Planning ahead

In February, I'll be moving into a townhouse, the first home I've owned. Farewell to renting!

I've been decorating the townhouse in my mind. Yesterday, I went to Ikea for more inspiration. I don't intend to use Ikea for everything, but they have great organizational ideas, and some of the model rooms have colour palettes that I like.

By no means do I plan on redecorating the whole house at once. I'll have condo fees and more utilities to work into the budget. I'll still be setting aside money each month - the furnace will need replacing in the next few years. And I need to buy a washer and dryer. And a sofa bed.

Realistically, making everything over will take years. Because of both budget and time. That's okay. I'm going to enjoy the journey.

Phase One will be just making everything functional. Fitting my existing furniture into the spaces. With a coupon, I got two sets of curtains for under $5 each at Ikea. My apartment has blinds that came with it, so window coverings is a priority.

Phase Two will be decorating to my taste. I've always wanted a beachy cottage feel to my home. I was thinking of starting with the half-bath, since that's the smallest room. I may change my mind once I'm in the house.

Everything in the half-bath will be replaced before I take possession. I took this picture so that I would be able to visualize the space of the room.



Also, once I get a good look at the backyard, I want to plan a small garden.

I also need to figure out what to do with the unfinished basement. Finishing it would be years in the future. In the short term, I want a functional and attractive laundry area. Attractive enough that I don't mind spending time down there, slaving away at the ironing board.

I've been bookmarking decorating ideas like crazy. Ikea Hackers is a great source. While looking at different sites, I stumbled upon this site Young House Love. Their colour palettes are to die for.

I looked at their wedding album. That's how I want to get married. Now I just need to find the groom.