I’m thinking we should post pictures of blue ceilings more often on Instagram, at least judging by the reaction we got to this pic from the Homearama Showhouse on Monday. Then again, it may have just been thanks to Sherry’s dancing girl emojis.
As those high-steppin’ cartoon ladies indicated, we’re pretty psyched about how things are shaping up over there. The bold “Skydive” color that we chose for the office ceiling (by Benjamin Moore) came out better than we imagined, and we even got to use one of our favorite lights that we designed last year. But although there has been TONS of progress since our last update two weeks ago, it’s unfortunately not the kind that makes showing the rest of that room any more exciting. Once you look down it’s still pretty empty.
Emptiness aside – the hardwood floors have all been sanded and stained/sealed (hence being covered for protection), most of the house’s painting is done, most of the lights and cabinets are installed, and even little details like doorknobs are getting checked off the list. Since we fell hard for the look of a backplate in our own house, we went that route as sort of a nod to what we’ve enjoyed here, but upgraded them with white porcelain knobs. Here’s a close up for you, and you can see two of them together in a more panned out shot of the doors above.
The glass pocket doors that lead to the dining room have also been installed. They still need to be painted, along with the front door, but we’re loving them. Especially that transom window at the top. Oh to have 10 foot ceilings…
Don’t mind the height or crookedness of any light fixtures. We walked through the house a while back to pinpoint all the lighting locations we’d need – not only for fixtures and sconces, but for can lights as well – so those junction boxes all had to be installed ahead of time (and we had to select all of our lights beforehand, so we could determine their placement). Now that the electrician has put everything in, it’s exciting to see things in place – but we still have to adjust them once the furniture is in (for example, our dining chandelier will hang a lot lower – it’s just lifted for now so people don’t walk into it).
As for fixture sources, the Loft Shade Chandelier is hanging in the foyer and the light in the dining room shot below is the Industrial Modern Island Chandelier, both generously donated by Shades of Light. We’re also excited to see the dark color on the walls (it’s Kendall Charcoal by Benjamin Moore) above the wainscoting we shared two weeks back. Although each room is only around 5-10% complete (they still need furniture, art, window treatments, and accessories – most of which we have selected, but some of which are still on our eight-page shopping list), it’s a lot easier to visualize things now that there are actually painted walls and light fixtures to reference.
The living room and kitchen are open to each other, and they’re both staying white (which will allow us to add a lot of color with furnishings, art, & accessories), but we also added a Hale Navy (by Benjamin Moore) accent wall to the fireplace, which is mostly complete. That same navy color will be on the kitchen island across the room, so we can’t wait for the space to come together more. You can also see a hint of the dark Jacobean floor color on the edge of the stairs in this photo.
We really like the white painted mantel and marble surround against that dark navy fireplace column. It’s a gas fireplace but the cool herringbone brick pattern in the back makes it feel little old and weathered. Our builder had it wired for a TV above the mantel, but for the show we’ll be hanging art there instead of one of those fake model-home flatscreens – and it just might be an oil painting of Burger The Wonder Dog.
The kitchen cabinets are installed, and shocker-for-us: none of them are white – although the ones in this picture aren’t really their final color. Everything’s still in a pretty unfinished state (some of the doors and drawers are missing, there are no counters or appliances, the backsplash still needs to be installed, etc) but we couldn’t resist sharing a shot of one of two lights that hang over the giant kitchen island. We’re really trying to step out of our comfort zone and take risks to keep the show fun – and we thought these Accordion Chandeliers, which were also donated by Shades of Light, fit the bill. They look kind of crazy right now, but we have a plan. At least we think we do.
They’re the very first fixtures that we selected for the house back in December, so it’s kind of a mindfreak to finally see them in place. The island below them is also Hale Navy (a nod to that fireplace on the other side of the room) so we can’t wait to see how they look when things come together more.
Upstairs is seeing similar progress. Many of the lights are in (there are three of these Glass Jug Pendants in the hallway), and the glass pocket doors were installed on the playroom / reading room / library. Meanwhile the stairs are still a death trap thanks to their lack of a railing. It’s a miracle I haven’t fallen over that yet while trying to take a picture. And I basically put a security detail around ol’ preggers every time she even looks in its direction.
The jack-and-jill shared bathroom between the kids’ rooms is shaping up nicely. Nearly everything is in except for the faucet, sink, and mirror. They were preparing to install the counters as we left to get Clara at preschool – so we can’t wait to see those in place. The main color in this room is in the vanity, which we had the cabinet company paint Courtyard Green (this is the one we matched to a side table that we saw in Target).
It’s not a great shot of the floor, especially because it’s dirty at the moment, but they’re white lantern tiles from the builder’s local supplier, Mosaic Tile (with gray grout so it’s more kid-friendly over time).
The last update we have for you guys is an area that we’re calling “The Atrium.” It’s a little spot between the closet (to the left) and the bathroom (to the right). We’ve ordered a big leaning mirror for that wall (which is painted Stonington Gray by Ben Moore), so that will go right under the Driftwood Pendant that we purchased. We loved it so much in person that we were almost tempted to get one for our nursery at home, but we worry it won’t give off enough light for a whole room (it just needs to illuminate that small nook in the showhouse).
The most exciting thing to report is that builder John and his crew are fast at work trying to wrap everything up in the next few weeks so that we can start moving furniture in before our early April deadline (the house is supposed to be finished so it can be photographed for press for the show during the first week of April – and of course we have our own mid-April due date to work around for finishing touches). We’re simultaneously thrilled and terrified to be moving from the construction phase to the furnish & accessorize phase. Just hopefully not in that way that makes anyone go into labor…
MORE PAINT COLORS WE LOVE
You can check out more of our favorite go-to paint colors by touring our homes in the menu at the top of our blog. We’ve also written these detailed deep-dive posts about our favorite paints:
- The 12 Best White Paint Colors
- Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray
- Benjamin Moore Simply White
- Sherwin-Williams Pure White
- Sherwin-Williams Extra White
Psst – Wanna see the finished showhouse? Click here for Our Full Showhouse Tour, which includes final pictures of every room, the floor plan, budget info, a video walk-through, and shoppable showhouse furniture & accessories.
Erin says
Amazing – I love every part of this so far – with the exception of the death trap fall from the second floor. Please get a railing on that stat!
Steph says
Is it bad that I want to live in that house like right now? Lack of furniture and cabinet doors and all. I WANT TO LIVE THERE.
And I am now plotting ways to convince my mom to go on a little Richmond VA vacation with her only child in May.
Emma B. says
It looks incredible! Have you been watching True Detective? The driftwood light reminds me of the creepy wood sculptures, haha. I’ll never be able to look at driftwood the same again.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, we watched the first two episodes and then bailed and then everyone said it’s awesome. We’ll have to try to catch up!
xo
s
Lisa | Winter Heights says
Wow, awesome progress! Those door knobs! And that wooden light fixture!! I swooooon.
Beauty and the Bump says
I love the color on the ceilings. Beautiful light fixture in the foyer. Love the navy around the fire place.
Melanie says
Quick question — your lovely floors are indeed quite gorgeous, however, do you think they’ll get super dirty? I’m from Nebraska, and I’m considering a darker floor stain on all my hardwoods…but I fear they will show every speck of dirt. Thoughts?
YoungHouseLove says
Great question! We had a rich medium brown stained floor in our first house that was very close to the stain color that we picked for the showhouse and the key seemed to be to have it show a lot of grain (movement hides stuff) and not be too shiny or too dark (which also would emphasize dust). The builder showed us another model of his in the same finish (not dark brown and shiny, but medium brown and full of grain in a satin finish) and it really sold us on it. So many people trek in and out of there and the floors looked really good, even with all that dust/dirt/traffic.
xo
s
Ruthie says
Will this house eventually be given to a needy family? Maybe you’ve already covered that and I missed it!
YoungHouseLove says
These seven showhouses are sort of upscale “inspiration homes” for Richmonders to explore and then they’re available for anyone to buy, but the whole event is also set up to benefit Habitat for Humanity. So a chunk of money from the sale of our house is going to Habitat (thanks to our awesome builder), along with a chunk of the ticket sales for the event, and we’re also donating our design fee to them. We hope they’ll have a lot of money coming their way to make a nice difference on the homes they’re working on!
xo
s
Ruthie says
Oh, that’s neat. I was hoping they wouldn’t be show houses forever!!
Rosemary says
I love everything about this beautiful home.
One idea: can you just stain the front door a warm dark brown? I loved all the colors suggested a few weeks ago, but with all the colors going on inside and out, maybe the front door could just stay natural and match the beams?
Clearly, you guys are the experts and you’re doing an amazing job inside and out! Love all the bold light fixtures!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Rosemary! We have to work with the door, and unfortunately it’s paint grade (not stain grade) but we’re definitely leaning towards something neutral so it doesn’t compete with other colors/etc.
xo
s
Rebecca says
I live in Greenville, SC and unfortunately that’s just a little too far to travel to Richmond for Homearama. I tried googling for more local shows but the best I could come up with was one in Charlotte, NC in 2013. Any idea of other cities that have Homearamas or where I could find that information? I love you guys!
YoungHouseLove says
I would search for Parade of Homes or Street of Dreams to see if other similar events pop up.
xo
s
Annie T says
You really see in your pics how much personality light fixtures bring to a room. Everything looks amazing! The Skydive ceiling is incredible. I’m gonna be pinning and googling blue ceilings today!
I love the paint colors you’re using. What’s the white in the room with the Skydive ceiling and what’s the grey/neutral in the hallway under the to die for driftwood light fixture?
Great work guys!
xo
Annie
YoungHouseLove says
hanks Annie! The driftwood light wall is Stonington Gray and the white trim is Simply White (both by Ben Moore).
xo
s
Sarah Elder says
Love everything! Can’t wait to see the final product. What paint color/brand is the navy around the fireplace?
YoungHouseLove says
That’s Ben Moore. I’ll update the post with that info for you guys!
xo
s
Sara says
The picture of the office inspired me to paint my office walls white and do a fun ceiling color (I’m going to get a test pot of Skydive this weekend!). Thanks for the great idea! Now I just need to find a spot for that awesome light fixture of yours. :)
And I need to find a room to paint in Hale Navy. I’m loving that color!
Lisa@Double Door Ranch says
It’s almost there!! Everything is happening so quickly for you guys right now. I’m amazed at your stamina, as usual.
Creeper (?) Sidenote: I had a dream last night that you guys had the Barnacle and shared a post with some pics and all his stats. Even his name, which escapes me now. But I do remember that it wasn’t “Awesome.” Sorry Clara. Unsurprisingly, he was beyond adorable. End creeper sidenote.
YoungHouseLove says
So funny! Try to remember his name next time – we can’t wait to figure that out. Haha!
xo
s
Lisa@Double Door Ranch says
I remember you giving us a clue that his initials would be GUS, which is quite impossible given your last name…then you went with something totally different. I had some CUHrazy dreams last night though so who knows what was going on in my noggin. I’ll try to come up with something good for you tonight, haha!
YoungHouseLove says
SO FUNNY!
xo
s
Kimberly | Turning It Home says
Do you know off the top of your head which white paint is used in those rooms? Who knew choosing a white paint could be so difficult! (For me, at least!)
YoungHouseLove says
We used Simply White by Ben Moore.
xo
s
colinda says
I LOVE EVERYTHING! You guys are doing great! I recently built a house and making all those decisions is so stressful! I wish I could have stolen a few of your ideas, but we were working with a much different budget:( I have recently been looking at the west elm jute boucle rug you guys are using for the dining room. It looks so pretty, Im wondering is it very soft or cushiony? I’m thinking for my living room & kids will be laying or crawling on it, just curious what you think?
Also maybe a little too excited for monday now;)
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, I think it would be softer than seagrass or sisal but not soft like wool. You might actually want wool for a living room if young kids are crawling on it, although we have braided jute in ours that has sort of softened over time and it’s not too bad.
xo
s
Jennifer says
I’ve had so much fun “watching” this house come together! I love that you guys are staying true to your style but taking some more risks.
We close on our new house on 3/21 (!!!) and the first room we’re going to paint (once our current house sells because I’m freaking out about spending any $ on anything if we’re paying two mortgages!) is my office and I was already thinking about doing light, neutral walls with a fun ceiling color, so now I’m totally “stealing” yours. I looked it up on Benjamin Moore’s website and love that two of the lighter colors it says it looks good with are “cake batter” and “butter cookie”. Yum!
YoungHouseLove says
So funny! Those names are making me hungry.
xo
s
liz @ btb on etsy says
When can I move in?! I love what y’all have done so far. Everything looks lovely and I’m especially in love with the little nook in the master. The drift wood fixture is so great.
I was wondering, could y’all maybe think of doing a post on suggestions on how to transform a nursery into a toddler/kid’s room? I love what y’all have done with Clara’s big girl room, but I have a boy, and have NO clue what to do. The room is also on the smaller side (10×11′ I think) which makes it harder to accommodate the bed, play area, and an ikea Edland dresser. Help? Pretty please? :D
YoungHouseLove says
That would be a fun topic. Thanks for the idea Liz!
xo
s
Devorah says
it looks fabulous!! love all the colors and architectural features.
one question: why did they install all the light fixtures if there still plenty of construction dust floating around? it will be difficult to remove all that dust! we did a renovation this past summer and the lighting fixtures were the last thing to go in.
all the lighting fixtures look awesome though!
YoungHouseLove says
Good question! I think they have a standard load-in order (they build dozens of houses each year) so I think this might just be their method? They have folks who have to come in and clean the tile and the windows anyway (along with the tops of cabinets and baseboards, etc) so maybe it’s easier to have lighting in place so they can see while they work, and then they just clean them at the end with the windows?
xo
s
Sara Jean says
This looks incredible! I just ordered tickets for my fiance and I to come visit from Southern Maryland to see this bad boy in person! So exciting!
YoungHouseLove says
Wahooo!
xo
s
Marcy says
It’s looking so great. I’m so sad we no longer live in NoVA so we could come see it for ourselves. I love the kids’ bathroom! It makes me feel less crazy for painting the cabinet in our kids’ bathroom green. I did decide to go all out and paint the walls a lighter green as well though there’s a lot of white tile and 75% of the main wall is white beadboard.
Debbie C says
I LOVE how things are turning out! And I love the risks you are taking…different and out of the box but not so much that it would be hard to live with down the road. Herringbone installations will always have a place in my heart. :)
laura says
It’s really beautiful. I wish I could come for the tour.
Jennifer says
I heart this house and all of your design choices!!! It’s classic and fresh. Can’t wait to see it completed.
Reva says
Beautiful! What brand paint is the skydive? I’ve been looking for the perfect blue to paint our kitchen ceiling.
YoungHouseLove says
It’s Benjamin Moore :)
xo
s
Reva says
Thank you!
Emily says
Can’t wait for the final tour! Are you guys watching True Detective? The driftwood pendant has an ‘eau de True Detective. LOL.
YoungHouseLove says
So funny! We watched the first two episodes but then we bailed. Now we hear how good it is and wish we didn’t!
xo
s
Sarah says
I love everything you have done so far! Can you please let me know what color you have used on the doors/trim? Thank you!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Sarah! They’re Simply White by Ben Moore.
xo
s
Sandy says
Every detail big and small is just perfect and really cohesive. This is going to be a stunner of a house! And those brass accordion light fixtures…stop it you’re killing me. Ahhhhhhmazing!
sheila says
question- I’ve been looking for a big leaning mirror, like the one you have in your bedroom(?), did you order it and the one you mention above on-line?
YoungHouseLove says
The one in our bedroom is from West Elm 7 years ago (it was a surprise wedding gift from John so I could see myself in my wedding dress before running out the back door to get hitched in the yard). And the mirror we ordered from the atrium is from West Elm too! We’ll share the pics when it’s in. Oh and Ikea has some great ones too (for really good prices).
xo
s
Tyra says
I see them all the time at home goods and tj, for reasonable prices!
Elisa says
Love it ALL!
Jennifer says
Ahhhh! Everything is so beautiful, you guys! When can I move in? ;)
Melissa says
OMG. I love my neighborhood so I’d like to request that you please come to Ohio and renovate my entire home. Love every. single. detail. BEAUTIFUL! And unique! And fun! I can’t say enough good things. You guys make an amazing team!
YoungHouseLove says
You’re so sweet guys! Thanks for the showhouse love.
xo
s
Annelies says
Wauw, I love how it is coming together! Great choices on the colours and lights! I like it all. Can’t wait to see it finished! Wish this was my home!
Natalie Royall says
OK… between this amazing show house, your own quickly improving home (no more blue trim!!!), your second book, this blog, the kiddies (all 3!) I just want to know when you guys SLEEP!!!??!! Haha!! Great job on everything you’ve shown all of us cyber peeps :)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Natalie! We’re definitely trying to SQUEEEEZE out as much as we can before we have a little man at home!
xo
s
Cair says
The tipping point has been reached. Now I really, really want to see this house in person. I’m even trying to figure out if I can get to Richmond at the time of the showcase. Made me think you need to finagle a giveaway with tickets to the show with hotel, maybe even airfare so I can win it and come see this house.
It looks great. I’m excited for you.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, that would be awesome! Is any airline reading who wants to sponsor tickets?!
xo
s
Tara says
We can i move it;)
Paula S. says
I am so extremely, crazy excited to see this house finished. I LOVE LOVE LOVE how it is all coming together and it totally is motivating me to try my best to update my own home (although we have no money to right now due to potential job loss). Keep up the fantastic work! (Unless, of course, you need to rest for the sweet barnacle!)
Hillary says
Holy Smokes! I absolutely love it! I think it would be tortuous not to be able to live there after picking out so many awesome features that you love. I say this because I am dying that I cannot move in right.this.second:) Great job and I bet your home will sell with lightning speed.
Darcy says
OMG! I LOVE it ALL!! Every one of the lights…LOVE! Pockets doors and transoms…LOVE! Blue ceiling in the office….LOVE! That Fireplace….OMG LOVE!
I so wish I lived on the east coast still — I would totally have driven down for this from PA – -but alas, its not quite possible from CO!!!I can’t wait to see it via tour on this here blog!!
Also…Can’t wait till Monday…you’re finally able to spill the beans…holy cow..I cannot wait! And I hate Mondays, so this really is exciting!
Haley says
I have the driftwood pendant in my bedroom. It casts the most amazing shadows at night!
YoungHouseLove says
Sounds pretty!
xo
s
DARLA says
Absolutely positively LOVE ALL OF THESE PICS….. AWESOME JOB *?**?**?*
Tiffani says
the place looks amazing, you should feel so proud of what you’ve done. all the lighting choices are amazing and i’m jonesing particularly hard for that brass accordion pendant. which brings me to a question: is the pendant the only brass element in the room or are you picking that up elsewhere, like in the cabinet hardware, faucet, other lighting, etc? i ask because i have an awesome chandelier in a similar finish that is going into my kitchen. i planned to spray it in a satin nickel finish to match the faucet and cabinet knobs, but this is making me think maybe i don’t need to.
YoungHouseLove says
We’re using some brass in the living room (in a light there) and some other subtle brass accessories, but it’s sort of layered in with other stuff. It’s more of an “accent finish” than an overarching finish (for example, it’s not on the faucet or the cabinet hardware, etc).
xo
s
Mary | Lemon Grove Blog says
Transom windows for the win. Way too much gorgeousness – I love it all! :)
Anne says
Can you reveal who makes the bathroom cabinets? I am having a hard time finding someone who will do a custom color on cabinetry, though I really fear the price tag….
YoungHouseLove says
It’s a local company here in Richmond called Affinity. I don’t know if they work directly with homeowners or just builders, but it’s worth a shot!
xo
s
Addie says
Everything looks absolutely amazing! I am in love with it already, and can’t wait to see the rest :)
Lee says
So in love with this house already!!! Wow!
schmei says
Really Important Question: would one be able to see that driftwood pendant from the bed in the master bedroom? Because, if so… I think I would never get out of bed. It is so pretty and calming somehow.
The place looks so cool so far!
YoungHouseLove says
Alas, it’s just around the corner – but if they’re prego and getting up all night long to go to the bathroom they’d get a lot of enjoyment. Haha!
xo
s
Laura says
How cool! I can’t wait to see the finished product.
Kerri says
Hale Navy… *Swoon* *faint* Man, I love that color.
Amy E. says
i think this house will have a bidding war going on WELL before it even goes up for sale!
love the colors that are up so far! and i’m in love with that driftwood pendant. the fact that it gives off not enough light for an entire room makes it even more enticing for my potential use as mood lighting (early morning/late night light) for a nursery.
Joanna says
So many things I love!
The dark gray walls in the dining room with the white wainscoting, gorgeous!
The green vanity, so pretty!
The pendants in the upstairs hallway, are those as huge as they look?
The nave fireplace. Wasn’t that color one of the contenders for the exterior? I think it was my top choice, can’t wait to see that color in the kitchen.
Great job you guys!