How do you keep your partner from just erasing your stuff by accident?
This is honestly the story of my life. We tried the dry-erase board route during our kitchen reno, but I swear, my notes about grout color would vanish overnight. Here’s what’s actually worked for us—might be a bit overkill, but hear me out:
Step 1: Painter’s tape strips, like you mentioned, but each person gets their own color. Blue for me, green for her. Anything that’s “in progress” goes at eye level on the pantry door. It’s kind of like a low-budget Kanban board.
Step 2: If something absolutely can’t be lost (like the name of the guy who fixed our 1920s windows), it gets written in a notebook that lives in a specific drawer. Not fancy, but it works since we both know where to look.
Step 3: If all else fails, I’ll snap a quick photo before erasing anything on the board. It’s saved a few arguments.
Sticky notes always ended up behind radiators or under floorboards for us... so painter’s tape is definitely less risky.
Painter’s tape is genius. I tried sticky notes too and they just became cat toys or disappeared into the void. The colored tape idea is next level—might have to borrow that. I do think the notebook step is key, though.
That’s the only way we remembered which shade of white we picked for the trim. It’s a bit old school, but when you’re knee-deep in renovation chaos, simple works. Hang in there—it gets easier once you find your groove.If something absolutely can’t be lost... it gets written in a notebook that lives in a specific drawer.
I’ve seen people swear by color-coded tape, but I’m with you on the notebook—nothing beats having a single spot for the critical stuff. Out of curiosity, do you use any digital tools too, or just stick to pen and paper? Sometimes apps help, but they can get just as messy.
Honestly, I’ve tried a few apps and project management tools, but I keep coming back to pen and paper. Digital stuff gets cluttered fast, especially when you’re juggling samples, receipts, and quick sketches. I’ll snap a pic of my notes if I need to share them with clients, but that’s about it. Ever had a digital tool actually make things easier, or does it just add another layer of chaos for you?
I get where you’re coming from—pen and paper just feels more straightforward sometimes. I tried using Trello and Notion for my first reno, thinking it’d keep everything tidy, but honestly, it got overwhelming fast. Too many tabs, notifications, and I’d forget to update half of it anyway.
That said, I did find one digital thing that actually helped: scanning receipts and contracts into Google Drive. Paper gets lost or coffee-stained way too easily. For sketches and quick notes, though, nothing beats a notebook. I’ll just snap a photo if I need to send something to my contractor.
Maybe it’s about mixing both? Digital for stuff you really can’t lose, paper for the day-to-day chaos. I wouldn’t bother with fancy project management apps unless you’re running a huge team... for solo projects, they just add noise.
