Small Changes

The recent projects around the house have consisted of the budget-friendly kind–translation, free. We’re still letting our budget recover from having to replace the flooring much sooner than we had planned.

I recently came across a list I wrote just before we moved in.

Short-Term

• Paint trim
• Paint or replace doors
• Replace side door
• Replace front door
• Replace light fixtures
• Paint girls’ rooms
• Paint all walls (except bathrooms)
• Design master landscape plan
• Paint girls’ bathroom vanity
• Add pulls to vanity
• Frame bathroom mirror
• Remove mini-blinds
• Install curtain rods
• Paint stair rail

Longer-Term

• Remodel kitchen
• Replace toilets, sinks and faucets
• Install wood floors on main level (oops. Well you know how that went)

5-10 Years

• Convert garage to great room
• Build new garage

As you can see, light fixtures and the like came to a screeching halt when we had to dig deep into our pockets to pay for all new flooring for the entire house.

I don’t sit idle very well and a couple of cans of oil-rubbed bronze (ORB) spray paint were in the garage calling my name. I’m taking this project lull to knock off some of the smaller items on my list–simple changes that together make an impact. Bring on the ORB!

Our registers were boring beige, rusted and splattered with paint. A little ORB gave them new life.

After one coat–

After two coats (remind me to vacuum the vents soon….ew!)–

Even our light fixtures couldn’t escape the wrath of the spray paint.

Some of these changes are permanent, like the heat registers. But the light fixtures, those will be replaced. Because even though the ORB brings them out of the 1980′s I still dream of more modern fixtures like this drool-worthy piece:

Orb Chandelier by Ballard Designs

After writing this post it dawned on me that I might have Spring Fever. Has Spring Fever hit your house yet? If so, what projects have you knocked off the list lately?