Reviewing Our 2018 Home Goals


One of our favorite traditions of the year is making our annual Home Goal To-Do Lists. For some of our new readers tuning in, this means that at the start of every January we write down all of the projects we want to complete by the end of that year. We’ve been doing it for a few years now and love that this exercise keeps us focused and motivated to reach our goals.Reviewing our DIY 2018 home goals for the year

It’s not always easy to cover everythingย on the list and often times life happens and some of it doesn’t get done, but having a list of goals has been a gamechanger to keep us as focused as possible. Now that it’s August (HOW?!!), we wanted to check in on the progress of our lists.

Reviewing our 2018 Home GoalsMake a list of your home goals each year and stick to them

We’re doing this for two reasons.

  1. Selfishly, we wanted to review our lists and make a plan for the rest of the year. Seeing what we’ve already accomplished gets us feeling extra motivated to finish what’s still left to do. And spoiler alert — there’s still a lot to do!
  2. We power through projects on the DIY Playbook day after day and don’t always make time in our editorial calendar to take a step back and review the bigger picture. Today is a day to do just that, and hopefully get all of you on the same page as we take on the projects for the rest of the year (which are some BIG ones!).

C’s 2018 Home Goals – UpdatesRenovating our bathroom was a big project we crossed off our list

  • Gut & Renovate Guest Bathroom (100% Done)
    • This bathroom renovation was something we put off for a few years, so I’m happy to officially cross it off of our list (and with months to spare!). I delayed doing this one because I knew it would be a biggie, but now that it’s over I’m so happy we took the plunge.This round coffee table was a new addition to our family room
  • Buy Coffee Table (100% Done)
    • This is another one that took far too long to complete because I didn’t want to choose the wrong table and end up with design regret. I’m so happy that we ended up going with this large round coffee table from Crate & Barrel and it has held up tremendously well. We are obsessed!A navy guest room with white bedding
  • Install Guest Room Closet Organizer (0% Done)
    • Truth time. I’ve been putting off this project because I keep thinking that I’ll get pregnant and we will turn our guest room into a nursery. And in that case, I may design the closet a little differently. Since there is no baby on the way, I may hold off on this project until it’s time. Sigh.ย I plan to organize these built-ins this fall
  • Organize Built-In Cabinets (30% Done)
    • I’ve never shown you guys the inside of our built-ins (except where I store our workout equipment) and I think it’s time to change that. These cabinets hold so much stuff and I need to go through and do a nice purge and get them organized. I’ve done a light purge, but I haven’t given them enough time. Maybe this fall?ย A fauxdenza cabinet with a gallery wall over it
  • Organize Fauxdenza (30% Done)
    • Our “fauxdenza” in our guest room holds a lot of stuff…including extra towels, bedding, and all of my photography supplies. But with our bathroom renovation, it got a little scary in this space (picture DIY supplies all over the place!) So I think it’s time for a good purge!Staining a patio deck a dark gray color
  • Stain Back Deck (100% Done)
    • I’m so happy that I finally tackled this project because our deck was starting to look pretty embarrassing! It only took me a few hours to get this DIY all done and the results are ahhhh-mazing!A small city patio with a couch and coffee table
  • Replace Patio Furniture (100% Done)
    • Here’s another one I can cross off the list…new patio furniture. Our old stuff was so weathered and I’m really happy with our new setup out here. I’ve been using this space a ton this summer and I love our new pieces.ย A 2-bedroom condo in the city of Chicago
  • Purge & organizeโ€ฆeverything! (20% Done)
    • During the 2 months of our bathroom renovation, we accumulated a ton of crap (mostly DIY supplies). When the project was all over, Finn and I purged our storage unit (in our building’s basement) and it felt so damn good. This fall, I want to go through every single drawer/closet/cabinet in our house and get rid of all the things. We’re pretty good at regularly purging, but I think it’s time to be ruthless and go even more minimalistic (I’m looking at youย home accessories). I want to start the fall season feeling lighter in our home. Who is with me?!

B’s 2018 Home Goals – UpdatesFinishing a neutral baby nursery as one of our 2018 home goals

  • Finish Nurseryย ย (100% Done)
    • This is the only room in the house that I can completely check off our to-do list for now. We love spending time inย this room (tour it here) and I can’t wait to watch this space grow with our little guy.ย This neutral living room with a marble fireplace and white built-ins still has some work to do
    • Furnish & Decorate the Family Room (60% done)
      • I added this couch, this couch, this coffee table, and this table to the family room this year. I also DIY-ed this picture ledge. I definitely want to layer in more lighting, another side table, some secret toy storage, and a large fiddle leaf but didn’t want to force these decisions until I find items I love. Since I haven’t seen a ton, there hasn’t been much progress recently. But don’t worry… I’m always on the hunt and will keep you posted when I find winners!white family room built-ins hold home decor and accessories
  • Get Family Room Built-ins Installedย (100% Done)
    • These are DONE and quite possibly one of the most dramatic (and gorgeous) changes we’ve made yet. I’m still obsessed with these shelves and can’t wait to decorate the shelves + fireplace for the holidays!This dining room is still unfinished, but love the blue rug and wood table
  • Furnish & Decorate the Dining Room (20% Done)
    • The dining room has been on hold because it’s actually undergoing quite a few changes thanks to the upcoming kitchen remodel! Can’t wait to show you what’s in store, but let’s just say, it should be pretty much done by the end of the year (when the kitchen is projected to be done).This neutral bedroom with a tribal rug and white nightstands is light and refreshing.
  • Furnish & Decorate the Master Bedroom (30% Done)
    • We’ve made quite a bit of progress in our master bedroom, but there are still quite a few things to do! Here’s a peek at what the room looks like now, but my plan is to really dive into this space in more detail come the fall. I’ve wanted to provide updates sooner, but the outdoor landscaping pretty much took over all of my free time this summer.
  • Get Blinds of some kind throughout the first floor (100% Done)
  • Finish Decorating the Mudroom (35% Done)
    • We found a runner,ย but other than that… we still have plenty to do in here in order to call this room “done”. My plan is to see how the kitchen takes shape and then choose the new light fixtures to coordinate with that space so it all flows. But yes, that means I’ve been living with NO light fixture for almost a year. It drives me a little crazy but then I remind myself that home doesn’t happen overnight, right?This organized linen closet holds lots of towels and organized laundry
  • Organize closets, drawers, & cabinets so everything has a home (5% Done)
    • We started with this linen closet, but we still have a lot of organizing to do in every other space. Honestly, I feel like we’ve been so focused on the larger scale projects that we haven’t taken the necessary time to perfect our organization systems. I’m sure we will continue to do this in 2018, but my goal is to really tackle ALL of the closets in depth in 2019. Like start from scratch and make them work way harder than they are now.A kitchen remodel is a big task on our 2018 home goals list
  • Gut the Kitchen & Remodel it (0% Done)
    • This is our biggest project to date and one we hope to kick off in the next month or two (tops!). I promise to share ALL of the details along the way. But our goal is to have the entire project finished by Christmas. You think we can do it?! Just typing that scares me, is that normal?! #helpThis bathroom is in need of a remodel and it's one of our 2018 home goals
  • Update Tile and Vanity in the Half Bathroom (0% Done)
    • We plan to tackle this bathroom when we renovate the kitchen.ย  I can’t wait to share my plans for this tiny space, but yes… we are still on track to finish this project in 2018.
  • Address the Basement Stairs (100% Done… for now)
    • I didn’t blog about this because my dad and uncle tackled this for me when I was running around doing 42 other projects. Long story short, our stairs don’t have a lot of depth to them. We were nervous to carpet them with regular carpet because we were concerned that the carpet would eat up some of the valuable depth and make them a hazard to walk down (aka not enough room for your foot to step and therefore very slippery). Instead, my dad got carpet squares and cut them to size. Then he glued/stapled them on for a temporary solution that was so cheap and such a better option than the original. If you guys want more details I’m happy to do a full post… but that’s the story for now.
  • Rip out old shrubbery & update landscapingย  (100% Done)Adding a paver patio to the outside of a home can increase your home value and curb appeal
  • New Paver Patioย ย (100% Done)
  • Add Shutters and Paint Garage Doorย  (100% Done)
  • Replace Back up Sump Pump Batteryย ย (50% Done)
    • I didn’t blog about this but have another sump pump to replace (we have two!). Is this something you’d be interested in seeing? It’s far from glamorous, which is why I skipped it the first time around.
  • Eventually Baby Proof (5% Done)
    • We have outlet covers in the nursery and that’s about it so far. I plan to do this after the kitchen, which is about the time Ben will be far more mobile!

There’s Still Plenty Of Time!Make 2018 home goals to cross off all of your to-do lists

It’s been a busy 2018 so far, but it looks like we have PLENTY of work ahead of us for the remainder of 2018. For our fellow list makers, how are your 2018 goal updates looking? Are you further than we are? Have you made a dent? If not, there’s still plenty of time! August, September, October, November, and December… we’re coming for you!Big DIY projects should be on your 2018 home goals list

But if we’re being honest, the large-scale projects still looming on our to-do list make us a bit nervous. But as Mr. Finn always tells us, if our goals don’t scare us… they’re not big enough. So we’re taking a deep breath and diving in. Will you comeย along for the ride?! We have a feeling these next few months are going to be one crazy ride.

Bridget&Casey


The Year of Casey

Hey there!

Iโ€™m Casey Finn, the voice behind The DIY Playbook. I’m a Chicago gal teaching you how to design, DIY, and maintain your home…by yourself! Learn more about me right here.