Well dear friends, can you believe we are nearly at the end of July? I didn’t even get around to starting on most of the projects I had hoped to complete this summer! Actually, I think I have lost track of what I did want to accomplish!  I decided that I needed a visual reference and a list to help me keep track of ideas and prioritize, so today I am gathering those ideas in a blog post.  Here are my top three home improvement goals for late summer. *This post contains affiliate links.

1. Paint The Kitchen Countertops

Back in the winter and early spring I had big ideas of getting all new butcher block or Formica faux wood countertops, a new backsplash and new flooring. This was going to require a bit of reconfiguration of cabinets and the addition of a couple of upper cabinets, because we wanted to add extra counter top in an l-shape on one end of the kitchen. The floor would have to be replaced at the same time, since moving cabinets around would expose some areas of sub floor, and we can’t match up the tile that is currently in our kitchen because it has been discontinued. With only a few weeks of summer vacation left, I know my husband doesn’t want to be spending it on getting into a huge kitchen renovation. Looks like we will be waiting until next year, but there are still some ways to give it a refresh at least.

Faux Slate Painted Counter Tops Via Rain on a Tin Roof

Our 20+ year old faux wood laminate countertops are looking rough and I would love to give the kitchen an easy update. I did some searching on Pinterest for chalk painted countertops, and I love this faux slate look by Rain on a Tin Roof.  This is a project that can be completed in a weekend, and will cost less than $20.00! It will give the kitchen a refreshed look, especially when we repaint the creamy cabinets a couple of shades lighter, and replace the hardware.  I hope we can get around to this project before school starts back or at least in time to for all the fun fall home tour posts.

2. Music Room Refresh With Vintage Sofa Makeover

I have been wanting to rearrange the music room since we moved into our home to make it more usable. Until recently I didn’t have any extra furniture to put in there along with the piano, organ and desk so I wasn’t sure what I really wanted to do with the room overall.  A friend of mine is doing some home renovations and decided to get rid of a vintage Chippendale type sofa which will be perfect in the music room once the piano and organ switch places, leaving room for the sofa. I will definitely get some before and after pics of the room for a post.

Vintage Sofa Makeover Ideas

Back in the winter when I found out I was getting the sofa, I did a post of makeover ideas ((top photo is the sofa I am getting). I plan to give it a really French vintage look using drop cloth, ticking or slipcovers, and lots of vintage style, french Farmhouse pillows. Next week my husband is picking up the sofa and I hope to get started on giving it a makeover!

3. Craft Room Makeover With New Basement Windows

My craft room is currently a junk loot-haul storage overflow (hoarder’s cove) with barely any room to walk around or work. It is a decent sized room, with lots of light from two basement windows.  With the right organization it would be a wonderful room to work on wreaths and crafts.  I love all the awesome craft room organization and storage ideas on Pinterest.

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Luckily our basement is dry and mold free so I am actually able to use the space, but right now I still get some heebie-jeebies from all the spiders and small creepy crawlies that make their way in through the 97 year-old original basement windows. The windows don’t leak, but with their age they certainly aren’t air tight. Before I even consider having my husband build shelves and counters or I start investing in any cute storage, the windows are going to have to be replaced. Replacing the windows is something that actually needs to be done, and of course the value of new windows will increase the resale value of our home and ensure that will won’t have any issues with leaking.

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As I am sitting here thinking, I keep coming up with more ideas of home improvement projects I would like to complete this summer, (bathroom floor, patio resurfacing, barn door in dining room, etc…..) but I will stop with these three for now. Hopefully we will get around to at least one of them! I do get a little overwhelmed with all the constant ideas in my mind, so learning to prioritize home improvement projects might help a bit. I will certainly be sharing any new projects on the blog so be sure to check back as summer progresses. Have you completed any home improvement projects this summer, or have you just enjoyed some much needed rest and relaxation? I love hearing from you!

Thanks for stopping by today!

Amber