Fisherman's Wife Furniture: A Year Later....

Today marks one year in our waterfront cottage. June 27, 2013 was the first night we spent in the house and the next day we rented a jack hammer and started the updates. It has been 12 months of work. A LOT OF WORK.

Blittle and I were sitting on the dock the other evening baffled by how we did so much in a year. No wonder I am so tired! Once I am done with the dock furniture, we are taking a break from DIY for a while. People have repeatedly said, it doesn't have to all get done right now. I know this. But I want it done right now. When I am home there are constant reminders of what needs to be done and I have a hard time ignoring them. I get anxious. If I am not crossing things off the to do list, I feel like I am wasting time. The past month has shown me it is time for a break. My body is ~~tired~~, ~~exhausted~~, ~~drained~~, ~~done~~...I can't really find a word to describe the level of physical, mental and emotional exhaustion that I am on. It is time to rest and slow down a little.

The next few months are for working on client furniture and saving money. There are some HUGE projects on the list for 2015!

What we have left to do:

Master Bath
Guest Bath
Furnish and set up second guest room
New entertainment center for living room
Curtains for living room
Add crown moulding to all room without
New door for laundry closet
Paint all doors
New door hardware and knobs
Update the deck & stair railing
Rebuild the stairs
Close in under the stairs for outdoor storage
The entire exterior of the house. We were planning on painting but I don't think that's enough. The interior is going to be updated and new so I can't leave the outside like it is now. Even painted a new color. I want to have Hardi-plank or siding installed. The exterior needs to look as good as the interior.
Widen/Extend the driveway
Widen the patio area next to the house
Outdoor kitchen
Add a downstairs bathroom
And hopefully one day, replace all the windows to more energy efficient ones.

There are tons of little details left but the above list represent the biggies. Things I want done in the next few years. The bathrooms are my goal for next year as well as the deck & stairs railings, rebuilding the stairs and closing in under the stairs. Those are my projects for 2015. The bathrooms are huge projects. I am excited and scared about them at the same time. Bathrooms are expensive and unexpected obstacles can destroy a budget but I have faith that we will be as successful with the bathrooms as we were with the kitchen.

What we are working on now:

I am building furniture for the dock. (Adirondack chairs, more planters and umbrella holder)
Electrician is running electricity to the dock for the boat lift, outlets and lights.
Electrician is adding exterior lighting. (lights over garage doors, lights on the back of the house and side patio)
When the electrical work is done, I'll install our new light fixtures.

What we did over the past year:

Entire house except bathrooms has new flooring (This is the only thing we did not DIY)

Fence

Built privacy and cattle panel fence
Stained fence

This picture is before stain.

New sod in backyard

Master Bedroom

Ceiling, trim and walls painted
New ceiling fan
Used inherited end table and already built headboard
Refinished a dresser for it

Click here to see more master bedroom makeover pictures.

Living Room

Ceiling, trim and walls painted
New ceiling fan
Used a current couch and chairs for furnishings
Bought a $75 Ikea couch on craigslist
Refinished armoire for dog food storage (LOVE this project)
Refinished a bookcase
Built a coffee table
Used a previously refinished entertainment center

Dining Room

Added crown moulding
Ceiling, trim and walls painted
DIY Lantern
Built a dining room table
Used previously refinished dresser as buffet/coffee bar
Sewed curtains
Bought dining chairs and other accessories

Click here to see more dining room makeover pictures.

Kitchen

Covered fur down
Added moulding
Built refrigerator enclosure
Painted cabinets, ceiling, and trim
New lighting
New knobs and chrome plated hardware
New appliances
Installed and sealed countertops
Installed glass backsplash
Replaced wood under sink and waterproofed the new bottom
New sink and faucet
Added trim around window
Sewed curtain

Click here to see more kitchen makeover pictures.

Elevator

Refinished the wood flooring
Painted the walls and ceiling

Click here to see more elevator makeover pictures.

Guest Room #1

Ceiling, trim and walls painted
New ceiling fan
Furnished and decorated with previously owned pieces

Guest Room #2

Ceiling, trim and walls painted
New ceiling fan
Currently used for storage but will be furnished soon

Hallway

Ceiling, trim, and walls painted
New lights

Laundry Closet

Ceiling, trim and walls painted
Installed washer and dryer

Click here to read more about the laundry closet.

Dock

Broke up and hauled off old concrete walkway to dock
Tore out old dock
Added french drain
Installed conduit for electricity
Installed water faucet
Built new dock
Installed boat lift
Stained dock

Click here to see the latest dock update.

Concrete Extension

Poured concrete extension to connect back and side porches

Click here to read about concrete extension.

In the past year, we have had numerous projects that were not for the house. I did countless furniture makeovers. Some for us but most were actual Fisherman's Wife Furniture work.

Click here to see a few of my furniture makeovers.

Also, BLittle and I built another boat. Yes, you read that correctly. It isn't something I think I ever mentioned on the blog but it happened. We built a custom nano skiff over the winter and it went to its new home last month. We also have several other exciting and special boat projects going on. Over the past several months, I have had 4 boats at my house; the nano, the special project, a boat we are updating and fixing, and our personal boat (we built it a few years ago, our second boat to build together).

The blog had a big year too along with my other social medias. Honestly, I struggle at blogging which most of you know by now. Writing is not my favorite and it doesn't come easy for me. I always have 1.374 things going on at once and the blog is usually one of the things put on the back burner. The blog is a way for me to share and update. Its not a priority or job so when I have time to sit down and edit photos and type up a post, I do. If I can't find time or inspiration, things can be quiet for a while. That's why all of you need to be following me on Facebook or Instagram. It is so quick and easy for me to post an update and a few pictures. They are updated almost daily compared to the blog, which only gets updated a few times a week. I promise that I am trying to be more consistent but some weeks I am working on boats or I don't finish a project and I don't have much to share.

I want to end this post with a special thank you to my husband. He works so hard everyday for us. He had faith in me to take my vision for this sad little house and turn it into a reality. He trusted me to make it a home we could be proud of. I could not have done most of these projects without his help and free labor. He loves me even on the days I know its not easy and he has supported me and encouraged me to stay with this little business...apparently I am nicer when I am not teaching. I appreciate everything he does and for making our dream of life on the water come true years sooner than planned. Thanks, Love!