A household project is never what it starts out to be. It starts out to be I need to buy a new "x" and before you know it you also need to paint, re carpet and buy all sorts of things to compliment the new "x." The new "x" will look so much better in new surroundings, but it ends up being a far costlier project than you had planned on, takes much longer than you wanted it to; but you do end up with a far better result than you anticipated.
This happened when we decided a couple of years ago to break down and buy a flat screen TV. The old TV was a 36 inch tube TV set and was inside a large armoire unit that would not work for a flat screen TV. That unit had to be relegated to the opposite corner of the room to be used as a audio, video, and stemware storage unit. But what could we put the new TV on? It had to be placed in the corner of the room. so we needed a corner unit. We ended up buying a corner unit for the TV to stand on but then that corner looked unbalanced with the other corner of the room that had a 72"tall armoire in it. So, my husband built a 2 shelf unit to go over the new TV to balance the room out. Suddenly, the paint, which had been a deep red, started to look shabby. The next thing you know, we are dragging all the furniture, both old and new, out of the room so we can paint these walls and cathedral ceiling and cover deep red with a robin's egg blue. That was a big project. When done, we replaced the carpet, since it was old and no longer went with the wall color. What started out to cost about $2500 ended up costing closer to $4,000. It could go higher, though because we just purchased new end tables and now the sofa and chairs are starting to look old and worn. Stay tuned to that project!
Enter Spring. Our house has a lovely 12 X 16 deck off of the family room that we use only to grill on. The reason we do not eat out there or spend any time out there is that it is way too hot most of the day. The sun comes around the back of the house shortly after noon and stays there until sundown. We do have a table, chairs and an umbrella, but it is hardly ever used. We have considered various options to allow us to use the deck: buy and awning--I don't like the looks of those; build a pergola--too much work, and sun still shines through; build a screened porch--way too much money and if I did that I would probably make it bigger so even more money.
Needless to say, this has left us with few options so we have not done anything.
Until.....last week, I was shopping at BJ's Wholesale Club and noticed a freestanding gazebo (I think it looks more like a cabana, but they called it a gazebo) that has 4 metal posts in the corners and fabric that can be pulled across for privacy and screening that can be used to filter out bugs. It has a pagoda shaped top and a hook inside for a light. Hmmmmmm....this got me thinking. We could set this up right on our deck. The gazebo is 10 X 12 so we still have 4 feet for the grill, we can sit out there, block out the sun, the bugs, and it cost slightly less than $500. Even if it lasts us for 5 years, it seemed like a pretty good thing to try and see if we can actually get some use out of our deck this spring and summer. Sold. So we bought the gazebo.
On the way home from BJ's however, the wheels started turning in my head. Our deck furniture is 15 years old, and pretty decrepit. It needs to be tossed. A nice new set of furniture would go so well with the new gazebo. We will need a light to light it up so we can sit there at night. My husband plans to crawl under the deck to staple some screening under the decking so the bugs can't get us from below; and while we are at it, the grill is getting kind of beat up from over use...a new grill would top it off just fine!! Ka-ching, Ka-ching, Ka-ching (cash register sounds from 1975) This is a total snowball project. It started as a way for us to use our deck and sit out there. Now we have to sit out there in style. Hopefully we won't decide we need to run cable out there for another flat screen TV.
This happened with our basement about 6 years. It started with us buying a $300 air hockey table to be used in the unfinished basement. It ended $8,000 later after 1/2 the basement was finished with walls, carpet, furniture, a TV, a stereo and the air hockey table. This snowball thing is a pattern with us.
I suspect this snowballing is a pattern with a lot of people. It is nice to change up your living space every now and then--it makes it feel new. It is a pattern that is keeping furniture stores, paint and home improvement stores, and flooring contractors in business.
So as far as the economy goes, snowballing projects are a win win for all!!
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