Summer Decorating Goals and The Last 5 Percent

As I write this on Friday afternoon, I’ve just wrapped up an over three hour conference call about the business of blogging and how pushing through the last 5 percent of a project takes so.much.effort.

Without a doubt, I’m a master planner and most of the time, incredibly organized. I love lists, meal plans, calendars and tidy organized spaces. I love the thrill of putting a design together and mapping out the steps to completion.

But I’m just going to be really honest here, sometimes I can be a master procrastinator too. It almost always happens at the very end of a project because I’ve overcommitted and I find myself in a rush to meet the next deadline or I’m needed out of town for a family event or we decide to host houseguests for the holidays or (and this is it probably most of the time) I just run out of steam because I’m trying to do too many things at once. Sure, I tell myself I’ll come back to it…but sometimes I don’t…and that last unfinished 5 percent hangs over like a gray cloud on a sunny day.

Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation? It didn’t really dawn on me how far behind I was in finishing the most mundane projects around the house until we had company staying with us a few weeks ago. These guests hadn’t seen the house in over a year and asked if we would show them all the new projects we had completed since their last visit.

As we walked around the house I was silently taking inventory of things I wished we had addressed before our guests had even arrived. It wasn’t anything they would really notice…but I did.

It was in a stolen moment of quiet late last week when I decided I needed to go through each space again and figure out what it would take to rally from 95 percent finished to 100 percent finished.

Here’s a list of things we’ll be working on this summer…

Master Bedroom – we finished the master bedroom for the One Room Challenge with no time to spare. On the outside, everything seemed good to go but there was still work behind the scenes that needed to be completed like replacing the artwork, adding wall lamps and installing the floor thresholds.

Kitchen – we painted the kitchen cabinets last year and it completely changed the look of the entire space. My only regret is that we didn’t paint them sooner.

That being said, it’s almost too white. I know – I don’t want to shock you guys because you know white is our jam and my favorite color but the kitchen could use a few layers of texture to make it feel cozier.

Breakfast Nook – We’re probably going to put the cabinet back into the home office which will leave a hole in the breakfast nook.

We also really need to simplify the coffee station area. It’s a non-negotiable but it’s really starting to feel a little cluttered. We need pillows, chair pads and a pad for the bench seat and this space will done.

Dining Room – The dining room is one of the only spaces in the house I rarely think about changing.

The only thing I would add in this room right now (eventually we want to add board and batten to the wall, a new rug and slipcovered seating) is to raise the curtain rod a little higher and to add larger artwork on either side of the hutch.

Entry – This is the space is that has probably changed the most over the years. I love the bench because it provides extra seating for the times we have a lot of company at once. It needs different pillows for the bench and a bench seat pad. I’m considering a dresser which would give it a completely different look all together. Since we’re spilling secrets, it would also be nice to have a different light and rug in here too.

Half Bath – We really haven’t changed this space at all over the years. I still love the black and white goat photographs and the color of the walls too. I’m hoping we can add board and batten in this room. I think it would really make the entire space look bigger. We probably already have the materials we would need to finish it too.   If we were to update this space in the meantime, it would be with a new rug, vanity light globes, towel and soap dispenser.

Jack and Jill Bathroom – This bathroom had a makeover last summer, so the only thing I would do to change this space up is to paint lavatory closet, raise the curtains and get a different shower curtain. I’ve tried four in here already but can’t seem to settle on anything. It’s another room that’s just a little too white.

The living room needs a major makeover, the home office has completely stalled and the master bathroom could use some love too. Being 95 % finished with these spaces would be a dream ha ha.

Most of the items on the list aren’t major things at all. I just need to source basic textiles and order a few accessories. My plan is to work on the rooms that need the least amount of love first and snowball that momentum into the bigger projects during the summer. We always say small changes make a big impact which makes this list feel doable.

So, there you have it. I’ve totally spilled my secrets. Do you guys have anything your 95 percent finished with but can’t quite get motivated to make it 100 percent finished?

Until next time, I’ll see you on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.

Many blessings,

CoCo