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.
Ellen says
I’d love to see the area off the living room between the master and the other bedrooms that appears to have a porch and a slider or something…. A strategically planned window in the master and in the other room could prove useful for spying on older kids/teens….
YoungHouseLove says
We’ll share more pics of that area in a bit. It’s a small balcony/deck that we hope to convert into an edible garden someday. And yes- if you look out the bedroom window you can see into the bathroom/guest room across the way and vice versa. Thank goodness for window treatments!
xo,
s
April says
The new place looks beautiful! We moved 6 months ago and are still sleeping on a mattress on the floor! So, you’re not alone…
Alice says
Hello, me! I just noticed Casa Petersik II has replaced CPI at the top of your page! Duh.
Mizden Medina says
Hey Guys,
Maybe I’m behind and you already told that history…but did you change the photo of the house?…I swear I see a carpot..and the trees weren’t there…but it’s like you took that picture in summer…not the cold white winter you have going on up there..
Good Luck on unpacking everything!
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, that’s our new header featuring our new house, which has a carport and two trees in the front (the pic that was up there before today was our old house). That photo is from a few months back when we were house hunting and first laid eyes on it, which is why it’s so green and lush! Whereas the snowy one from our previous posts are a lot more recent (and taken from a different angle where the carport is harder to see since there was actually a moving truck in the pic when we snapped that one, so we cropped the pic to hide it).
xo,
s
jbhat says
SO much great light flooding into your beautiful new home. I can’t wait til we (whoops, you!) let some of it in your kitchen. It’s crying out for that wall to be smashed down, isn’t it.
jbhat
Nora says
Funny! I had your blog up in my browser when I clicked on the tab to “Projects” and the new window that popped up showed your new house in the banner up top! You must have just changed it while I was looking. So now I have two browsers of YHL, one with the old house, one with the new! Love the new exterior. If you have time to answer a question, I wonder where you got the trellis you had on the outside of the fireplace at your old house?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Nora,
Too funny about the header changing! As for the lattice, it was from Home Depot (it was white, but we painted it black with exterior paint).
xo,
s
Megan says
ACK! It’s darling! LOVE the light streaming in. And the SPACE! Oooohh all that lovely space.
Belle says
I was worried that there would be a lull between projects, that you wouldn’t be back up to speed with posting and projects for a year or so. But this post has made me realise that even just hearing about it and seeing what you’re up to is just as thrilling. Thank you!
The new header was a shock and I’ll miss the old one but it’s the start of many exciting changes so bring it on :)
Also love that despite chaos and sleeping on the floor, you’ve made your bed including decor cushions; and Burger wants in on every photo. Cute!
Lauren @ Beautiful Fight says
LOVE the sunroom.
leanne says
i spy an ikea hack next to the washer and dryer:)
YoungHouseLove says
Our thoughts exactly!
xo,
s
Alison says
Sweet!! Just noticed the new header and the changes to the first few tabs of your blog! Nice work guys, it amazes me how much you get done in a day!!
Beth@Just{Heart}It says
Is it hard to move into a kitchen that doesn’t really compare to your old one after so purposefully renovating it?
YoungHouseLove says
It has actually been an easy adjustment so far. We’re lucky enough to have found a kitchen that needs a lot of aesthetic work, but is still very functional (spacious, good work triangle, lazy susans inside the corner cabinets, a free-standing pantry, etc).
xo,
s
Rachel says
So glad to hear you are keeping that bathroom tile. It would be such a shame to tear it down.
As for textiles, may I recommend this black shade http://tinyurl.com/2ee3x7j
and these black and white polka dot towels:
http://tinyurl.com/26stplc
from Target?
We have peach and black tile in our bath ( a little more challenging than your black and white) and these look great. Though I suppose you could incorporate some color…
YoungHouseLove says
Cute!
xo,
s
Kayla says
Love the new house, and you guys are making some serious progress!
Random question, where do I find the info on how you made the “P” monogram that used to hang in Clara’s nursery? Plan to make a couple for easy cute DIY xmas gifts, and want to check out the post on it first! Thx!
Happy unpacking and nesting!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Kayla,
Do you mean the P monogram that used to hang in the hallway? Here’s that post: https://www.younghouselove.com/2009/10/how-to-make-a-magazine-monogram/
Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Amy says
I know, another question! You must be sick of answering all of them by now! I was just wondering your thoughts on the whole radon risk with granite countertops. I know you went through a whole radon mitigation thing at your old house. Are you worried at all? We don’t have granite, but it’s something I wonder about since a lot of people are upgrading to granite.
YoungHouseLove says
We’re huuuge radon haters. Its nasty stuff! But we’ve talked with many a mitigation expert, and none of them believe that the amount that could possibly come from granite counters poses any issue. To put it into perspective, our old house was mitigated and went from having a radon level of 10 (danger!) to a 1.3 (which is purer than the outside air we breathe, the recommended level is below a 2)- and it got down to 1.3 even with granite counters. And our new house had radon too, and was mitigated as well. Even with the granite counters it has a .3 radon level now (which is one of the lowest out radon expert had ever seen. Granite countertops and all. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Kayla says
Thanks for the speedy response. I actually meant the wood “p” that you had in Clara’s room on her art wall that you modge podged some cute decorative paper on? Its so cute. I expect to have about ten in my home by spring. ;)
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Kayla,
Oh yeah- here’s that link over on BabyCenter: http://blogs.babycenter.com/life_and_home/initial-impressions/
xo,
s
Elizabeth says
Wow, you are so fortunate to have the nice countertops! I have faux butcher-block counters AND the butcher-block laminate goes up the backsplash. Ughhh. I’d love to peel at least the backsplash off and paint, tile, or beadboard the backsplash, but I’m such a chicken.
I also want to paint my cabinets. But I’m able to decide what method to use to paint them since I’ve read different tutorials ranging from spraying to hand-painting and oil vs latex… so I would love to see y’all do that!
YoungHouseLove says
We’ve actually done it and would definitely recommend our method (we’re planning to use it again for these cabinets as well). Here’s that link for ya: https://www.younghouselove.com/2008/11/how-to-paint-your-kitchen-cabinets/
And feel free to check out our Projects page (see that tab under our blog header?) for lots of other tutorials!
xo,
s
Nota Supermon says
Congratulations! I’m very excited for you guys.
Michelle says
This brings back memories….and panic attacks!! :P
Good luck with the renovation! Very excited to see the changes!
Julie at www.velvetandshag.com says
It’s definitely starting to look like a home…and a very nice one at that! You guys are such awesome movers!
Caiti says
I just started reading your blog after my aunt recommended it to me. She and I share a love for home decor and DIY projects. Looks like I am just in time to watch you both make you new space your own! Love this blog. It’s so well done! Can’t wait to watch your new home come together!
Audrey says
Still making the bed…nice.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, that’s all John.
xo,
s
Jen_nifer says
Is a separate entry basement standard in your part of the country? Is it the full size of the house? I’ve grown up in a place where a full basement that is accessible from inside the house is standard, occasionally there are houses built on a concrete slab, but I’ve only seen a separate entry basement on cottages before. I guess I’m curious to as the reasoning or pros/cons behind it.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jen_nifer,
Nah, I’d actually say separate entry basements are pretty rare- but they’re common in houses with additions because they add them just under the new structure (like they added ours when they built the master suite in the 70s). It’s not the full size of the house, just the size of the bedroom. But it’s great for storing things like the lawn mower that you’d love access to from the backyard (no stairs to drag it up or down, etc).
xo,
s
Hank says
Where is the day bed from? I think at your old house you had it outside or on the covered patio? We have a covered patio and I think it might be great.
Thanks.
YoungHouseLove says
West Elm. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Clare says
Just noticed you guys changed the page header to the new place! It looks awesome!!
cynthia says
Oh my goodness!!!!!!! I am so thrilled to see the process. thanks for sharing update!!!! I can’t wait to see what you do with the kitchen. What a wonderful space!!!
Totally love the new house on the banner:)
Ali says
You two (and the kids) are seriously good at time management and moving! How in the world did you have time to put all the stuff in the right rooms and change out your header pic to the new house, add tabs, and feed the babies!?! Seriously, last time we moved…I felt stress nonstop for nearly a year! You must be a perfect mix of really laid back and super organized! I love the house even more now that your furniture is in it! Easier for me to visualize the spaces! I know that is funny! I’m just washing my ikea slipcovers and checking in on ya’ll!
~ Ali
Ali says
Forgot to tell you that we had paneling galore in our house when we bought it and we just primed and then painted over it! We love how it turned out! But, you guys are true DIY’s so you’ll probably sheetrock the kitchen!
~ Ali
YoungHouseLove says
No sheetrock for us! We love painting paneling! We did it in our old den and we’re planning to tackle it again here!
xo,
s
Jessie says
The place is looking really good for just a few days in. We moved in 6 months ago and one of our rooms still looks like your future office. How is that diaper sprayer working out for you? And how are you liking the Bum Genius diapers? I’m not sure if you’ve heard of or tried them, but I use Gro-Via diapers, and I can’t say enough amazing things about them. You guys should really check them out if you get a chance.
YoungHouseLove says
Love love love our BumGenius dipes (and the diaper sprayer of course). Can’t recommend them enough. We’ve never heard of Gro-Via, so we’ll have to check them out!
xo,
s
Ellen says
Beautiful house…lots of great features…I love how Burger is in every picture!!!
Ali says
Moving does bite! :) But, you two seem so proactive about getting it done! It took us 3 months to unpack! I guess you are smart to just “rip the band-aid off” and get it done. I tend to get fearful of putting stuff on the walls so I’m impressed with your get it done and we can redo it later idea! I could use a good shot of that around my house! I tend to want perfect on the first try and then get bogged down trying to decide what perfect is! Silly me! This is so fun…thanks for all the pics! I know you must be so thrilled to have clean socks and underclothes and showers! Those little things during a move mean the world!
~ Ali
Sara says
Can’t wait to see what you all do! And I see John is still making the bed. :)
hi-d says
You guys are amazing…such organization. It’s crazy how you find time to get so much done and do blog posts! :)
Lindsey says
I love your blog and read it every day. I’m so excited (probably more excited than I should be) to see how you start with a new house and make it a home. Congrats and good luck!
Danielle says
Congratulations! The new house looks wonderful and full of YHL potential! :)
kristin says
Your house FINALLY looks like mine! Except I’ve lived here for 3 years…. lol
Jeri says
Love love love the new home and can’t wait to see how you YHL it up!
I know you guys research everything and are super careful, but noticed your comment about storing the lawnmower in the basement. If you meant over winter with no fuel, I’ve heard that’s fine, but if during the active mowing season, be careful of the potential fire hazard. Or if you just meant your John-powered mower, then no worries at all.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the warning!
xo,
s
Natalie says
I noticed you kept your ivory sofa (forgot the name) vs. your Pottery Barn sofa. Was that a choice based on quality or color/design? Just curious!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Natalie,
We love our Rowe sofas infinitely more than the PB one we had (which was much more expensive, came in fewer color options, felt less well-made and just overall didn’t wow us). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Kelly says
I’m sure you guys have a ton of ideas racing through your mind for your new casa, but I saw this link tonight and thought I would throw it your way….
Like you, this couple had a bump out in their master bedroom that limited their bed placement. So if you want to reclaim that wall opposite from your bedroom entrance for your bed, then this might be an idea to ponder? Here is the link: http://ramblingrenovators.blogspot.com/2010/10/master-bedroom-reveal.html
Congrats on your new home!
Charlotte says
Love every inch of it! And so excited to see the new header. I have a similarly proportioned laundry room that is totally not working for me, so I’m really looking forward to seeing how you guys enhance the space.
Tanya says
OOOOOOO a new title picture! … or did I just miss the update? In any case I love it.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Tanya,
Yup! We just switched it last night! We’re still getting used to it ourselves!
xo,
s
Emily says
Duuuuuuuuude you guys get a lot of comments!! Just wanted to drop a line to say that I am a late-comer to your house party, but am so excited to be able to share the journey with you from the very start, good luck with it all and happy days unpacking! xx
Emily says
Love love love the sunroom. So much great light!
Speaking of light, I’m curious about your plans for the dining room – is there no overhead light in there? That’s how our living room is, and although the lamp light is cozy at times, it doesn’t quite cut it during this time of year when it gets dark so early! :(
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Emily,
We learned in our last house that it’s under $100 to get an electrician to drop a fixture box wherever you want one (we added one above our old dining area to define it, add light, and of course add some nice ambiance). We’ll be doing the same thing once we buy our big table and are sure of placement and everything.
xo,
s
Bethany says
Congratulations on everything falling into place for this new house! I can’t wait to see what you do with it!
Mary Claire says
Wow! You’ve accomplished a lot already! I love all the great light streaming in! As a military spouse I have moved too many times to count and just want to say Wow at your being able to move and keep up with your blog and accomplish so much! (I know it’s your job, but still!) I hope you’re able to take a little breather when Christmas rolls around. You’ve worked so hard you deserve it! Lovely new house!! Congrats!
Linda says
Wow, it’s looking great!
By any chance, did you ever do a post sharing what you did for maternity clothes Sherry? Where did you have the most luck finding stuff?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Linda,
Old Navy! I lived in one pair of Old Navy maternity pants the entire time. And I wore regular shirts and tanks and cardigans for most of my pregnancy (only upgrading to actual maternity ones from Target and Old Navy in the end). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Terhi says
Hi John and Sherry, and greetings from Finland!
I found your blog about a month ago, isn’t my timing just perfect! I’m really happy that I can follow the transformation of your new house from the very beginning.
I love the new house, I’m sure that we get to see a lot of amazing, inspiring and entertaining posts after you get settled. I love how Burger is examining the house in the pictures :D
Congratulations on your new home, and happy holidays!
Rosemary says
I see the new banner! You are both so hard working…thanks for keeping us so updated! I think you both deserve a couple of days off…how about saturday & sunday? Haha
Enjoy every minute of your new home!
P.s. Is Clara still sleeping through the night?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Rosemary,
That is another Christmas miracle! Clara had one night (the first night) where she woke up one extra time- but since that night she’s been doing her regular 11 hour stretch. What an amazing little adaptable bean she is!
xo,
s
Meredith says
Totally thought of this basement entry when I saw your living room. Sure, it is a walk out basement but could absolutely be applied to your front room. The built ins, the charm, the light, creating an entry way… http://reddoorhome.blogspot.com/search/label/Basement%20Renovation
Love,
Drooling in Suburban Phoenix
Marie-Ange says
Nice house! -and love the new picture of the new casa on the homepage- can’t wait to see all the good things that you’ll make happen to transform it!
Have lots of fun!