We’re running about a day behind since we didn’t have internet at home until late yesterday, but here’s how things looked on Tuesday (our first full day in the house) with all of our boxes littering every room. Goodbye clean blank slate. Hello chaos. Oh and it bears mentioning that nothing is necessarily staying where we put it (we just dropped furniture and boxes around the house, and will definitely be living with things a bit before committing to final placement for anything).
But let’s rewind a bit for a moment. The last time we moved, we were going from NYC to Richmond in a minivan (well, I guess technically we moved one more time three months later from our apartment to our first house, but we borrowed a small trailer from a friend and were able to transfer everything that way). The point? We had no idea what it was like to move with more than five boxes a piece. And I’m not gonna be all rainbows and unicorns about it. It totally bites. But we’re slowly but surely making a dent in things and starting to gain some order. As in, we now know where our socks and underwear are again. And we’ve showered!
We estimate that by tomorrow we should hopefully be mostly unpacked (since we’ve been taking post-writing, picture-taking, Clara-tending, address-changing, and comment-answering breaks between box unloading spurts). Then we’ll be diving into projects like painting, hanging, removing, replacing, floor planning, window treating, etc. We don’t know what we’ll tackle first (it’ll honestly just depend on our mood and what supplies we have on hand). When it comes to big projects we like to save our pennies and plan things to death, but for small things (which we always recommend doing first so you can live with the house a moment before making any dramatic changes that you might regret) we always just dive in and learn as we go. It’s the only way we’ve been able to accomplish things instead of being paralyzed by indecision. So we’ll hang frames somewhere and if we don’t like them we’ll move them. Same deal for picking paint colors and arranging furniture. And we’ll post pics and details as they occur, not to worry! Anyway, on with the messy just-moved-in pics…
Future dining room:
Future office:
Kitchen:
Future living room (furniture won’t necessarily stay in this configuration, it’s just where we dropped it for the moment):
Hall bath (amidst a diaper sprayer installation – more on that here):
Clara’s room (of course rebuilding the crib and getting the basics in there got priority because we wanted her to adjust as well as possible- which seemed to work so far):
Future playroom/kids room (we had to disassemble the daybed to get it down the hall):
The master bedroom (since our old bed frame conveyed with the old house, we’re sleeping on the floor until we build/buy a new one- who knows where we’ll end up on that):
The master sink/bath (we need to raise that tension rod to accommodate our extra long curtain… soon):
No idea what Burger was doing in that picture. Maybe he’s developing an interest in home related details like hardwood floors and molding. Anyway, here’s the sunroom:
And the laundry/mudroom:
Oh yeah and we have another separate entry basement (this time it’s under our bedroom instead of our sunroom) which will be awesome for storing tools, bikes, the lawnmower, seasonal decor, baby stuff, maternity clothes, etc.
So that’s our house. Can’t wait to get things unpacked and share pics as each room starts to take shape and projects start to unfold. Off to unpack more boxes…
Psst- Here’s a floor plan to help you make sense of what room’s what (although we switched Clara’s bedroom and the playroom since the smallest room makes a great nursery).
Psssst #2- We announced the winners of this week’s giveaway. Click here to see if it’s you.
Sophie says
So excited to see it once you’ve started to paint and add your own touch! Love this house so much still! (:
Stephanie says
This looks like my house on a good day :)!!!!!!! It is fun to follow you along on your journey. Maybe it will give me the courage someday to move.
Swetlana says
Hey you guys! :D
Congrats on the new house & finally moving in! I’ve been stalking your blog for like a year (?) now and thought I’d just stop by and say hey. :)
Good luck & a lot of fun unpacking all those boxes and making your new house feel like your home again!
Courtney says
YAY! You might see clutter, dis-organization, but all I see are POSSIBILITIES!
Lydia says
hope all goes well! love the pictures (where’s waldo, no …where’s burger?! :) and can totally relate having just moved 3 months ago! definitely takes time to make a house a home
Cait @ Hernando House says
So exciting, can’t wait to see it progress! And woohoo to having internet at home!
beth says
Box lugging is not fun at all. And the more kids you have the worse it gets, so now is a good time to be moving into long term digs! We’ve moved (soon to be) 3 times in 5.5 years. The first move was with our then 15 month old. The last two moves have been with three kids. (rental for a few months while we house hunted in our new home state, and then into what should be our longish term house). The stuff, even w/ careful editing, just continues to accumulate. And our kids are all spaced about 3 years apart, meaning we’ve hung onto baby gear, etc. for 7 years now.
Better days are ahead. Once the boxes are unpacked, you’ll all start feeling slightly less chaotic and more at home. I wish you the best and can’t wait to see what you have in store for us. I need inspiration for the 80s colonial we’re moving into (can’t decide on a paint palette, will be painting cabs, etc.)
Stephanie says
Gosh I just love those floors in your master bedroom!!!!
Laura in LA says
It is so fun to follow along! It looks like every room gets great light.
ALittleBite says
The new house looks great! I especially loved the close up the master bathroom, since it showed the beautiful wide planks you have. I’m still amazed by how you manage to keep up with posting, answering to comments, etc. I would go crazy trying to get everything more or less in order first…
Felicita says
Wow. I totally understand how you guys feel. We closed on our house on 11/29 and we still have boxes to go through. (sigh). We’ll get there.
I love the little random appearances of Burger… lol. So cute.
amanda says
I’m so excited just seeing your stuff piled around the house! Maybe that’s because I’m imagining how much better every room is going to be when you get your hands on it.
Pamela says
Can’t wait to see what you do with that gem of a house! I know you are going to enjoy the process as much as we enjoy watching!
Melissa says
Love the new house! I have to ask, what did you do about cleaning? Did you stay up all night re-cleaning the kitchen and baths to make sure their sanitary? I’ve always wondered what’s the protocol on this?
YoungHouseLove says
They actually hired a cleaning crew for us (amazing previous owners!) who were just leaving as we arrived so we saw how everything sparkled and really didn’t have to clean much at all (we wiped down the built-in utensil drawer before putting our forks and spoons directly into the wooden dividers just to be sure- but the house was spotless. Except for the leaves and snow we tracked in- but that wasn’t a big deal to wipe down at the end the day.
xo,
s
Amber says
How is Burger liking the bed on the floor? I wonder if it takes the fun out of it for him to mess up the sheets :)
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Amber,
He doesn’t seem to mind it. And he LOVES his new yard. So much to sniff…
xo,
s
Pamela says
A suggestion (in case you hadn’t thought of it): Move the changing pad to the counter in the hall bath. Before the days of baby wipes, I used soft cloths and soap and warm water to wipe little bums. So convenient to have the sink right there.
Tracy says
Yay!! So excited for you! Looking forward to seeing how each room is transformed! Congrats!
Susan says
Congratulations on being in your new home. You have to be, without a doubt, the most organized people in the world. Even your chaos is organized! Hope the weather has improved, thought I saw where you are due to get more snow. Enjoy your new home and all of blogdom awaits your new projects.
Rachel says
It does look like the house gets great light. These pictures are painfully familiar to me since we moved in September before our wedding last month – and we just got the furniture arranged in their final spots maybe 2 weekends ago? It definitely takes time to figure out where you want things to go. :)
Sarah says
Congrats on having Monday the 13t behind you! Love the turtle sympolism. I love turtles for a quote a little different than the one you shared, but I think you’ll agree it’s just as inspiring: “Behold the turtle, for she only makes progress when she sticks her head out.”
Congrats on your new home!
Sheri says
We moved into our house 4 days after our son Jack (now 14 months today) was born. There are still boxes to unpack and rooms to organize and decorate. Oye.
I’m so excited to see where this new house takes yall!!
KathyG says
Everything looks HUGE compared to what you had before! Does it feel that way in person too?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey KathyG,
Yes! We had never seen the house vacant and the previous owners had a lot of larger-scale furniture and rugs so when we got here on Monday and saw all the rooms totally empty we couldn’t believe how giant it felt! Although all the bathrooms and all the bedrooms besides the master are nearly identical in size to our modestly sized ones from the last house- which is fine with us! We’d rather have larger hangout rooms so our big family can gather- rooms for going to the bathroom and sleeping are ok if they’re small.
xo,
s
Emily @ Merrypad says
Still so envious of your fresh start. It’s beautiful. Love how the dog knows right where to stand to be the star of the show.
Rose (Oshe Designs) says
I LOVE the new house! It has so many classic and modern details and I hope you’ll keep a few of them : )
I think you guys did great and it’s so much bigger. I cannot wait to see how it all pulls together. Until I can buy a home of my own, I will enjoy living vicariously through you guys.
Happy Holidays!
D says
your bed looks massive in that room, haha!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey D,
I know, it looks so sad on the floor! We have no idea what to do with all that space- so many ideas…
xo,
s
Elizabeth says
I love that Burger is in almost every picture…lol! I love a dog that loves me enough to follow me around.
Donita says
Love your new home. It looks much bigger then your first home. The dining room, amazing, love those built in shelves. Is the hall bath a lot like the one you had in your first home, the floor, etc? Before the redo on it, that is.
Do you guys plan to leave all the wood in the kitchen? Just wondering, it looks dark from here, but may just be the pictures. What a great home for you kids. The outside, LOVE the brick and sun room, patio. Congrats Petersik family. Merry Christmas!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Donita,
Yes! It’s freakishly identical- but actually in a lot better shape so we can keep the tile! As for the kitchen, we’re totally painting the paneling and the cabinets and the brick fireplace. You know us with the paint- can’t put it down…
xo,
s
Alison says
I love how Burger is in almost every shot! So cute and congrats again on the new pad!
Tiffany says
Love those wood floors
XOXO,
http://outfitidentifier.com/
Sara says
Sherry,
What is the condition of the basement? I am stoked to see your basement isn’t perfectly finished b/c mine looks to be in a similar condition and I really would LOVE DIY/FINISH IT ON THE CHEAPER SIDE ideas from you guys as you go!What plans do you have this early on for it and is it waterproofed at all?
So excited to learn more from you!
Sarah
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Sara,
The basement is actually in a lot better shape than our last one (no bug or water issues) so although it looks rough and definitely isn’t “finished” it’s a great space for storage. We do plan sometime down the line to tackle making it a bit easier on the eyes and adding some storage/organization ideas someday…
xo,
s
Meredith says
For a while there moving became an annual event for me; it was a good pare-down opportunity but SUCH a pain in the tookus. :) You guys seem to be way ahead of the game! And while we’re all chomping at the bit for new makeover stuff, watching the moving-in process is super exciting too! Thanks for checking in amidst the chaos!
Carol N. says
Amazing how many pictures Burger managed to get in! He will love having a big ole back yard to do bug hunting in once it gets warmer. The house looks light and airy and I’m looking forward to seeing what you guys tackle first. Will you be putting up any Christmas decorations this year in the new place?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Carol,
Yes! We plan to celebrate Clara’s first Christmas in our new house if it kills us!
xo,
s
Krystle says
Congrats again! I’m excited to see how you do things. Whenever I’ve moved I get so overwhelmed by the chaos of boxes and where things should go and I like how you just dropped things and said “This can always move”. I always forget that because I’m so fixated on it being where it should be the first time. We’ll be buying our 1st house in January so I hope (fingers crossed) that I can just move in and not be so overwhelmed. \
Burger looks like he was sniffing out the wood for possible dog intruders! HA!
Mariela says
I love how Burger is in all of the pictures hehe. I’m excited for you guys and can’t wait to see how your new house starts unfolding.
Tara @ Tara Being Tara says
Everything looks so BIG! I love it – have fun moving in!!
Devon says
Does the window in the office (above the desk) look out to the carport? If so, do you have a plan to deal with it once you close the garage in?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Devon,
Yup, sadly it does. No idea what we’ll do about that. Maybe frost it or remove it and drywall or even build some bookcase or system that hides it from the inside. Not sure yet…
xo,
s
Carley says
I love how much light the rooms seem to get. I also love your future office! It looks like the perfect spot to work, plus plenty of room for Clara to play while you are working. I know making a work spot for me where my 1 year old could play and be with me has worked out so well. He colors in “his office” while I check papers in “my office.”
Congratulations!
Jamie B says
I see a coat of paint in that chandelier’s future.
Sara says
Wow, it’s amazing how much bigger the space looks with your furniture in it! And brighter! I am so excited to see the transformation over the next months/years(?)… my husband and I are house hunting right now and this amps up my excitement even more! (Especially because we are looking at fixer uppers too!)
Sharee A. says
Chimming in, along with the rest today, I’m super excited for you all and looking forward to seeing you put your own stamp on your new home. I became a follower of YHL less than a year ago so, I’ll get to see your projects from the very beginning.
Irene says
I see there was a rug in the one room so you can see how it darkened, that will actually match in a year or 2! Ours has started to lighten up in the dining room.
Alicia says
Wow… looks so different from the other place. Can’t wait to see how you transform things. I wish I had your ‘eye’ because I would struggle with a lot of what you have going on but I know it will turn out amazing.
Abby @ a delightful design says
Congratulations! It looks like you are handling the chaos well. This is a fantastic house and it will be home sweet home in no time!
abby
Erin says
Wow – with furniture in it, you really get a feel for the size of the rooms, they’re much bigger than they looked in the previous pictures! It’s a gorgeous house (well, at least it WILL be!), and I cannot wait to see what you do with it – sooo much potential! Awesome find!!!
Leslie Ann says
Those are some strange trapezoidal windows in the sunroom!! do you plan on putting any sort of window treatment on them or just leaving them bare?
YoungHouseLove says
Bare for now… who knows what we’ll do in the future though!
xo,
s
Michelle says
You guys are amazing for getting all these great posts up! I’ve been devouring them and greedily looking for new ones right after. I still can’t get over how BIG the house looks! It must be really nice not to have to leave it for a 9-5 gig every day–I’d totally get separation anxiety.
Ro says
AWESOMENESS!!!
You guys get gold stars because when I move.. it doesnt look like that until after day 4! lol when Im all PROUD of myself! lol
Im so excited you would think I moved in to.
A girl can dream.
Ro
Kelly says
I’m excited to see what furniture/furnishings will end up staying (or going)! When I moved into my condo it was right after college and my apartment at school was furnished – so my husband and I have just acquired random furniture. Looking ahead to buying a new house in a few years, I imagine it would be tempting to buy all new everything…and that it would be kind of weird making things from the previous house fit.
Can’t wait to see what you come up with!
Alison says
Even though you haven’t done much unpacking yet, it’s amazing how the slightest bit of furniture placement changes the space! I never noticed the fireplace in the dining room- what a great feature…i’d love to have that in my house! Also the floors in the master are amazing.
Harinee says
Hey guys, just remembered the rocking chair you bought a while back after seeing a chair or something in the basement pic – did you ever do a post on the re-finishing?