We’ve shared bits and pieces about our beach house progress on Instagram and the podcast, but we were long overdue for a big, photo-filled update that explains everything that’s happened — including our latest (and hopefully final) floor plans.
Things look very different now compared to when we first bought the house; you can see the before photos and tour elsewhere. As is often the case with renovations, it had to get worse before it could get better.
As the photo shows, we demoed the interior down to the studs in most places. The big “LEAVE” written on a curved wall wasn’t a threat — it was a note from the contractor so the crew wouldn’t remove the lath on that curve, which will make it easier to bend drywall around later.
If you heard this week’s podcast, you know we hesitated to take down all the plaster and some drywall, but the inspector and contractor strongly recommended opening everything up to uncover any hidden problems. That advice proved to be spot on.
There were two practical reasons to strip walls down to the studs:
1. The condition. We could have tried to patch and replace cracked or missing plaster, but that approach would have been slow and costly — and it would have made electrical, plumbing, and HVAC work harder and more expensive to complete within damaged walls. Starting over was actually the more efficient choice for time and budget.
2. Hidden damage. We already saw visible mold and termite damage in places. Opening the walls let us fully inspect and fix structural problems. We discovered more termite damage and warped framing that needed reinforcement to keep walls square and prevent future cracking.
Finding these problems early made us glad we didn’t try to cosmetically patch the house. With the walls opened up we also confirmed that the exterior siding needed replacement. There were huge gaps between the siding and interior plaster, no housewrap, and no insulation — conditions that let cold air and moisture into the structure and would have continued causing problems if left alone.
In the long run these restorations will make the house more structurally sound and far easier and less expensive to heat and cool. We also get to preserve many original features — the heart-pine floors, stair railings and treads, original doors and doorknobs, and most of the millwork and trim — which we’ve saved to reinstall once construction finishes.
Opening walls produced a few nice discoveries too, like a brick chimney stack hidden behind a faux mantle that runs up into the front bedroom. It has some holes to repair, but we’re excited about keeping the exposed brick for character in both rooms.
(We tried to stage a “kicking” photo that mostly produced hilarious outtakes — the contractor had no idea.)
We cleared trash and started demo ourselves, but given the mold, lead paint, and asbestos typical in older homes, most of the heavy work was subcontracted to professionals. Trying to do it ourselves during short weekly visits would have been slow and riskier.
Seeing the house stripped to the studs also changed how we thought about the floor plan. But before diving into the new plans, the biggest problem we faced was a rotted side of the house that was literally sinking into the ground.
That side used wood that shouldn’t have been exposed to the weather, and the foundation under it sat on sand instead of proper footers. The wall was lower than the rest of the house and slowly slipping into the dirt, so the right course of action was to tear off that whole section and rebuild it from the foundation up. It was emotional — tearing a house apart is never fun — but necessary.
The crew initially considered sistering beams, but so much wood was rotten or termite-damaged, and the wall material contained asbestos shingles. Structural engineers, the inspector, and our contractor — who prefers restoring rather than replacing — all agreed the safest option was to rebuild.
The downstairs porch and the upstairs porch were both failing, with rotted framing and collapsing ceilings. Even bathrooms behind those porch areas were heavily damaged from years of water intrusion and shifting foundation.
Once interior demo finished, we approved reconstruction of that entire side. At first it was surreal to see a big chunk of the house gone, but the cleared space let in a ton of light and made it easier to rebuild properly.
Within about a week the contractor’s crew had the new foundation nearly finished and the rebuilt framing in place. Because we’re in a historic district, the window and door placement needed to match the old look exactly, which actually made decisions easier — we just had to replicate the original proportions.
The rebuilt bathroom area is now solid and level, which was a huge relief. Where once the porch felt unstable and slanted, the new construction is steady and square, making the space usable and safe again.
We also raised the floor downstairs so it’s level with the rest of the house instead of sinking. That made a big difference in usability and flow.
Now about the floor plan changes: standing in the rebuilt side we realized the space was much longer than we expected. What we’d planned as a long mudroom would have been impractical, so we reconfigured the layout. Half of the old mudroom will become the bathroom, and the previous bathroom location will become an eat-in breakfast nook — a cozy gathering spot for kids, games, or extra seating when the house is full.
Because we added the breakfast nook, the kitchen needed to shift toward the back of the house so the nook sits conveniently adjacent. We used a kitchen planning tool to test cabinet layouts quickly; it’s not a perfect rendering, but it helped us confirm the flow and scale before making final decisions.
Upstairs the changes are modest: we carved a bit of space from the middle bedroom to add proper closets for both middle and front bedrooms. The main update upstairs is how we’re handling the back stairs and the bedroom doorway. Instead of a door on a step, which the inspector wouldn’t approve of, we’ll install a wall with double-pocket doors — likely glass-topped barn-style doors — so light from the stair window filters through while still offering privacy and no swinging clearance required.
Right now interior framing is in progress and the newly painted siding is about to go up. We’re excited to see the house move into this next phase and will share more photos when the siding and trim are finished.
For anyone who wants more background, we started this project with a post about buying the house, followed by a before tour and our initial floor plan ideas, a post about beach-house inspiration, and a post about picking the siding color. We’ve been documenting the process every step of the way and appreciate all the tips and encouragement from readers and listeners.