If you follow us on Instagram or Facebook, you already know the big news: the beach house finally has furniture and we spent our first two nights there this past weekend. It felt like a major milestone after a year of renovation—having couches, beds to sleep on, flushing toilets and working showers made the place feel much more like a home.
There’s still a long list of things to buy and finish—nightstands, dressers, headboards, a coffee table top, rugs, art, lamps—and some larger projects remain, like installing the kitchen, adding built-in bunk beds upstairs, and building bench seating in the breakfast nook. Even so, having essential furniture in place is huge, especially when we think back to how the house looked last October when we bought it.
We spent a couple of days unpacking, arranging, and making lists of what still needs to be moved or shopped for. I also took a few minutes to shoot a long video tour showing every room and corner, including a space I’ve never shown before. The video walks through what’s left to do, why we chose certain pieces, and what we’re planning in each room. If you can’t watch it right now, come back later—the video has lots of details and a full walkthrough.
UPDATE: You can also view the video on YouTube
Last Sunday we loaded a 15′ U-Haul with furniture, flat-packed Ikea kitchen boxes, and our vintage pink stove. Those items had been taking up space in our house for months, so it was thrilling to pack the truck and move them to the beach house. The haul was a mix of new purchases, thrifted finds, and a few pieces we reused from our previous rooms—including green office chairs from our second house (you’ll hear my ideas for them in the video).
We drove the truck out to Cape Charles the next day and spent hours unloading and arranging. The first weekend we actually stayed overnight, it finally started to feel like progress. The entryway feels the most settled so far—hanging a mirror at the front door made the whole place look more finished immediately.
There are still cosmetic fixes to make, like removing marks from the wood railing. Our to-do list is long, but we’re chipping away—one small win was adding house numbers to the transom window, which felt very official.
The kitchen is still chaotic: cabinets, countertops, sink and microwave are all tucked inside dozens of unopened boxes, so there’s a mountain of cardboard behind a lineup of stools where an island will eventually go. One notable win: the stove is installed and in place.
Moving the stove required multiple people, a dolly and a ramp, and our contractor’s crew helped get it safely into the house. Seeing it in place makes us impatient to start building cabinets.
Upstairs, the big progress was beds. After a night on air mattresses, the delivered mattresses, box springs and frames made the second night feel legitimate. We ordered three queen and two twin XL mattresses from The Original Mattress Factory—an affordable, sturdy option that included delivery and a couple of box springs and frames for the full set. The twin XL mattresses will be built into a wall-to-wall bunk system in the kids’ room, which they’re excited about.
One bedroom is using a simple platform setup, while the others have traditional frames and box springs. Everything fit as planned, which was a big relief.
The master bedroom feels the most put together. We brought fresh bedding, assembled nightstands, and even hung some art. There’s still more to do—headboard, rug, dresser, and raising the bed a bit—but it was surprisingly cozy to sleep there already.
We were nervous the bed might feel cramped near the pocket doors or that doors in front of the back stairs would be awkward, but the layout ended up feeling charming and comfortable. It’s always difficult to visualize a finished room until furniture is actually in place.
Our stay wasn’t without hiccups. Door latches aren’t installed yet so interior doors don’t stay closed. We brought shower curtains but forgot the hooks, so showers were a little messy. We didn’t like the upstairs blinds, so we improvised with cardboard at night. It was a bit like camping, though glamping since we had running water and real mattresses.
I kept noticing small pieces of original character throughout the house—like the aged wood floors—that made my heart swell. Refinishing the pine floors and reusing original moldings, doors and stained glass helps preserve the 1920s charm that makes this house feel special.
We expect many more weekends like this: a night or two to check items off the list and enjoy a little family time. We even had time to visit the beach and trim a door that was too tall in the bunk room, add door stops where doors banged against freshly painted trim, and install the house numbers in the transom window—simple tasks that felt huge.
To apply the vintage-looking decals for the house numbers, John used painter’s tape guides on the inside of the glass to mark centers and baselines. We applied the decals from the outside and smoothed them with a credit card. They weren’t easily repositionable, so it was nerve-wracking, but they turned out great. Now we can finally tell delivery people the house number instead of describing the house by its dumpster or paint color.
We love how the numbers look, though we may tweak the placement of the “9” slightly—old habits from years in advertising make us hyper-aware of spacing and kerning. Even when things are technically correct, we sometimes fiddle until they feel visually right.
If you want to see more progress, watch the video for a full walkthrough of the house and our plans for each room. We’re sharing quick updates on Instagram and Instagram Stories when we can, but the blog remains the best place for in-depth posts, photos and videos.
Below is a quick source roundup for items seen in the video and photos. This list doesn’t include secondhand pieces or discontinued items, but it covers the main products we used and mentioned.
1. Living Room Art / 2. Kitchen Stool (similar) / 3. Chair Version of Kitchen Stools / 4. Front Bedroom Art / 5. Walls (SW White Heron) / 6. Downstairs Trim (SW Stone Isle) / 7. Upstairs Trim (SW Pure White) / 8. Tub & Pocket Doors (SW Riverway) / 9. Foyer Mirror / 10. Hall Bath Tile / 11. Hall Bath Vanity / 12. Downstairs Bath Mirror / 13. Downstairs Bath Vanity / 14. Master Bath Mirror / 15. Hall Bedding / 16. Master Bedside Lamps / 17. Master Bedroom Art / 18. Master Bath Tile / 19. Master Bath Accent Tile / 20. Master Nightstands / 21. Master Bedding
We also shared a lighting roundup in a recent post and have been very happy with the choices—especially the fans, which made sleeping comfortable in the back bedroom.
So that’s where we are: moving forward one weekend at a time. We can’t wait to finish the kitchen, add headboards, rugs and window treatments, and keep sharing progress as rooms evolve. It’s exciting to watch a house slowly come together and regain its original charm.
Psst – To read the previous beach house posts, check the project archive for past posts and photos.
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