Q: I just read an old post of yours where you compared your last house to your current one – and it looks like you preferred the old one in some ways because you had done more renovation, etc. I think it would be awesome if you did a do-over of that post now that it has been so long and you’ve done so much to improve your new house! – Thanks for all the inspiration, Sarah
A: You’re right, it’s high time we revisited this weird little comparison of our first house and our current one, so let’s get right into it. It all started when someone (ironically also named Sarah) said this about a year ago: “I love your videos and it’s crazy to see the difference in YHL style from the first house to this house! If you wanted to do a side-by-side of rooms past and present, I wouldn’t hate it :)” We decided we wouldn’t hate it either, so we had some fun with it. And now over a year later it’s baaaaack. It’s a battle to the death. First house vs. current house. Cue the dramatic music and picture me singing while Simon Cowel says “you sound like a dog trying to lay an egg.” Of course it’s kind of an unfair fight since we’ve only been in this house for 20 months and it took us four and a half years to finish our first one (and we definitely expect this one to take us a few more years since it’s bigger and we have crazier plans) but on the other hand, after over six years of figuring out what we love and learning by trial and error, we’re definitely in a more confident place than we were when we started out, so some things haven’t taken us as time to figure out. Oh and we stole most of the current house pics from our House Tour page, hence the big “progress” label on the bottom of those. Anyway, it’s on:
The Front Yard, First House:
The Front Yard, Current House:
Winner: The first house. Our current yard has definitely improved by leaps and bounds from the bushy overgrown lot that we inherited (you couldn’t even see the house from the curb), but our first house took us over four years to upgrade it from this craziness, so we’re guessing we still need a few more years with our current one (from other angles it still looks pretty rough).
The Front Porch, First House:
The Front Porch, Current House:
Winner: Tie? We actually would give the front door win to our second house (we loved the red but we lurrrve the yellow) but we still have big plans for boxing out the porch columns and staining the concrete and doing about a million other things at our new digs – and the hanging ferns and tan-and-cream stripes on the first house’s porch were a few of our favorite things. So… lame, but let’s say it’s a tie for now.
The Living Room, First House:
The Living Room, Current House:
Winner: Our current house. Although we’re still hoping to upgrade things (like converting an old dresser into a media stand, etc) we never really used our formal living room in the first house (we had a den for TV watching and chillaxing), so we feel tons more at home in the current living room where we can sink into our giant sofa and zone out.
The Kitchen, First House:
The Kitchen, Current House:
Winner: Our current house. This might be a you-have-to-be-here-in-person thing, but the floor plan and smaller size of our first house’s kitchen just felt a lot more closed in and separated from other rooms and the new kitchen is truly the heart of our home (with two giant openings leading to the hall and the dining room and two other doorways that connect it to the office and living room). It’s hard to explain, but when I’m sitting at the peninsula approving comments while Clara plays on the rug by the fireplace and John cooks up something yummy for dinner, it’s just a nice place to be.
The Hallway, First House:
The Hallway, Current House:
Winner: Current house. We’re so thankful to have a nice wide, light-filled hallway. And the giant family gallery of frames just does it for us.
The Spare Bedroom, First House:
The Spare Bedroom, Second House:
Winner: The first house. Although this picture is stolen from an old post about how messy the playroom was before my mom helped me clean it, once again it looks almost this ca-razy (and has a lot more major furnishings in there since it’s full of secret book projects, hence the need to use an old pic). So yeah, the clean little room with a daybed and a desk made me a lot less sweaty and clammy. Someday I will show this room who’s boss. Until then, the door will remain firmly closed.
The Nursery (Formerly The Third Bedroom), First House:
The Nursery, Current House:
Winner: Current house. But it was a hard call. We loved the room that we took Clara home from the hospital to so much. It just was such a sentimental space. But the bigger closet in the current room (which Clara now uses as a reading nook) gives her newer room the edge. And we can’t wait to do a bit more in here, like add crown molding, paint the ceiling, refinish the floors, etc.
Our Bedroom, First House:
Our Bedroom, Current House:
Winner: Current house. Although the built-ins that we created with doorless Ikea wardrobes to flank the bed in our first house (and to provide some much needed storage) will always have a special place in our hearts, our new bedroom is easily the coziest room we’ve ever slept in. Especially since we rearranged everything and painted the walls a dark and moody color. And of course having a walk-in closet and a bathroom that’s actually connected is a huge step up in the function department.
The Main Bathroom (located in the hall), First House:
Our Bathroom (actually attached to our bedroom this time), Current House:
Winner: First house. By a mile. We loved that complete bathroom gut job more than words can say. And although we did some small easy upgrades to our new one, it doesn’t doesn’t make us feel quite as shiny and proud as the first one did after a few months of serious work. But there’s a chance that we’ll love our current one more someday (perhaps after we redo the flooring like we’ve talked about) just because it’s attached to our bedroom and doesn’t have to be shared by everyone else in the house.
The Office/Guest Bedroom/Playroom, First House:
The Office & Guest Bedroom (which are now separate rooms), Current House:
Winner: Current house. The office in our first house was such a great multi-tasking space, but it was teeny and it made us feel a little cramped when we were all in there. And when guests came to town it was hard to do blog stuff (which definitely doesn’t stop on nights and weekends) since the office was occupied by family & friends. So although our first home’s office/playroom/guest room was such a fun space, it’s a lot more functional to have a separate office with a nice built-in desk and our own cheerful guest room (with its own attached bath) for guests.
The Den, First House:
Winner: The first house. 1) Because our current house doesn’t have a den, and 2) Because our first house’s den was one of our favorite rooms ever – so cozy. Although the room that we call “the living room” in our current house could have been a secondary living space/den, we opted to turn what used to be a formal living room into a spacious dining room to accommodate our huge family who couldn’t squeeze into the dining room behind it (which we made into the office). We don’t regret our decision to just have one huge casual room for TV, reading, playing, & hanging out, but we just have a special place in our heart for the comfy den that our first love – er, house, offered. I remember sitting on that sofa holding our newborn baby with Burger to my right and John to my left like it was yesterday. Sniffle.
Dining Room, Current House:
Winner: Current house. 1) Because those curtains are my babies and we’re enamored with the dark teal color that we painted on the back of the built-ins, and 2) Because our first house didn’t even have a dining room (it just had a dining nook in the corner of the living room). Well, originally it had a small dining room off of the other side of the kitchen but we closed off that doorway to turn it into a third bedroom which later became the nursery since we needed that space far more. It’s all much more clearly explained here.
The Laundry Area, First House:
Laundry Area, Current House:
Winner: The current house. We love our new laundry space. Even though it’s narrow and we don’t have a surface for folding, it just feels happier. Plus we don’t have to fight all of our normal human urges to resist clutterering up a big long counter near the door like we did in our first house (it was always full of incoming or outbound stuff). And it’s more fun to fold laundry in front of the TV on the sofa in the living room anyway.
The Hall Bathroom, First House:
Hall Bathroom, Current House:
Winner: The first house. The stripes and the fun glass chandelier were so charming, and we loved the pedestal sink and the pocket door too. But the new hall bath isn’t just a toilet – there’s a tub in there, which is where Clara takes all of her baths. So maybe the current house wins for function but the first house wins for sweetness? Either way, that blank slate of a bathroom in the current house is begging for some love, so we’ll count this as a point for the first house until we tackle the new one, since that was our first instinct.
The Sunroom, First House:
The Sunroom, Current House:
Winner: First house, all the way. We have about ten million things on the list for the current one though, so maybe in a year or two it’ll give our first one a run for its money…
The Patio, First House:
The Patio, Current House:
Winner: Current house. Just because it’s more spacious and cozy/shaded. But most of all because we did it ourselves (we hired out the first house’s patio since we were three weeks away from our backyard wedding and worried that if we tried to DIY it we’d get married next to a half-finished mud pit).
The Deck, Current House:
Winner: Current house. 1) Because we didn’t have a deck in our first house and 2) because John built this one with his bare, manly hands and I got to get it furnished. We can’t wait to stain/seal it and fix a few more things up out there (ex: hide the utility box, hang some shutters, paint the siding so it feels more balanced, etc).
The Basement, First House:
The Basement, Current House:
Winner: First house. Because we’ve obviously spent a little more time on the first one. Haha. But you never know what we’ll do down there with our current one as soon as we can make it not resemble a pile of junk…
The Backyard, First House:
The Backyard, Current House:
Winner: First house. We still miss that lovely flat grassy area surrounded by pretty woods. Someday we’ll hopefully make a little grassy spot for Clara and Burger to romp (after lots of transplanting, I imagine).
So there you have it. I think the final tally is 10 to 8 with our current house squeaking ahead by two (last year when we did this our first house got a 9 and our current house got an 8 since we didn’t have the deck in the mix yet). It’s interesting to see how our style is gradually evolving (more color/contrast/risks), although we’ll always have a soft spot for the tone-on-tone look of our first baby- er, house. And as for what’s still on the agenda at this place, here’s a big ol’ rundown that we shared a few months ago. What do you guys think? Have you ever looked at photos of your current house next to photos of a previous house to compare what you liked or disliked about them? Isn’t it funny how a new house is a chance to completely reinvent yourself, yet you’re usually working with a lot of existing furniture, so it still has “glances” of your first house going on?
Psst- Check out a full source list for where we got nearly every last item (and what paint colors we used) in our first house here and our second house here.
Britt says
What about your deck?! Cannot forget the deck ;-)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah! Updating that now…
xo
s
Jess @ Little House. Big Heart. says
Looks like things are shifting in your current house’s favor… and that’s great! Your new house really fits you where you are right now, while your old house fit you back then.
It’s so exciting to find your style and really start to go with it. When we moved into the Little House a year ago I didn’t even know we had a style and now… we’re making changes right and left that are just so us.
PS. That bathroom gut in the old house is probably one of my favorite things ever, too!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Jess!
xo
s
annabelvita says
Our first flat (that we shared as a couple) was partially furnished, so our new (unfurnished) flat wins every time because it just feels so much more like US. I hope next time (maaaybe a house we own??) will feel even more amazing, but right now I still have the biggest crush on our flat. I love it so much. I haven’t updated the blog with pictures for a while, but here’s a few after the first three months:
http://annabelvita.com/2012/06/12/three-months-and-change/
YoungHouseLove says
Your place is adorable! I have loved seeing it come together!
xo
s
Lindsey @ arkadian belle woods says
I love these posts! It’s so cool to see the evolution and how things change. Can’t wait to see what changes happen on the next post you do like this! :-)
antiquechase says
This was a great post, especially for a newer reader :)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, so glad!
xo
s
Julia @ Chris Loves Julia says
I audibly laughed when I scrolled down to the photo of your first home’s hall and then compared it to your current home’s. Poor hallway in the first house. It stood zero chance.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, it’s true.
xo
s
Erika says
We are about to convert our office/spare room into a playroom but am anxious to see what you do first! :) I wonder if your book will reveal any of your playroom ideas!
YoungHouseLove says
There are definitely a few ideas from the book that would work in a playroom, but we didn’t actually start working on our playroom yet or anything- still full of stuff! Hopefully within the next 6 months to a year? Clara is still so happy in her crib and the doc said that was great, so we’re taking her lead and just going to move her to her big girl room whenever she’s done with her crib.
xo
s
Jillian {Her Split Ends} says
I love seeing this! So great to remember & cherish where you have come from and how far you have come!
Cheers
~ Jillian
http://www.hersplitends.com
Marije says
I’ll always love the living room (yes, I LOVED that space) and bedroom in your old house. But it’s also so good to see you guys making this new place beautiful :)
Brenda says
Wow, it’s been awhile since I’ve seen pictures of your first house! It helps get some perspective about how far you’ve come since you moved (kitchen reno, anyone?), and how many things you haven’t done yet. You always talk about all the things on the to-do list, but it wasn’t until I looked at the side-by-side comparisons of how complete your other house was that I really got it.
Kelli says
Your first house was nice, but I think your current house wins by a landslide! I love how you guys are taking risks with color in this house (comparatively, it makes your old house feel, well, old. Like for old people!). The current house just feels so fun and happy! I bet having Clara has influenced that. I know my 15 mo old has changed my style to more colorful and fun! Loving what you guys are doing and I love your blog!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, Clara has definitely made us want to be more playful and have more fun with color and pattern!
xo
s
Lindsay says
Did you leave behind a lot of the furniture in your basement (storage cabinets, desk, carpet tiles)or bring it with you to use in the new house? Love the comparison!
YoungHouseLove says
We actually conveyed that (sold it to them with the purchase of the house). We were worried about trying to move all of that stuff and it worked so well for that space, so it was like the bedroom built-ins and our bed (which we also sold with the house).
xo
s
Danielle says
I love them both!
Question: Where did you find your glass coffee table from the living room in your first house? I’m looking for something similar at the moment. .
YoungHouseLove says
That was from a thrift store for 30 bucks! But we’ve seen something similar at potterybarn.com I think!
xo
s
Braelin says
I actively looked for that first house coffee table for YEARS (in regular stores, online, thrifting, craig’s list- you name it). I wanted rectangular with a single glass shelf on the bottom (to see the cool rug through) and definitely no ornate grapes or anything (there was one that people kept showing me… except it had iron grape thingys in the corners… ummm… no, not my thing)! I searched high and low (I was willing to spend up to $250 for the right thing and the PB option was closer to $500). I finally found one online (but not actually for sale online..) at Pier 1 that was almost perfect- but there was a decorative cris-cross thing along the top– oh, and the finish wasn’t right (I wanted ORB or black but this one was nickle). In any case, it was on clearance for $90 (!!!) and I knew that I could spray paint… but the nearest one was 100+ miles away in Vail, CO (read: over 2 mountain passes that are typically covered in snow…). I bought it in November over the phone and they held it for me for 3 months… I got it, sprayed it, and love it (the criss-cross thing actually gives it some nice interest). Motto of the story: keep searching (it will be quite the hunt…), and check on Pier 1 (my model is not longer made, but they sometimes bring old things back and/or have similar items). Good luck! It WAS worth it.
Stephanie says
That was an awesome post. It was great seeing the comparisons between the two houses. I bet someday your current house will win on every category but you’ll always have a special place in your hearts for your first house.
This is my first house and my first time living outside of my parents house so for me, this will be what I compare every other house to. It’s fun developing a style and seeing it evolve in the house. :) I’m trying to make it young and fun without being childish. I’m a single 27 year old girl… excuse me, WOMAN. It shouldn’t be old-lady-ish, but I don’t want it litte-girl-ish either. :)
Andy says
check out the posts with Sue the napkin
Liz says
As much as your current house’s kitchen make-over has been awesome to watch, I’m still in love with your first house’s kitchen! I may be biased because we’re starting to plan our kitchen renovation for next spring as our kitchen is tiny. I mean, you can not open the fridge/oven/dishwasher/any lower cabinet at the same time kind of tiny. It’s scary, you guys. We’re considering knocking out a wall and flipping the layout to make a wider u-shape with the hope that it will give us more working room, like your first house’s kitchen – which we both love, it looks functional and beautiful for such a small space!
Sorry for the long comment just to say, thanks for the inspiration!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, you’re so sweet Liz! Good luck with everything!
xo
s
Elizabeth says
Your new patio is my FAVORITE space…probably because of the orange and blue! (Go Gators!) Maybe one day it will inspire me to de-jungle-fy my backyard and do something similar. Ha!
Amy says
Go Gators!!!! :)
Betsy@coastal-colors says
I love both houses, but the current house is my favorite! You have an amazing talent! I think you need a new house for projects or better yet, just come to Georgia and I’ll keep you busy! Thanks for sharing the comparison; it’s great!
Jenn says
Just have to say that you guys are so organized and detailed and I love it! Do you have a photo book of the photos from your old house (like your family yearbooks)? I think that would make a cool coffee table book and preserve all of your hard work! (you could name it “younghouselove 1.0”)
YoungHouseLove says
We actually have some photos of our first house all done and then some pics of it empty in our 2010 yearbook, and each year since we have updated our yearbooks with some photos of the house in various states up updating- it’s fun to look back on that stuff!
xo
s
E.S. Ivy says
This was really interesting to see, especially because we are in the process of moving/redecorating from one house to another as well. And yes, the hardest part about changing style is having furniture from the old house that is still good and would be expensive to replace! (I’m thinking of our living room couch in particular that I would love to replace but I have a hard time justifying when we just bought a new couch for the family room.)
Riki says
Your current back yard makes me giggle – man alive, that is a LOT of . . . growth.
I really love your new house. It’s probably the bold colours you’ve started using because they really appeal to me. Overall though it definitely has a more grown up feel.
Sarah K says
I LOVED your old house, but I love the new house too & it’s fun to see how you guys change and update it! I think the extra nooks and crannies of the new house (like the balcony to nowhere turned AWESOME deck) makes it more special.
Allyn says
I definitely think you’ve been more adventurous with your new house, especially when it comes to color, and I really love it!
Brittany says
It’s so much fun to see all of your home pictures! I love your decorating style and use of color. It’s making me more brave too! : )
Jenn says
I love both of your houses! Each time you post a new update on the current house, it makes me want to run to Home Depot or Pottery Barn and start a new project in my own home. I think that after you’ve done a few more things, your current home will win your heart 100%!
Andrea A says
We are still living in our first house but before we bought it, I had gone through every room & outside space and took multiple pictures. Ever so often I will pull the pics out of our file and show the hubby that yes, even though our wish list/to-do list is super long, look at how far we have come since we moved in (now about 6 years ago). Plus, when you factor in the changes in our lives – dogs, 2 kids, I finished school, hubby currently in school, jobs, LIFE — I’m proud of what we have accomplished. (New hardwoods, new furniture, rearranged rooms to add baby rooms, ripped out carpet, new tile in the kitchen, painted, built a fence, re-did the landscaping, ect….) Thanks for all the great inspiration!
Sarah says
Hey! I’m that Sarah! You guys totally just made my day by doing this post :)
The house looks great, and I’m happy to see the new house winning – I loved the old house too, but I personally like the new house better. I think your style has really developed and become more cohesive this time around.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, thanks for asking Sarah!
xo
s
Sarah says
I’m the other Sarah who originally asked for this comparison!!
LOVE the update, thank you for doing it again!!
And boy, that gut-job bathroom from your first house still blows my mind! That sink was genius :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, thanks other Sarah! We love this little yearly exercise!
xo
s
Michelle @ Lifewithacrazypup says
Love the comparison! I’ve been looking through a lot of your archives lately and it’s fun to see how much your style has changed through the years! It’s also nice to see that you didn’t start off blogging and getting hundreds of comments on every post. Gives the rest of us hope :)
I wanted to share our bedroom make-over that we finished a couple months ago. We have a huge space and used a dark color to make it pop and seem more cozy. I think you’ll appreciate the bold color choice!
http://lifewithacrazypup.com/2012/08/03/adding-shades-of-grey-to-your-bedroom/
And here are some awesome geometric lamps we found at HomeGoods to update the space!
http://lifewithacrazypup.com/2012/08/19/updating-with-art/
YoungHouseLove says
Wow, it’s so cozy and dramatic and gorgeous now! Love it!
xo
s
Tasha says
It’s really cool to see how your style has evolved since the first house too. Your second home definitely seems like more of a family space and as more of a mature/longevity-focused feel to it.
Katrina says
How did I miss that you painted “stripes” on the porch of your first home. What a great idea – so much personality!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Katrina!
xo
s
Krystle @ Color Transformed Family says
It’s crazy how looking back i definitely like your second house more now. I love all the color in it. Our current house resembles your first house color scheme. I hope to change things up a bit when we move in a few years though.
Emily says
I just love seeing all of your renovations! My boyfriend and I just bought our first home a month ago and I’m so eager to get things going but it can be pretty overwhelming. Additionally, my style and his aren’t exactly the same (understatement of the century).
Any advice for new homeowners trying to set up house & mingle styles? :)
YoungHouseLove says
I would definitely try to look at magazines or books or pinterest together and see if there are any rooms that you both love love love. Then you can take cues from that (wall color, pillow color, art ideas, layout ideas, etc) that you will hopefully both love.
xo
s
Kari says
Great post — I love both houses for different reasons. Question, you always mention that the first house took ya 4.5 years to finish. Was there a specific point in time at year 4.5 when you were able to put a fork in it and say “DONE”? Or is the 4.5 years in reference to the amount of time you lived there?
YoungHouseLove says
Nah, I think if we had stayed (if we didn’t need more room, etc) we could have easily kept ourselves busy a few more years. Oddly enough it seems like whenever we cross something off the list we think of some other fun project to shove on there in its place. Haha.
xo
s
Josephine says
Great post! I love your blog. I have been reading for about 6 months now and I read it every. single. day.
I actually am from Richmond too. But Richmond-upon-Thames in the UK, where I believe Richmond VA is named after!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I love that! Your Richmond sounds very swanky indeed! We’d love to check it out someday. And thanks for reading our blog!
xo
s
Kristen | Popcorn on the Stove says
I get such a kick out of these comparisons. I’ve also noticed how different our first apartment and second apartments are from each other (some of the pieces are the same, but it’s so different!).
Rachel says
Is blogiversary coming up next week? I’m very excited but maybe I’m just getting my hopes up!
YoungHouseLove says
Wahooo! Heck yeah it is!
xo
s
Meredith says
Ooh, thanks for asking Rachel1 I was thinking that should happen soonish, and now I’m excited too! :)
Lisa says
Love the comparison! Your parquet floors reminded me of a dream I had last night of staining ours….but we live in a rental house so I’m not sure how that would go over. :) We’re also in the process of changing a dresser into a entertainment unit. Can’t wait to see how yours turns out.
Christina says
I have to say, I’m just starting out on blogging, and yours was one of my inspirations. I love how you did the comparision on both your old and new houses (I love them both)…and you give me so much inspiration for our 400 sq ft apartment, that I won’t have enough space!!
Thanks so much for being one of my Blog-spirations :o)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Christina! And happy blogging!
xo
s
Kim says
Oh man this comparison reminds me of the genuis bamboo shades/white curtain combo that first drew me to your blog 2 and a half years ago! My mom and I both now have the white curtain/bamboo shade combo on our windows and I still love the look. Do you think you’ll bring that look into any of the rooms/windows in your current house?
YoungHouseLove says
I actually was just talking to John about how I missed bamboo shades, so we’d love to bring some of them back! Stay tuned…
xo
s
emily says
I think they’d be great in the office!! I loved those window treatments too.
Bernadette says
Hi! I was wondering if you have any book tour updates for us. I saw that local Boston websites announced West Elm Fenway as your first stop (and that it’s catered by Finale – I worked there in college, pure deliciousness!) Unfortunately, I don’t live in Boston anymore, so where to after Beantown?
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, we’re still finalizing some dates, but will have a big post all about it for ya as soon as we can- probably within two weeks. Can’t wait!
xo
s
Stephanie says
Uhm, best location/caterer ever. And the Fenway area is like my hood. Went to college there. I’ve never been so happy to be a Bostonian. :)
Becky says
I just have to ask, how ever do you operate your washer (or is that the dryer?)? I’m short like you (maybe shorter; 5’1″) and decided we cannot stack our w/d due to the buttons being so tall. How do you do it?
YoungHouseLove says
Oh it’s easy for me to reach, they’re not too high at all! I even took a picture to demonstrate that here: https://www.younghouselove.com/2011/01/theyre-here/
xo
s
Becky says
Wow, that is amazing. I guess our Samsung’s must be a lot taller…there is no way I could reach!
I can’t believe how many people asked!
Christina @ Homemade Ocean says
I LOVE BOTH HOUSES….AND I AM SO GLAD I GOT TO SEE YOUR CURRENT HOMES TRANSFORMATION.
MY BLOGIVERSARY QUESTION IS: WHERE THE HECK DO YOU GET ALL THOSE FRAMES? YOU HAVE A BAJILLION GORGEOUS WHITE FRAMES EVERYWHERE AND I LOVE IT, BUT EVERYTIME I THINK ABOUT DOING MY OWN FRAME WALL I CRINGE AT THE COST OF FRAMES. PLEASE HELP A SISTER OUT!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, Target and Ikea mostly, slowly purchased over time (and yard sales/thrift stores help too!).
xo
s
Heather W says
Christina,
I too love white frames and don’t live close to IKEA, however, I have found some great ones on clearance at Marshall’s and I have found a couple at Kohl’s but mainly I buy them from Target. They will run them on sale and at least once a year I find several on clearance… Not sure why but I would try there. They are nice and come with the mats…. Good Luck!
Maria says
Love this post! I would LOVE if you guys did a post on how to upgrade a “builder’s grade” brand new home on a budget! I and so many others buy a brand new home, because its… well brand new, with perfect layout, much more space, budget friendly… but maybe the finishes are less than ideal, prehaps cheap looking. Thanks for any help!!
Maria
PS- what is the best way to make my little requests like this that have nothing to do with this actual post I commented on?
YoungHouseLove says
Love this idea! Hmm, does anyone in Richmond have a new builder’s grade home that we can have fun with? Haha!
xo
s
Maria says
I’m in Minnesota, bummer!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw man! I do think a lot of the projects that we take on in our house can be done anywhere (making an upholstered headboard, painting walls and furniture, hanging curtains, making homemade art, etc) – so maybe check out our Projects page for ideas?
xo
s
Merideth says
Um – you can come do our house in Richmond! It’s a colonial built in 1992, so not exactly new, but it is still that basic builder’s grade business.
YoungHouseLove says
Sounds like my idea of a good time!
xo
s
Jenna at Homeslice says
Fun to read! Seems like the current house wins by strides… and where it doesn’t, it probably will someday down the road. To me, it seems like the style of this house fits you guys better- more casual and fun!
Christine says
First rented family house: three bedroom two bathroom 4th floor apartment, in the cbd, with seaviews.
Second: tiny three room villa 1 hour away from the city. Has a tiny garden, but a garden trumps sea views anyday.
I know in writting the first place sounds better, but I was so unhappy there, in a lousy relationship. But now that’s over, this much smaller place is a lot better. I love a so much more. It’s nice to have a home that is a cozy little nest. (Also, most of the furniture here was from ikea, rather then odds and ends collected, so maybe that’s why it feels better- everything is in harmony, one way or another :P )
Or maybe it’s all the plants that grow here.
I haven’t had any real compliments on the first place, other then “nice view,” but friends who stay with me say it feels really homely here.
Except this place has no storage. We don’t have any cupboards in this place, just a small wardrobe (with no drawers!!! HELLOOOOO WHERE DO UNDERGARMENTS GO???) and some cupboards in the kitchen. The kitchen actually isn’t all that great a design- a bit dark, and there’s a lack of space… but the atmosphere trumps over function. :)
I think smaller places are nice in a way, because you don’t just dump stuff in another room… when I go shopping, I have to really think- do I love this item enough to displace something else to make room for it?
YoungHouseLove says
Yes! I totally miss that about living in an NYC studio! I think it’s why we have a crazy messy playroom right now. Haha!
xo
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Andy says
Have you seen the ikea beds with drawers underneath?
Amy @ PaintWineRepeat says
It’s like picking a favourite child! LOL
It must be hard to compare… since you put so much love into both. Love elements from each and every space!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, it’s true!
xo
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Anita says
I really don’t even remember you having a spare room in your old house. Is that the room that you later turned into Clara’s nursery? Or is it a bonus room that you didn’t talk about much?
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, which room do you mean by spare room? The first house was a two bedroom but we converted the dining room into a third bedroom (and added a dining area off of our kitchen in our extra long living room) and then used that third bedroom as a nursery. We also had a second bedroom the whole time, which was a guest room and then we converted that into an office/playroom/guest room once Clara was born and John came on full time. Hope it helps!
xo
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Kathryn says
I just noticed that you have new wood chairs at your bar! Did you get rid of the lab chairs? I was looking at them online after seeing yours and am now curious! Did you not care for them? Where did you get your new ones? They are so pretty!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no we loved them, we’re just planning to use them in the sunroom. More on that here: https://www.younghouselove.com/2012/09/something-crazy-happened-2/
xo
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Jocelyn Pascall says
Love this. It’s so funny, I feel like I am nostalgic for your old house – haha! I think it’s because I spent so much time reading about it. And, I LOVE your new house…I didn’t mean to sound like I don’t, but…I don’t know – I can’t explain it – haha. Great post.
KC says
Your first house is almost identical to our first house in Richmond…it’s crazy the similarities. Even though we’ve since moved out of state to a bigger and newer home, our first house will always have my heart…outdated rooms and all. :)
YoungHouseLove says
So funny!
xo
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Rebecca A. says
My parents did the same thing ya’ll have done with changing the living room into a dinning room and the dinning room into an office. Of course they did this after all of us kids moved out. But it makes so much more sense. It also allows the giant table to extend all the way with plenty of room left to get around. Its great to have a place for those large family dinners.