I love those honest “what worked and what didn’t” posts where someone reflects on choices they made, shares what fell short, and explains the practical fixes that followed. Since we furnished this house in the fall of 2017, I thought it would be helpful to summarize the updates we’ve made since then—small changes that made the space more comfortable, more functional, and more in tune with our beach-house vibe. Here’s a room-by-room roundup of what we changed and why.
The Front Porch
- The Change: Replaced the porch swing
- The Reason: The original swing was deteriorating from weather exposure
Our first porch swing matched the trim and looked charming, but after about 18 months the painted wood began cracking and mildewing. We spent months scrubbing it only to find it worse each time, and eventually it was unusable. Because the porch is the best seat in the house, we replaced that swing this summer with a wicker-look, weatherproof option. Its metal frame wrapped in a rattan-like material has held up far better than the painted wood, and the extra padding and wider seat (65″) are a dramatic comfort upgrade. It now fits more people and even allows both of us to lie down for naps—John is particularly skilled at napping on it.
One tip: remove the thick back cushions that come with the swing. They push you forward and make the seat feel shallow. Without them, and with a couple of smaller outdoor pillows for lumbar support, the swing is far more comfortable. We’ve been thrilled with this upgrade and hope it lasts for years.
The Foyer
- The Change: New light fixture and fresh paint, plus refinished hardware
- The Reason: To brighten the entry and emphasize a coastal feel
We swapped a heavy pendant for a beaded chandelier to give the foyer a softer, more beachy glow. In town, many homes have similar beaded fixtures in their entries, and adding one here instantly made the space feel warm and welcoming in the evenings. The foyer ceiling is nine feet tall, so the larger fixture works well; on a lower ceiling I would choose a smaller version.
When we first finished the renovation, I had hoped to strip and clear-seal the door and railings to show the original warm heart-pine grain. Unfortunately the door and railings were too damaged to strip back without making the cracks worse, so we applied a dark stain that helped hide flaws but left the space feeling heavy. Recently we lightened the railing and the back of the door (choosing a slightly darker tone for the railing than the balusters so there’s still contrast) and used a metal-restoring product on the hardware. The results made the door details and the newel post’s shape stand out and finally gave the entry the airy, beachy look we wanted.
The paint colors we used here are light and coastal: a soft white on the walls, a light tone for the trim and door, and a slightly deeper neutral on the railing. Lightening the space helped the brass hardware and architectural details feel charming instead of lost under dark finishes.
The Living Room
- The Change: New upholstered chairs, swapped coffee table, and a wall-mounted TV
- The Reason: Better comfort and a more finished layout
We found two comfortable pink upholstered chairs that fit the room’s scale and style, replacing the harder, office-style seats we had been using while we waited for something better. These new chairs are lounge-friendly and visually pair well with the sofa. The previous chairs found a happier life in our upstairs office, so the swap improved comfort throughout the house.
Mounting the TV on the wall was another simple upgrade that helped the room feel complete. A wall-mounted television clears visual clutter, creates better sightlines, and makes furniture arrangements feel more intentional.
We also rotated coffee tables among rooms: the darker, more robust table now anchors this living room while the old white table was repurposed as a play table in our son’s room. I’m still considering refinishing the dark tabletop to better match the room, but for now it works well and grounds the seating area.
The Kids’ Bunk Room
- The Change: Added storage and shelving
- The Reason: More function for books, toys, and clothing
This bunk room served both kids all summer, and we stored their clothing in a cube organizer with bins—simple but effective. What the room needed most, though, was more toy and book storage. We upgraded to a larger cube organizer, which added two extra cubbies and made toy organization much easier. We swapped chevron boxes for rope baskets where needed; the mix looks intentional and adds texture to the room.
We also repurposed two small floating shelves from the kitchen to hold books. They used to hang above the kitchen backsplash and now serve the bunk room perfectly—an excellent zero-cost upgrade that instantly made cleanup easier because everything has a place. The new cubbies have even doubled as a makeshift dollhouse during playtime, a reminder that good storage encourages imagination.
The Mudroom / Laundry Room
- The Change: Added more hooks
- The Reason: Extra hooks maximize function in a busy beach house
Our philosophy remains: you can never have too many hooks, especially in a beach house. Towels, suits, and wet gear need places to hang, so we added another rail of hooks by moving a small gallery of photos to a different wall. The extra four hooks made an immediate difference—now there’s always a convenient place to hang a towel or wetsuit near the side door, and they also serve as overflow for the downstairs bath.
This was an inexpensive and practical update. If you like DIY, a simple hook rail project can add big functionality to any entry or mudroom.
The Pantry
- The Change: Increased the number of storage bins
- The Reason: More efficient use of shelf depth and improved organization
After spending a full summer at the beach house, we learned the pantry needed to be more efficient. The solution was simple: add more baskets and make better use of shelf depth by rotating some bins to be deep rather than wide. What had been one bin per shelf became two where space allowed, doubling our storage capacity in places and eliminating wasted gaps.
Breaking an oversized bin into two smaller, labeled bins (baking, cereal, chips, cleaning supplies, etc.) helped us stay organized and find things quickly. Small adjustments like these make a big difference when a house is used intensely for a season.
The Backyard Patio
- The Change: Rearranged existing outdoor furniture
- The Reason: To keep cushions dry and create a better conversation area
We initially arranged the backyard seating to look nice, but the outdoor daybed stayed damp each morning from dew because it sat under an eave where moisture collected. In August we swapped the dining table and the daybed locations so the daybed sits where it dries more quickly. The wood dining table tolerates morning dew better, and moving two dining chairs into the seating area created a proper conversation grouping perfect for game nights and gatherings.
This zero-cost rearrangement made the outdoor space far more usable. For winter storage, we cover the dining set with a fitted outdoor cover, store cushions in the shed, and tie everything down so it’s ready to return next season.
I hope this room-by-room recap is helpful if you’re planning updates of your own. These “what didn’t work and how we fixed it” posts are some of my favorites because they spotlight practical solutions you can use without repeating the same mistakes. And yes—remember our refrain: you can never have too many hooks.
P.S. If you’d like details on paint colors or product sources from these photos, we have a full source list available for reference. Also, if you enjoy before-and-after photos, we documented those transformations too.
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