When I get into something, I get really into something, whether it’s hours of my childhood spent rollerblading around the lakes or watching three seasons of Breaking Bad in two weeks. And I’m bringing the same tenacity to my occupancy of my boyfriend’s house.

Since July, I’ve been collecting paint chips and building up my Pinterest boards with ideas that could transform this starter house into our own Nornia (nickname credit: Aaron). We’re one week into cohabitation and even though yes, there is a mattress in the kitchen, I’m making some serious strides.

- Kitchen nook: Painted. And storing a mattress.

- Hallway: Painted Provence Cream by Martha Stewart.


- Bathroom: Demolition starts Tuesday. See you later, lime green walls (above left) and mismatched floor tile!

- Carpeting in upstairs bedroom: Stripped by my brother’s father-in-law, who refinished the lovely wood floors beneath them (above right).

The key thing to note for all of these checklist items is that they are being done by professionals. But the part of me who thought I might have a talent for nail art (I don’t) still holds onto a fantasy that I could be a DIY homemaker. The pile of unfinished knitting and sewing projects I snuck into Aaron’s house tell a different story, a story where I skip any necessary learning process and try to get right to the doing, then lose faith in my failing project and stuff it into a box for “the future.”

So I started small. The sad, one-bulb light at the top of the stairs that barely cast enough light to safely guide you down the steepest stairs known to man had to go. And I knew just the clowns for the job.

(from left) Attempted light fixture assembly; Light fixture reality (we're done here); Light fixture professionally installed

Aaron took care of turning off the electricity and removing the offending light fixture while I did the important stuff like putting the new one together using just my two hands and a few tools that did not come in the box. We were a real dream team. Except for the part where we couldn’t install the light because it’s hard to match up the red wires and white wires when you look in your ceiling and see a tangled mass of black wires that are probably hiding a nest of prehistoric spiders that will overrun your house if disturbed.

For Aaron’s sake and my own personal safety, the only DIY projects I’m embarking on will be looking up things on the computer and assembling IKEA furniture.

I’m extremely good at both of those things.

How about you-- are you a domestic diva or a hapless hack?