I still cannot believe it’s 2023. Last year ended on a not-so-great note for me as I was incredibly sick the entire month of December. Now that I’ve played catch up and am feeling healthy again, I am so glad to get back to sharing here on the blog with you! And first up, I want to start off the year with my 2023 cabin renovation goals… plus a look back on what we accomplished! Let’s dig in.
2022 Cabin Renovation Recap
I love looking back at what we’ve accomplished before setting new renovation goals. Here’s a quick recap of what we tackled in 2022:
Flooring in our primary bedroom
By far my favorite of our indoor renovation projects, the new flooring in our bedroom has truly made a huge difference. Not only is it exceedingly nice to be able to walk around barefoot again, but it just makes the room feel so finished. Plus, it’s been a great way to figure out what I’d like the rest of the flooring in the cabin to look like. Check out the full post about our new flooring.
Updating our bathroom vanity nook
Speaking of our bedroom… We finally did something to make the sink nook more visually appealing. For the first year and a half, this space was literally just a spot to store extra paint and construction materials. To wash my hands and brush my teeth, I used to use the kitchen sink. Not great!
Eventually this vanity will make it’s way into a proper primary bedroom suite bathroom. But for now, we decided to have some fun with it and install this amazing wallpaper. Check out this post for the full transformation.
Our tiny primary 3/4 bathroom update
And at the top of 2022 renovation projects I regret… is painting our bathroom the most vibrant shade of orange ever to exist. I was really hoping for a terracotta feel… and instead it feels like you’re inside of a grapefruit. Not my best moment. I am, however, happy with the organizational changes made in the space. Check out this post to see more.
Swapping my office and using the room as a TV room Instead
Ever since we moved in, my office was in this tiny, low ceiling-ed space and I always hated it. The space never helped me feel creative. So, on a whim, Sean and I moved the sectional into the room and moved my office into the gear room… and I have LOVED this impulse decision. Check out the full post about our TV room makeover.
I have absolutely LOVED having my office in the same space as the gear room. Not only do I feel more creative, but it’s the first time I’ve ever had a dedicated space for my work in my own home… and one that I enjoy being in. This has been a long time coming! Check out this post for my office tour.
My Huge Vegetable Garden
And lastly, the biggest project we undertook in 2022 was my garden! We literally started from scratch and I spent my entire spring and summer working on making it the garden of my dreams. I learned so much and literally cannot wait to start growing food again! Check out this post for a full garden tour.
Our 2023 Cabin Renovation Goals
Now that we’ve basked in the beauty of all the amazing renovation projects we tackled in 2022 (with the exception of that damn orange bathroom), it’s time to talk about this year! My overarching strategy this year is to take on projects that are things I can do all by myself for the most part, while also leaving my summer open to focus on my gardening and landscaping. So here’s what I have in mind for my cabin renovation goals:
Primary bedroom & bathroom
I HAVE to repaint the 3/4 bathroom. I can’t live with the orange any longer. It’s so bad and sometimes even puts me in a horrible mood. I know this will be my THIRD time painting it… but I don’t even care anymore. I have no idea what the next color (lol) will be, but most anything will be better than it’s current state.
I also need to finish our bedroom. It’s gone on too long and we’re down to the final elements! Here’s what I need to do:
- Hang art
- Find second rug
- Find new chair + side table
- Find new nightstands
- Make upholstered headboard
- Paint all 9000 of our outlet covers green
It really isn’t that much… so this might be what I start the year off with!
Gardening, landscaping and chicken coop
I also plan to add more garden beds to grow more food for us this year. But my main focus is going to be landscaping in the front yard and finally establishing a proper home for the chickens and waterfowl. I want to turn the front yard into a gorgeous flower cutting garden. But instead of one that is rows of flowers, I want it to feel more wild and like a meadow. I plan on mixing flowers, bulbs, grasses, and a few smaller trees. I’ve already started planning and I am so ready for spring to get here!
Book nook
Establishing the book nook is one of the first reveals I ever shared in our cabin. But we’ve very quickly outgrown the cube shelving. So I want to update this landing area with wall mounted shelves that go from the ceiling to the floor, from the wall to the door.
One big project: bathroom or kitchen?
Remember how I literally just said I wanted to do small projects? Well, ummm… I really think it’s time for us to explore either renovating the kitchen or a bathroom. I’m leaning towards the kitchen because our cabinetry is dissolving more and more every day. Not to mention that it’s lacking storage and organization options… also the countertops are the kind where you can’t tell if they are even clean! It’s dark, dated, and falling apart. It might be time.
Dining room refresh
Our dining room was good enough… and then life happened. Every rug I’ve put in there has been ruined as Noodle aged. Also our dining table hasn’t aged well and is very wobbly… and our dining chair situation is just not good. None of them are comfortable and the faux leather ones are SO heavy.
It’s such a pass-through type of space, but I’m hoping that with some art, a few houseplants, new dining chairs, and a new rug, our dining room can feel more like an intentional moment instead of a room that’s forgettable.
Entryway organization
As badly as I wanted a mudroom when we were searching for a cabin, we ended up buying a house without one! And I complain about it almost every single day. The entry area is constantly a mess because of our weather, bringing in firewood, and the dogs. It’s also a landing zone for a ton of crap all the time. Sometimes it’s shipping and receiving. Other times, it’s where we get undressed from shoveling snow or an especially messy day of gardening.
This year, I want to finally get the entryway properly organized and way more functional. I’m thinking one more row of peg rail for hats and small items, more utilitarian rugs, and a large storage bench.
That list really doesn’t seem like that much at the moment, but you know me… I always find ways to explode our punch list and make it even longer! What do you think of these goals for our cabin in 2023? I’d love to know what you think and if you’re excited to follow along on these journeys. Stay tuned for more!
