2021 Plans For Blake Hill House

I am an optimistic person by nature. Even on the heels of one of the rockiest years of our shared lives, I can’t help but greet 2021 with hope and enthusiasm. Pain and trauma are real for so many, and oh, how I wish the “better days switch” flipped right along with the calendar pages.

I have been thinking about how I can help on a smaller scale–what I can offer the old house and DIY communities. In the coming days, perhaps this blog will give you a gentle nudge towards DIY proficiency. If nothing more, maybe it will provide a fun escape for a few minutes each week. Picture me as your supportive sister or favorite aunt who always sees the potential in your progress, your projects, in you.

The Year of the Window

First things first, during 2021, I will continue the #yearofthewindow with a few small changes. Last year, I attempted a weekly newsletter, which proved too difficult to maintain with my podcast obligations. Going forward, the newsletter will publish monthly and reach your inbox on the first Wednesday of every month. It will include links to helpful info available from all of my window restoration connections, including new content from me. I will also offer monthly suggestions for seasonal goals and small steps to keep you moving in the right direction. My goal is to reduce overwhelm and increase action. You may sign up for the newsletter via this link: Blake Hill House Window Restoration Newsletter

True Tales From Old Houses: The Podcast

2021 will bring more integration between this blog and the podcast. My friend and co-host, Devyn, from Our Philly Row, left True Tales From Old Houses in December. After a lot of thought, I decided to go back to being a solo host podcast, at least for now. I will be bringing other voices into the mix because it makes the show better, but there will be a small format change. Season five begins on February 1st.

I am moving the show notes to a simplified format, and this site and True Tales From Old Houses will link to each other while maintaining their distinct URLs.

You can subscribe to the show and download episodes wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. There will also be a link to listen directly on the show notes, just like always. If you don’t understand what a podcast is or how to listen, please send me an e-mail (via the contact page) or comment below. I would be thrilled to help you start enjoying the world of podcasts. Be warned; Once you begin exploring the exciting content that independent podcast creators are producing, there might not be enough hours in the day to listen to it all.

What’s Next for BHH?

You might think that almost seven years into owning BHH, we’d be “done” fixing it up by now. You’re funny like that. It might have been the pandemic talking, but I sat down with an old school paper planner and mapped out most of the year with my DIY projects and goals for the first time. Oh sure, I always share my plans here at the beginning of each year but trust me when I say I’ve always taken more of a dartboard approach.

For the better part of a year, I have been working on myself, as they say. That’s not necessarily interesting blog content, but the result of that inner toiling is appreciating and embracing how I complete tasks and managing my life in ways that make it as frictionless as possible. Oh, be prepared to read the word “frictionless” a lot this year. I’m all about smoothing the way.

So, for 2021, I will share quarterly DIY projects and monthly organizational projects too. Mixed in with that will be a few one-offs because this house isn’t getting any younger.

Quarterly Projects

January – March: The Front Entry and Grand Staircase

Both of these areas stalled out for a few different reasons. I’m back on track now and anxiously awaiting crown molding samples so I can move forward.

April and May: The Main Bedroom

During April and May, I am finally going to redo our bedroom for the One Room Challenge. The mini hygge makeover made me fall in love with our bedroom even more. It also sparked more ideas in that same vein, and I am motivated to take the next step and get rid of that wallpaper already.

I’m calling these two months the short quarter. That’s not really how fractions work, though, is it? I planned it like this because the next project is a doozy, and it will require a long quarter of four months. Again–not real math.

June – September: The Front Porch & Outdoor Workshop (AKA: “ye olde garage”)

Wowza! This will be the gift that keeps on giving. There are windows to clean and repair, cement cracks to fix, foundation repointing, painting for days, and a collapsed beadboard ceiling just for extra good times.

I will do what I can for four months and then pick it back up in 2022. I have no idea when this area was last maintained or improved, but it certainly wasn’t routinely. The green oil paint on the shutters could very well be original (circa 1885!).

October – December: Wildcard!

I purposely did not plan a project for these months yet, so I can see how the rest of the year unfolds. I might do something for the fall One Room Challenge, or I might use the time to complete unfinished tasks instead. We’ll see!

Monthly Organizational Projects

I love decluttering and organizing, and January is always the best fresh start. We have lived here plenty long enough to understand how we use each room and closet. It’s time to fine-tune what we keep and how we store our stuff. Getting organized is part of my overarching goal to create a warm and cozy home and truly live in BHH, not just serve as its caretaker.

I have been taking small steps in this direction over the past couple of years, and now I feel ready to leap.

• January – The basement, which includes storage and my main workshop. I already have an excellent start on this and a blog post planned for this week.
• February – Library and Coat Closet under the stairs
• March – Kitchen and Pantry
• April – Guest room closet
• May – Clean the garden and flowerbeds and prune the shrubs.
• June – Declutter the outdoor workshop/garage and dispose of toxic chemicals.
• July – Organize the outdoor workshop/garage as I finish portions of it.
• August – Same as July (July 2.0?)
• September – Bathrooms
• October – Linen closet
• November – Reader’s choice!
• December – Decorate for the holidays

It’s nice to have a solid direction to go in 2021. For the first time in a long time, my DIY life feels manageable.

Is there anything you’d like me to teach this year or an area of DIY where you need some support? Please let me know in the comments.

Wishing you all a very happy, healthy, and stable new year.