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I'll be upfront – I'm DIY novice, but I have self confidence to spare. I see the shows where they craft an awesome headboard from scraps and in my head I think, I can do that!

I grab some stuff and then make a very sad, sad attempt.

Anyways, over the years I've learn to try baby steps and build from my limited skill set and it has worked out much better.

I'm not a master, but I'm getting projects done here and there around the house and I'm proud.

It's more than just saving money, it's about using and learning skills so we can improve our house and make it more of a home for us.

I was recently inspired to get off my butt by a book I picked up, Young House Love. Between these two I'm determined to use these next two week to the fullest.

Fixing Up Our Place with Some Paint and Storage

So what's my version of building a vacation home from scratch? It's painting the master bathroom and putting up shelves in the laundry room of course.

Choosing Paint Colors for the Kitchen and Bathroom

Did I mention that we hadn't painted the kitchen, even though we've lived here for close to 3 years?

Yeah, it's sad.

We actually took care of the living room, hallways, and our bedroom when we first moved in with a painting party, but neglected the other rooms for the most part.

The exception being the nursery, but it wasn't until we were expecting a little that we did anything with the room.

With some extra time on our hands as 2012 ends, I decided it would be a good time to go ahead and knock out some projects we've been putting off.

The first thing on my list was pick paint colors for the kitchen and master bathroom – two rooms we use often that needed some love and attention.

We went to our local Ace Hardware to grab the paint and a few supplies.

For the kitchen I wanted to keep the blue tone from the living room and incorporate some of the grey from our counter tops.

I went with Clark + Kensington's Dover Gray (yep I spelled the color both ways in this paragraph) since it was a lighter shade that I think would go well with the appliances. Once I complete the bathroom, I'll get started with this room.

As for the bathroom, I wanted to go with a subtle, but calming color. I chose Corona del Mar – the blue was pale on the swatch, but with the lighting in the room, it's perfect. I finished 3 of the walls and I'll tackle the last wall with the large mirrors and outlets later this week.

Increasing Storage Space and Organizing Our Home a Bit

The next goal on the agenda was getting the place a bit more organized and get some more area for the laundry room.

It's an under utilized space as we could have a lot more storage if we simply added shelves. I got wall done yesterday and hopefully get the other wall done this weekend.

Besides storing laundry detergent and stuff, I'd like to have a place to keep some of bigger guest linens like comforters and pillows.

Thoughts on Fun DIY Projects

Well, I shared what's on my list. I'd love to hear from you about your home improvement projects at your place.

Where do you fall in the spectrum of do it yourself and call someone else to get the work done?

Photo Credit: pville08

About Elle Martinez

Elle Martinez helps families at Couple Money achieve financial freedom by sharing tips for reducing debt, increase income, and building net worth. Learn how to live on one income and have fun with the second..

3 comments add your comment

  1. You should insclude a few before and after photos. We’d all love to see them 🙂

  2. We are looking to reorganize and maximize space in our place too. It is our January project. I can’t wait to get started.