We’re about a day behind schedule because our home internet didn’t get set up until late yesterday. Tuesday was our first full day in the new house, and every room was covered in boxes. Goodbye pristine blank canvas—hello organized chaos. We didn’t bother trying to make anything permanent yet; most furniture and boxes are simply placed where they fit for now. We plan to live with the layout a bit before committing to final locations.
To rewind briefly: the last major move we did was from NYC to Richmond in a minivan, and then a few months later we shifted from an apartment into our first house using a small trailer. Translation: we hadn’t moved with dozens of boxes before this, so this entire process has been a bit of a learning curve. I won’t sugarcoat it—moving is stressful and exhausting—but we’re chipping away at it and already getting some order back. For instance, we located our socks and underwear, and yes, we’ve even managed to shower.
Our current goal is to be mostly unpacked by tomorrow, although we’ve been taking frequent breaks to care for Clara, update addresses, answer comments, and take photos for the blog. Once most boxes are cleared, we’ll start tackling projects like painting, hanging art, removing and replacing fixtures, arranging furniture, and installing window treatments. Which room we begin with will depend on our mood and what supplies we have on hand. For major renovations we save money and plan carefully; for smaller, lower-risk updates we dive in quickly so we can live with the space for a while before making dramatic decisions we might later regret. That approach—trying things out and adjusting as needed—keeps us from being paralyzed by indecision. We’ll hang frames, stand back, and move them if they don’t feel right. We’ll pick paint and arrange furniture, then tweak as we learn what works. We’ll keep sharing photos and progress updates as things evolve.
Future dining room:
Future office:
Kitchen:
Future living room (furniture is currently where we dropped it; this configuration may change):
Hall bath (we began installing a diaper sprayer—more details to come):
Clara’s room: we prioritized rebuilding her crib and getting the essentials in place so she could settle in quickly, which seems to be helping her adjust:
Future playroom / kids’ room (we even had to disassemble the daybed to get it down the hall):
Master bedroom: our old bed frame stayed with the previous house, so for now we’re sleeping on the floor until we build or buy a replacement. We’ll see what direction we take for a new frame and headboard:
Master sink / bath: we need to raise the tension rod so our extra-long curtain fits properly—an easy fix on the to-do list:
No idea what Burger was inspecting in that shot—maybe hardwood flooring or the trim caught his attention. Here’s the sunroom:
Laundry / mudroom:
We also have a separate, walk-out basement entry located beneath the bedroom this time (instead of under the sunroom). That space will be ideal for storing tools, bikes, the lawnmower, seasonal decor, extra baby gear, and maternity clothes.
So that’s the house tour for now. We’re excited to unpack, settle in, and start making these rooms feel like ours. Expect more photos and updates as each room comes together and projects move forward. Off to unpack another stack of boxes…
Psst—there’s a floor plan available that helps explain which rooms are which; note that we swapped Clara’s bedroom and the playroom so the smallest room became the nursery.
Pssst #2—winners for this week’s giveaway have been announced; check the giveaway announcement to see if you’re one of them.