny as the nickname is, they're not our first, second, or third aesthetic choice. In fact, they're nowhere to be found on our list of preferences, if you get what I mean. In our never-ending quest to create a cohesive fixture and finish lineup in our home, below are some affordable, more visually-appealing ceiling lights we've got our eye on. Pictured first is our lovely current situation, followed by a few options we've found.

Current guest room boob light:

See what I mean? Not cute.

Now these are cute:

Emil 1-Light Simple Globe Semi Flush Mount from AllModern ($59.00)

AXILAND Gold Ceiling Light Fixture Flush Mount from Amazon ($49.00)

Replacing Home Depot Doors

I'll start off by saying I don't know if these doors are actually from Home Depot, they could very well be from Lowe's- but you probably get where I'm going with this. At the beginning of the pandemic, I used some of the additional free time at home to paint all of the doors a grey similar to our kitchen cabinets. It definitely helped give our home a more "connected" feel, almost farmhouse or colonial-esque, as the grey color pallete now runs through the entire house. Nevertheless, we are still looking for ways to do our home some historical justice. We first thought about switching out doorknobs (see the running hardware theme here?) for something more unique, and that's definitely still an option if this project falls down the ranks and budget becomes an issue. However, I've always wanted an old schoolhouse door for my office, so why not continue that trend elsewhere? Fortunately for us in Philadelphia, we have a quite a few options for finding antique architectural pieces. A few of my favorites are Philadelphia Salvage, Provenance, and Beaty American. Without taking into account the exact dimensions, below is some inspiration I've found from browsing their online shops.

From Beaty American, price not listed.

Schoolhouse Door, Provenance Companies ($350.00)

Stained Glass Door, Provenance Companies ($850.00)

Entryway Coat Rack & Shoe Shelf

I didn't really know what to call this one, so that's the title we're going with. I'm sure there's a technical term for this, so if you're aware of one, let me know. Truth be told, our current coat hanging situation isn't the worst. It works, and we have just enough space to fit around four, decent-sized jackets to the side of our door, along with a few hats and beanies. The shoes, however, are another story. We have one antique bench that can hold a pair, but the rest sorta just get thrown to the side. I've seen a few great examples of these coat rack/shoe shelf DIYs on Instagram recently. What will be tricky with our setup, though, is we don't have a wall perpendicular to the actual door like most of these. So, we'll see if we can work out the setup in a way that avoids any interaction with the door. Below are some ideas that maybe we could reimagine on a smaller scale.

What we're currently work with. Not the worst, not the be- and overall fine, for now.

What I think would look and work a little better:

Credit: BentleyBlonde

Credit: Snap Guide

Installing Faux-beams in the Master Bedroom

Maybe I was naive, but man- beams are expensive, y'all. Yes, beams- aka pieces of wood. And unfortunately for us, faux beams are almost just as expensive. This unfortunate surprise combined with an almost-certainly tricky install because of our pitched roof is why this project is listed so far down. When brainstorming with Hugh, the man who built an entire chicken coop from scratch, the difficulty level of this project was reaffirmed. Still, there are a few YouTube videos on how to tackle this feat that I've been watching. I have hopes that this project will get completed this year. The majority of these Manayunk row houses were built with these beams for additional support, but unfortunately, ours were lost with over a hundred years of different owners. Plenty of homes still contain these worn and unique architectural structures, and in the name of both historical accuracy and aesthetics, I'd love to bring these back into our bedroom. I believe they'd be a nice accent to our high, pitched ceilings and give the eyes something to look at as they're drawn upward. And, our bedroom would feel cozier. At least I'm going to tell myself that.

We definitely need some beams up in that empty space.

Some inspiration with a similar pitched roof. (Credit: Jenna Sue Design)

Master Bathroom Renovation

Ah, yes. Last but certainly not least (especially in the dollar department), we reach our final foe: our master bathroom. This has been a frenemy of ours ever since we moved in. Before our home was originally flipped by contractors, our third floor was one, big, open room. And it's still that way, mostly. However, to reel in more prospective buyers, the contractors smartly (but cheaply) added a small master bathroom and closet parallel to one another to turn this giant room, by Philly standards, into a master suite. And while we're definitely thankful for not having to go down our spiraling trinity stairs to shower, and do what one does, in our guest bathroom- our current master bathroom isn't exactly... functional. As I mentioned, the third floor is pitched. While the ceilings in the middle are around twelve to thirteen feet (forgive me on not remembering the exact measurements), the ceilings in the bathroom and closet are a lot less. See below picture for human scale.

It me, standing at approximately 5'11" sans Chelsea Boots, for scale.

The bathroom ceiling is so much lower, actually, that we have to site in a chair to look in the mirror or use the toilet. Not exactly the ~master suite~ one typically envisions. Given that we'd greatly enjoy standing when we're looking in the mirror, among other things, our eventual goal is to remove the party wall between the closet and the bathroom to create a larger, combined master bathroom. That would allow us space for a double vanity, the ability to stand up, and even room for a clawfoot tub. Sounds dreamy, right? Well, what isn't dreamy is the below sketch we have for this idea, so enjoy that. Just kidding, we'll have renderings from a designer at some point. But since this is at the bottom of the list, you can imagine that an undergoing such as this is going to be pricey. That being said, this bathroom renovation is both a dream and a priority for us, and something to save for and aspire towards this year. Below are some items we've tentatively picked out, as well as the usual inspiration one includes.

ULTRA ACRYLIC SLIPPER CLAWFOOT TUB

60" DANENBERG DOUBLE VESSEL SINK VANITY - RUSSET BROWN

J020266-US Exposed Brass Round Complete Shower System

Paneled Metal and Glass Broadway Barn Door

GW-FSS-32-MB French Monture Noir 32" W x 78" H Frameless Fixed Glass Panel

Aaand congrats! You've made it farther reading this blog than we might with actually completing these projects. Just kidding! I'm sure this list will grow and then shrink and then change altogether as the year rolls on. As we learned with 2020, you really have no idea where the year is going to take you, so this is all for planning (and dreaming) purposes. Nevertheless, cheers again to 2021, and let's check off some DIY projects!!