Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

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What We’d Do Differently In Our First House

Psst- We just learned about another awesome way to raise money for the relief fund for the Sandy Hook tragedy thanks to some generous Etsy artists who are donating money that they make this week from their Etsy shops to the cause. Check it out here.

We’re putting the finishing touches on Clara’s DIYed Christmas present, so we’ll be back with a ton of pictures and details for you tomorrow (ahhhhhicantwait) but in the meantime, lots of folks have requested a post about what we’d do differently if we were decorating our first house now, instead of 2-6 years ago. See, back in this video we mentioned that when we look at old pics we love it, but there’s always at least one or two things we’d change if we were living there now – and you guys have been asking for more details. Sing it with me “if I could turn back tahhhhhhhm.” So without further ado, here’s the room by room lowdown.

The Living Room

Living Room In First House With Cream Walls And Painted Brick Fireplace

What we’d change:  We really didn’t use the living area of this room as much as we would have liked, especially in such a small house (it was only 1250 square feet). So anything to make it more functional/enticing might have made the difference. Like a round coffee table like this to use for games as opposed to our pretty glass table that was always full of props (our current padded ottoman never has anything on it so it’s always ready for Clara’s toys or game night). We also would have added more color, so from sofa and chair cushions with pops of happy color (like this) to patterned curtains or lamp shades and even brighter art, we definitely would have punched up the tone-on-tone look.

Wait, this would be more fun with a moodboard. Whoop, here it is. This isn’t a moodboard for one room, it’s a mish-mash of whole-house items that we think would add interest and color everywhere (I quickly linked to sources here and then explained where they’d go in the copy along with each room/picture).

1. This fabric is from here 2. This chair is from here (that price is for two, but still a little high so maybe a craigslist/thrift makeover could get the look for less) 3. This fabric is from here 4. This rug is from here 5. This sconce is from here (the outlet near our house carries them for 60% off sometimes).

Mood Board For First House If We Were To Do It Over Again

6. This ottoman is from here 7. This pillow is from here 8. This coffee table is from here 9. This fabric is from here 10. This rug is from here 11. This chair is from here 12. This pillow is from here 13. This fabric is from here 14. This rug is from here 15. This mirror is from here.

The Kitchen

Small White Kitchen With Granite Counters

What we’d change: We loved that little kitchen of ours, even if it was narrow enough to touch both sides of the counter while standing in the middle. One thing we always wished we could change about it was to have a window that looks into the backyard (instead of looking into the sunroom, which the kitchen window in our current house does too!) but since that’s not a very easy change (moving a sunroom and detached basement) we probably wouldn’t have done that no matter how long we lived there. I definitely think things like the area rug and the wall color would have been switched out after a while, just to keep things feeling fresh. Maybe a colorful striped Dash & Albert rug like this with dark and moody chocolate or navy walls like this could have been a fun alternate kitchen universe!

The Nursery

Bright Nursery With Green Walls and Blue Ceiling

What we’d change: Since we did this room a few years after some of the other rooms that we’ve looked at so far, it’s nice and happy and bright, which is more our jam these days than the more neutral tone-on-tone thing we had going on in the living room. So maybe just for fun we’d change out accessories like the rug (maybe for this cool one?), but in general we still love – and miss! – that sweet first nursery that we made for Clara nearly three years ago.

Nursery With Green Walls And Vintage Changing Table Dresser

Our Bedroom

Bedroom With Built-In Curtained Closets On Either Side

What we’d change: Our bed was always on the low side, so I’d love to have built it up to have storage under it (that room was tiny so it would have been really functional too). I think I also would have changed out the bedding over time, probably with a fluffy white duvet and a bunch of patterned pillows like this. Oh and switching out the tan curtains on either side of the window for some patterned fabric like this could have been interesting. The neutral jute rug also worked just fine, but something plush and shaggy like this would have been an extra luxurious upgrade.

Our Bathroom

Green Bathroom With Dark Tile Floors And DIY Vanity

What we’d change: This room was also something we did more towards the end of our life at that house (about a year before we moved, as opposed to 3-4 years before) so I think it feels more like our aesthetic now since there’s some color on the walls, some contrast with the dark mirror and the dark floors and the homemade vanity. Although I think if we lived there now I would have chosen a printed fabric like this for a roman shade in the window (sort of like the one in our current hall bathroom’s window), just to inject a little more print/interest into the room.

The Office/Guest Bedroom/Playroom

Guest Room Space With Bookcase And Bright Green Couch

What we’d change: I was afraid to put floor length curtains in here with the sofa in front of the window, but I think we could have popped the sofa out from the wall a little (like we did with the floor length curtains that ran behind the sofa in the living room) and it would have been fine. Don’t you think long dramatic curtains in like this would have been awesome hung high and wide on both windows? I think it would have made the room feel taller and more airy (it was very very tiny in real life). And as for those sad desk chairs (we reused table chairs with little seat cushions from World Market) I think today we’d totally go for chairs like this (maybe found on craigslist and then self-reupholstered to keep costs down?). Oh and this larger and wider (more storage!) ottoman would be awesome in the place of the little thimble-ish one we had.

Small Office Work Desk With Picture Rail Display Over Computers

 

The Den

Neutral Toned Den With Fireplace And Warm Accents

What we’d change: The addition of that sweet Clara rug helped to wake up the room (here’s where we started moving towards pops of color and prints in rooms to add interest since the old jute rug that was in there was a little too tone-on-tone and washed out for us). And I can see how in taking this photo I even tried to get other pops of bright color into the room (the pillow on the chair, the bowls on the round table to the left, the tray on the ottoman, etc) so I think we would just take that further if it were our room today. One giant piece of colorful art above the entire sofa (like this, which has meaning since it’s a map of NYC – where we met and fell in love) would have been awesome along with brighter pillows and maybe even subtly patterned curtains.

Den With Cream Painted Walls And Neutral Accents

What we’d change: I also think switching out the desk chair with something less traditional and more fun, like this (and adding a bold patterned lampshade on the desk) would have been awesome. And to balance things out I’d hang a brighter scarf or bag on the coat rack on the right for balance (there was always in-rotation stuff as well as I-just-hung-it-there-because-it’s-pretty stuff up there). Your house should make you smile, right?

The Laundry Nook

Laundry Closet With Bamboo Roller Blinds To Conceal Storage

What we’d change: This was actually a really functional and fitting space for us (we still miss it, actually) so we really liked that we could watch TV in the adjoined living room while doing laundry and shove a whole bunch of ugly stuff up into the shelves above the counter, which were hidden by bamboo blinds. Other than switching out some of the art leaning along the back wall for things with a few more pops of color, and maybe changing out some things on the counter for bolder and happier items, I don’t think we’d change much. Oh but you know I’d ORB the gold doorknob in a hot minute.

The Half Bathroom

Bathroom With Subtle Stripe Paint Pattern On Walls Behind Pedestal Sink

What we’d change: We really liked the stripes, so hmm… what would we change? I definitely think the sconces could have been more fun, maybe something like this (the lighting outlet near our house has lots of discounted Shades of Light sconces like this)? And the mirror could have been a lot cooler – like this guy (who I’ve been obsessed with for years) perhaps? And then we could bring in some brighter and more playful art and a patterned fabric shade made from this fabric (not sure I could get John on board with it, but a gal can dream) on that crisp white window frame would have looked awesome.

The Sunroom

Glass Enclosed Sunroom With Painted Concrete Stencil Floor

 What we’d change: We’d get a bigger rug I think, maybe jute and a few feet wider and longer so both daybeds could sit on it a lot more and feel nicely defined by the larger rug (which would ground the room). I also think the floor cushions could have been a lot more fun if they were covered in this fabric. And these pillows could live on the daybeds instead of the mostly-tan ones that were there before. And as for the stenciled floor, with a larger jute rug I think we might have been tempted to paint it all chocolate brown again and let the textiles in the room be the focus (as well as the view). We also loved the blue ceiling but if we were going to be there for years longer we probably would have manned up and painted the walls (so. much. cutting. in.) bright white to play off of the color in the daybeds and the other furnishings in the room (instead of leaving them tan like they were when we bought the house).

The Patio

Stone Paver Patio With Lounge Chairs And Dining Table

What we’d change: More color! Planters in lime and teal and even tangerine full of flowering plants would have been awesome along with some bright outdoor cushions like these for the chairs and loungers. And I think we’d plant more colorful plants around the perimeter too.

The Basement

Basement With Desk and Bike Storage

What we’d change: This basement upgrade was actually a really fun project for us, so I think we’d do a lot of things the same way. I don’t think we’d have chairs down there (we didn’t really sit much, although we did use the desk area to take tupperware bins out of storage and open them up to find certain things). I probably would have painted the door bright red like the front door, just for fun. And I definitely think we would have outgrown that paint storage method (we have about 50% more cans now) so we’d have to add another shelf or two for more can storage.

Painted Basement With Wardrobe Storage And Desk

The Front Yard

Small Brick Ranch In Bon Air Virginia

What we’d change: Well, this might be the boring answer, but not much. Haha. We hated the light-colored worn-down roof that you see in this picture but we got a nice new one about a year before we moved (no idea why we never updated the pic!) and the new roof seemed to help with resale as well as general curb appeal. We still miss this cute little facade and the big green lawn. Although one thing we’d probably change about that lot if we could would be to have less to mow and rake (there was much more to mow/rake out front, on the side, and out back then we currently have to mow here since more of our property is woodsy and wild). So maybe we’d turn the side yard and more of the back yard into a wooded space by adding trees, bushes, and mulch over time.

The Front Porch

Brick Ranch Front Porch With Red Door and Ferns

What we’d change: For some reason the outside spaces are harder for us to say “that’s not really our style anymore” (as opposed to the rooms inside), but I think we would have loved to build big planter boxes for all the front windows, which might have meant moving the rocker and the glider a bit (along with the potted planters too).

The Backyard

Grassy Backyard With Azaleas And Small Red Shed

What we’d change: As I mentioned in the front yard blurb, I think having less to mow would have been nice, so maybe naturalizing more of the yard so it was half the size (still large enough for kid & dog pursuits) and adding more trees and bushes and other wild no-need-to-mow items would have been nice. I’m not going to lie though, we loved this lot. It was so private and sweet. We still miss it all the time!

So there you have it. A brain dump of what we might do differently if we were to decorate our first house now instead of 2-6 years ago. Do you guys look at photos of your previous homes (or even rooms in your current house) and think about what you might do differently now? It’s so funny how our style seems very similar in some ways (we still love wood floors, white cabinets, textures like jute and faux sheepskin, dark wood and white furnishings, floor to ceiling curtains, and white frames) yet our current house seems a lot more colorful, playful, and happy to us (just click here and scroll down to see what I mean).

Comments

  1. Janelle says

    Sherry, I really enjoyed this post! You always find a way to keep your posts varied and interesting even when revisiting your old house. I love that! I usually stick to a more modern style, but I am crushing on that chair with the teal cushions from your moodboard. It’s just so dang pretty! Haha.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Isn’t that guy pretty?! I saw a super close-looking version on Housewives of Beverly Hills last night (in Kyle’s house) and I was staring at it the whole time. Seriously, I missed the dialog because I was drooling over the chair. Hahah!

      xo
      s

  2. Britta says

    Loved hearing that you delayed on painting the sun room because of all the cutting in. I look around my own home thinking, “This room should be painted X” and I think that you guys say it’s so fast and easy… and then I start counting how many weird nooks and cranies and this is NOT an afternoon project and it gets delayed.

    So glad to hear you do the same things sometimes!

    Reply

  3. Ali Kojak says

    Ha ha — I was looking through the pics and stopped at the nursery changin table. I actually thought to myself, hey, I have those same pInk orbs!! Awesome! Then I remembered i made them by following your tutorial 2+ years ago :) Duh! Babies really zap your brain cells :)

    Reply

  5. Kim says

    I just wanted to say that I think yall have inspired me to be a bigger/nicer person in the face of negativity and rudeness almost as much as you have inspired me in decorating/DIYing my home over the past few years of reading this blog. Thank you for both!

    Reply

  6. Jessica @ The Desert Abode says

    I’m so glad you posted this! For me, the hardest part of decorating is looking at a room and seeing what it “needs.” I love that there is no right answer and I think your first house looked fab the way it was & would’ve looked equally awesome with the coulda-woulda-shoulda updates.

    I ordered your book (finally!) so hopefully that will keep the inspiration coming. It’ll be neat to see how our daughter inspires our style too (once she makes her big debut in Feb!)

    Happy holidays to you guys! :)

    Reply

  7. Jen says

    You really should have given the Sandy Hook tragedy a proper post rather than these cutesy, 3 line afterthoughts at the top of your daily junk. Every other blogger out there has taken the time to write a poignant post except you. Shame on you for not using your “fame” to write something befitting for such a horrible tragedy.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      A very good friend of mine lives in CT and I was shaking as I contacted her on Friday to make sure she and her children were ok. It’s a senseless and impossible to comprehend tragedy. John and I have reached out to everyone we know up there, posted ways that our readers could help (not only on the blog but on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram), and have also personally donated money to the relief fund. We grieve about it every day. We just have not written a dedicated post because we couldn’t find the words. I think everyone should be allowed to process things in their own way – and just because we have choked out small mentions instead of one dedicated post doesn’t mean it’s not something that is on our minds every hour of every day. I just can’t find the words.

      xo
      s

    • rachael says

      Wow, second rude comment of the day. Sherry, I wish we were real-life friends so I could know if your real thoughts match mine right now. Clara is going to be an amazing woman one day, with a mother like you, who is always gracious and refined in her responses to The Haters. Kudos!

    • Alison says

      Jen,
      If you cannot find anything nice to say don’t say anything. You are just contributing to the hate in the world. Isn’t there enough? If you are so good at writing something befitting, go somewhere else and do it. Haven’t we heard enough about the tragedy, what is there left to say. Please do tell. Amen, to processing things in your own way.

    • Jennie says

      Everyone grieves in their own way, and we must all remember that. You guys are at no fault for not writing about it. We all know what happened in CT, and I can think of few people who do not have it on their minds constantly. I cannot figure out how to put my thoughts on it to paper either … It is too raw. Thank you for sharing ways to help with your readers. I appreciate knowing what opportunities exist to make a small difference in the lives of those affected by this horrible tragedy.

  9. rachael says

    I love your old house, something about it is so warm and cozy. I really enjoyed this post, your first house is still something I look at for inspiration!

    Reply

  10. Rachel says

    I feel like this all the time – I do something to our house, I love it, and then a few months or a year later I look at it and go, “Eh… it’s ok. But I think I’d love this/that better. Maybe I should change it.” Haha. it’s a never ending process. But it’s fun! Always changing, always doing something to keep you falling in love with the same space over and over again.

    Reply

  12. Brandy says

    Clearly, you smell like farts Sherry! ;) That’s why I read your blog…haha. I admire your decorating skills as much as I admire your class and sophistication. You and John are incredibly genuine and share so many wonderful articles on simple living and raising Clara that have greatly infuenced my life in a positive way. So thank you! And I can’t wait to meet you to say it in person! xo

    Reply

  13. Gray says

    I love how you lean towards more colorful pops and accessories now!

    Also, I am not sure if you were aware but (according to HLN) the National Parent Teacher Association plans to decorate the school (in a different building of course) as a “winter wonderland” when the Sandy Hook students return to after the winter break. This is amazing because they are asking for people to make and send unique snowflakes to help decorate the school – a great project with kids over the break or just for fun in the world of grown-ups with childlike tendencies! I definitely plan on making a bunch and mailing them up there while I have a few days off work! It’s something so small, but it is perfect for people across the country who are not able to support them monetarily, and hopefully it can bring a few smiles to the faces of these children whose worlds has been so violently shaken.

    Here is the HLN link, with some other ideas too, but that was my favorite. http://www.hlntv.com/article/2012/12/18/ways-you-can-help-newtown-community?hpt=hp_t2

    Reply

  14. Jessica says

    I love this post! Quick question. Where did you get the dog statue next to the fireplace in the living room? I LOVE IT!

    Reply

  15. Emily V. says

    I loved this post. I’m still in love with your first house. It was so cozy and inviting. I never get tired of seeing the pictures.

    Reply

  16. Jen says

    Thanks for sharing this update, Sherry! It was so fun to look back at your first house and see how much has changed. Reading your blog every day has definitely helped me develop a better eye for decorating our home. And I love, love, love the positive tone of your blog — this is one of my happy places. I hardly ever comment, but I wanted to say thanks! And merry Christmas :)

    Reply

  18. Jennie says

    I always enjoyed your first house, but I love how your style has evolved in your new house. I love the colors ( I am definitely a color person) and I love the patterns you are embracing. It is fun, youthful, and happy, and reflects your family so well! I think it is so vital for your home to make you happy, and I love that you have pointed out what you would change in your old home if you lived there now. Change is a good thing, even if the old thing made you happy then. It is the mark of creative minds!

    Reply

  19. Lisa in Seattle says

    Two trolls in one day? Must be some kind of record. One more and I’m going to think we’ve wandered into the Hobbit movie by mistake.

    Anyway, it is very generous of you to take the time to give some fresh new ideas to everybody who has a sweet little ranch like your first house. I loved your living/dining room when I first saw it years ago, but now it’s fun to think about what it might have looked like with punches of color.

    Reply

  20. Dawn says

    Have you seen your old house since you moved? Ever thought of looking in on the new owner….that might seem creepy but it might also be fun to see how its been changed since you left.

    Reply

  21. Anne says

    What an amazing post, Sherry! I wish there was a way to magically insert all of your ideas into the pictures of your old house.

    Now that you wrote this post…did it stimulate any new ideas for your current house?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I think it was just interesting looking back to see what we’d change. Almost everything was about adding color and pattern, so it taught us how far we’ve come with that!

      xo
      s

  22. Vaish says

    I know you guys like to use neutral curtains and add pops of color in a room, but i was curious how you would style a room around a brightly colored curtain like this one. Our walls are moonshine by BM and the rest of our furniture is neutral. Its hard to find images of rooms with bright curtains, Im sort of imagining lots of pops of turquoise and maybe pink as a more modern alternative to the red in the curtain? Thoughts?

    http://www.worldmarket.com/product/diva-ikat-curtain.do

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      OOOOH I love those! Love love love them! I would do a natural jute rug, a charcoal sofa, white walls or very very soft gray-blue walls, and lots of accessories in red and blue to relate to the curtains. You just don’t want a crazy rug and a bunch of nutty pillows competing, so letting a few things be neutral so those curtains can be the star would be our approach!

      xo
      s

  23. Erin says

    Always fun to tweak our abodes. One thing I think I’ve learned now that we too are on house #2 is that tastes do change. Instead of buying pricey “investment” pieces of furniture, I am more prone to fixing up a piece from a flea market or Goodwill store, making it my own and then if our tastes change we don’t feel so guilty parting with it via CraigsList or such.

    PS Can I ask you a question off topic…I was looking for a post you guys did in the last year or two pertaining to how “busy” different types of granite can look. I believe you showed some examples comparing your Pashmina with other whitish granites you encountered during your most recent house hunt. I’m having trouble tracking it down using the the search box, am I imagining this, if so sorry to trouble you. Thanks!

    Reply

  24. Christina says

    Just wanted to say it’s so amazing and heart-warming to see all the generous folks at Etsy giving back like that. And I wanted to thank you guys for mentioning all the charitable ways to give to Sandy Hook. I live nearby and this has been a real shock to us all.

    Sending best wishes to you all…
    CJ

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Aw thanks so much Christina. We’re still reeling over here. And sending so much love up to CT! We have a friend who lives nearby and it has just been heartbreaking to talk to her about things, but she says the community is banding together and doing amazing things.

      xo
      s

  25. Megan @ Rappsody in Rooms says

    That’s a fun little post! All in all you wouldn’t change much except for just style preferences it seems…so the big stuff was done to perfection! I look at my current house like that. If I don’t love every single element I try and think how I can change it so every little thing in my home brings me joy (and a memory if I can swing both)!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      In 2010 we had a daughter and both transitioned to working from home. Thanks to having our daughter we also had lots of people coming to stay with us/visit and we only had one full bathroom, which was definitely increasingly hard to juggle. Also, since both worked from home we had a home office, but that also had to double as a guest room, so when someone came to stay with us it really threw off our whole day to day life since that room was already being used for guests. As much as we loved that house, we were just bursting at the seams!

      xo
      s

  27. Isobel_A says

    Oh, to be an American and describe a three bedroomed house with two living areas and a sunroom as ‘such a small house’.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Haha! It’s all relative, right?! If it makes you feel any better, we both lived in tiny one room apartments in NYC before moving to Richmond, so some parts of the states have tiny living spaces too! Richmond is just a lot more spread out and wooded, so there’s generally more land in our little suburb :)

      xo
      s

  28. Katie D. says

    I love how neutral the first house is and I love how vibrant your new house is. The beauty of this post is that it shows me how simple it is add color without doing a major overhall. This post has been the most inspiring for me by far; I spent last night walking around my house thinking “Hmm, I think I will tweak this and that.” I tend to keep my house on the neutral side, but you’ve encouraged me add some pops of color! Can’t wait to find some great pillows and maybe a fresh rug.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Aw thanks Katie! You’re so sweet. Good luck with everything! I love walking around the house at night saying “hmm..” in every room. Makes John nice and nervous. Hahah!

      xo
      s

  29. Kate says

    I think you guys did an amazing job on your first place! We are out in Cali in a 1100 sq ft rental with a family of 7, so our house currently does not even have room for the people, much less furniture. Though it IS nice to see some possibilities in a smaller space. I like how your spaces feel like a real home. Great job.

    Reply

  30. Gabi says

    Omg I don’t think I would change a thing, you have such a beautiful home! I love the way the sunroom turned out and the floor looks so awesome!

    Reply

  32. Sarah says

    Hmm, so while I’d never dream of calling a post “worthless”, I guess I’m left not quite getting it. I love both of your houses and both design vibes. Though I didn’t start reading the blog until the new house years, I’ve had a great time delving into the archives and gathering inspiration from both places.

    I’m taking this as an exercise of “how would things have evolved if we still lived here?” I enjoyed hearing about the functional changes like choosing a higher bed so you could add storage under or ditching a chair in the basement. It just feels like a given that you would add more pops of color, or funkier items since that’s your jam these days. I guess this post kind of felt like squeezing the things you love about your current style into your previous one. I love you guys though, and I’m always happy to hear and see your ideas!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Aw thanks Sarah! This post just covered something we got asked a lot (just like we’ve answered other questions like “what are your favorite tools?” or “how do you agree on decor?”). It was fun to analyze each room and see what we might change along with sharing specific examples of items we love (we heard from folks who ordered some mood board things, which is really cool to us!). After 5 years we’ve learned that one of the best things about blogging is the “time capsule” that it becomes, so we have yet to regret documenting anything that we jot down here. We love looking back on it all – whether it’s a project, something random like a post about what we were almost named (seriously, we’ve blogged about that), or something that’s more of an “exercise” like this post :)

      xo,
      s

  33. Erin says

    John & Sherry,

    This post was so much fun. It totally took me back to the first time discovering your little gem of a blog (the only one I take the time to follow). Y’all were doing the basement in the first house. I looked back and that post was 3 years ago tomorrow. Happy YHL birthday to me! So jazzed to meet y’all in Atlanta!! I’ll be there with bells on. :)

    Reply

  34. Deborah says

    Did you know that the flooring in your old bedroom was not jute but seagrass? Seagrass grows underwater and as such is almost impervious to staining, unlike jute, which is practically a sponge for stains, even to water.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      So sorry, we don’t remember so if the link is broken we’re stumped too. Maybe try looking for it on google image while searching yellow/aqua ikat?

      xo
      s

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