Home Sweet Home!

February 22nd marked one month of living in our new house! And as I mentioned in my latest newsletter, the time has both flown by and passed incredibly slowly. Lest we forget, the photos and information I share about the house on Instagram is the best of the best.

I don’t have photos of the cluttered (already) attic or the disorganized basement (yikes). I don’t often adhere to the “highlight reel” concept, but I do find it easiest to share in that way right now. For all of the good and joy there is about living in this house, don’t worry, it’s not perfect! And if it were, I would be shocked.

I’m here today to chat about living in our house for one month to primarily say this: moving in is just the beginning. I was so confident that unpacking all of our boxes would be the surest way to make our house feel like a home as fast as possible, but I think that was (extremely) wishful thinking.

Yes, all but two of our boxes are unpacked. I’m very proud! However, I am convinced that the two remaining boxes have a lot of important things in them as I am constantly looking for a few, specific items. They’ve got to be in those boxes, right? Unpacking the boxes is simply step one.

As I thought about how to write this post, I had a number of ideas for how to organize the information I wanted to share. I could create a list, a pro/con setup of moving into a new house, a long-format essay about the good and the bad, or I could just start writing and see what happened.

After reviewing my choices, I decided upon a list, of sorts, to review our house after this first month. No, I am not giving it a grade (although I’d say an ‘A’ for the most part), but I do want to organize the projects which seem to live in my brain and various notepads throughout the house.

Since I have been sharing a fair amount of decor decisions on Instagram and asking for your opinion on a number of items from mirrors to pillows to color schemes and tiles, I thought it would be good to organize this update into two sections: Complete (for Now) and Work in Progress.

After all of my reading and anxiety-filled daydreams about when/how our house could be done, I have succumb to the notion that it will never be truly done (as many friends have pointed out to me). So despite my preference for things to be “checked off” and done now rather than later, I am coming around to the in-progress mindset for decor and overall house-done-ness. Yes, that’s a phrase. Just go with it.

Without further ado, let’s get to the lists. After one month of living in our house, here is what I have taken care of (so far) and what will be done in the future (time TBD, of course).

Complete (For Now)

Main Floor

Kitchen - our kitchen is the most-used room in the house (no surprise there) and it was important to me that we get it set up immediately (we did not seek out a house with a kitchen that needed any immediate renovations). I ordered a table for the dining nook on day one and ever since that arrived I’ve felt like the kitchen has become the cozy, welcoming spot I had hoped it would be.

As soon as the pad arrives, we’ll be putting down the vintage rug I got for the tile floor. It won’t cover it all, but will warm up the room a bit. I’m also working on ordering a smaller rug for in front of the back door. We don’t have a mud room so this small space has gotten “muddy” very quickly this winter. I am waiting on a new, more-modern light fixture for above the table to arrive (here’s hoping in the next few weeks).

For the most part, however, the kitchen is in tip-top shape and we’re ready to have friends and family over for dinner as soon as it’s safe to do so.

Dining Room - much like the kitchen, this room is thisclose to being pretty much done. We used our dining table and chairs from our apartment which we bought after our wedding and that set thankfully goes well in our new “formal” eating space. Our very tall china cabinet fit perfectly in the corner (phew) and is home to all of our dishes, vases, and glassware. I am happy to report we do not need anything when it comes to setting a table. We’ve got it covered!

This room also has a built-in china cabinet which I have filled with overflow dishes, pottery, and other “pretty things” that request the dining room setting. Our vintage rug for this room will go down as soon as the pad arrives. The light fixture, to replace the very-dated antique one, will be put in as soon as it arrives in the spring.

Overall, the dining room is pretty darn close to ready for a dinner party. I’ve tested this by playing jazz loudly (and singing along) in the room - it’s perfect.

Second Floor

Main Bedroom - of course, since the boxspring for our bed didn’t fit up the stairs on day one (no joke), it propelled me to buy a bed-frame the same weekend we moved into the house (oh boy). It arrived a week later and ever since then, our bedroom has been a priority to get into “done” status.

We already each had a dresser which fit in the room and the walk-in closet holds most of my daily wardrobe (closets are an entirely different discussion). With our new bed frame, dressers, and a mirror I had bought last summer, the room looks pretty good! Again, we have a large rug for the floor, but we’re waiting for the pad to arrive. Once the rug is down, it’s almost set.

I am currently seeking narrow, matching night stands and we are going to mount the TV to the wall so it is out of the way. I’d love a bench for the end of the bed and some art for the walls, but I am at peace with those elements taking more time. I’m just grateful that our mattress is off the floor and I’m sleeping surprisingly well each night.

Main Bathroom - this space is small, but bright and has a lot of (eventual) potential. For now, I am glad that I like the blue-and-white color scheme which was done before we moved in and that the hot water works well in the shower.

We replaced the shower head with a larger one that doesn’t leak, but haven’t made any other changes yet to the space. I am eventually going to replace the mirror/vanity with one that has more storage and we’d like to replace the light fixtures.

This home is nice and bright thanks to lots of windows, which makes you almost forget that most of the lighting is very dated. ;)

Our main bathroom will have some elements updated, but the general look/feel will remain the same (a vintage/modern combo if you will). I’ll probably add a small, vintage rug in here too. I can’t help myself.

Attic + Basement

Not much to report here other than the fact that I’m so glad to finally have dedicated storage spaces for everything we don’t want to look at.

The attic is partially finished, which is awesome, and temporarily is holding a lot of stuff that’s out-of-season and will eventually get moved down to the second floor closets. It also has a lot of stuff that will probably never be unpacked (read: lots of donations) and many things I never want to see ever again (the foam from our dish-packing boxes).

The attic is not organized at all, but that’s fine. This is one room that can take a backseat to the rest of the decor happening everywhere else.

I’m grateful to have an attic that’s half finished since the not-finished side is also a hefty amount of storage space. There’s a door between the two, and a closet, so we have ample space for everything we don’t need in the current season (or ever again).

Long-term, we will turn the finished side into a TV room or some sort of living space. I suppose it could be a guest room but I have a feeling the only type of bed to get up those narrow stairs will be a futon. We shall see! The great thing about an attic is that they’re not expected to be seen. I feel zero pressure to get this space done quickly so as far as I’m concerned, for right now, it’s done.

Our basement is where the washer/dryer live as well as a number of other random, basement-appropriate items. I’m glad it’s a clean space, not too dark, and not somewhere I deem to be “scary” since basements can very easily be scary (to me).

We will be adding metal storage racks to part of the basement so that the random stuff (paper towels, small kitchen appliances, etc) doesn’t sit on the floor and will be somewhat organized. Other than that, Seth is in charge of the basement projects.

The basement: great for (more) storage of stuff we don’t need to see every day, but may need someday.

Work in Progress

Main Floor

Front Entry - The entry isn’t huge, but it’s plenty big enough for some decor. I’m considering a small framed photo on one of the walls, possibly a small decorative mirror, and a runner (rug) for the floor. The stairs are on immediately inside which doesn’t provide a very large “entrance,” but it’s somewhat spacious.

We are also considering a runner for the stairs (they are kind of slippery), but that’s a big TBD. If I thought there were countless options for rugs in this world, just try looking into “stair runners.” I could dedicate way too many hours to that project and I’m not ready yet for that kind of adventure.

In the short term, I will be adding a runner on the floor and most likely a small mirror and a small table/storage piece at the base of the staircase. Stay tuned!

Living Room - while we were thrilled that our existing couch, coffee table, and TV setup fit perfectly, there are some changes I’d like to make to “freshen up” the living room. There are three sconces that, while antique and not “bad,” I would like to replace them with more-modern fixtures (but make sure the room remains bright and airy).

Also, we are planning to mount the TV which will add space below it on the piece of furniture where it currently is placed. Finally, there is a large, blank wall next to the TV area that I’d like to decorate a bit. I’m thinking framed photos, an accent chair, and perhaps a bar cart. We will see how it turns out, but at this moment my main priority is replacing the sconces and mounting the TV to the wall.

Powder Room - the half-bath is off the kitchen and other than painting it pale grey, we haven’t made any changes up to now. I have ordered a small, oval mirror for over the sink, but that’s it so far. I’d like to swap out the brushed metal fixtures and replace the light, but I haven’t put my focus on it quite yet.

I’d like to add a small shelf or some form of storage too, but we’ll see how it turns out. I love the idea of having a unique look for the powder room, different from the kitchen and dining room near it, but I think that will take time. For now, I’m pleased that it’s functional and very convenient!

Second Floor

Home Office(s) - there are three bedrooms on the second floor and we’re dedicating two of them to be used as home offices for the time being. My office, which I’ve shared some of on Instagram, is coming along really well. I work from home full-time right now so creating a functional office for me was a top priority after unpacking. My new desk arrived and it’s fantastic (so much space), but there are now other design elements I’d like to incorporate since the work necessities are pretty much set.

The vintage rug will be put down as soon as the pad arrives (so soon!) which will make the room warmer and hopefully curb the major echo whenever I talk. I’d like to add some sort of “reading nook” AKA a cute little corner with a small table and chair.

I’m also using this space for at-home workouts so I’ve reserved a section of it for my yoga mat and the other items I use for my in-home “gym.” Long-term, I’d like to get a treadmill, but TBD on where it would go. I will be adding art to the walls in this room, too. Ideally, I’m planning to print some of my own photos, but add some other fun framed pieces, too. Time will tell!

The other bedroom is being used as Seth’s workspace when he works from home, but is a temporary staging area as well for some leftover items we’re not sure where to keep (or haven’t been moved yet to their permanent spot).

This is also where we keep the cat’s extra toys, food, litter, etc. It’s a bit of a jumbled space, but I am determined to turn it into a usable room. I’m grateful to have extra space throughout our house; I need to accept that it’s fine we don’t know what to do with some it yet.

Outdoor areas

One of the many reasons I’m excited for spring and warm weather is the fact that we finally have our own(!!) outdoor space. What a dream. Never did I imagine being excited to have my own yard and deck, but my oh my that time has arrived and it’s glorious. Well, it will be. As soon as the snow melts and we make some changes to this space.

The yard next to our house is a decent size and is ripe with all sorts of pre-us planted bushes and flowers (we think). Once it warms up I can’t wait to see what will grow so we can determine what we want to add or remove to the space.

I fully admit to being a non-gardener, but Seth is really excited to turn our yard into something that’s filled with beautiful flowers, but also has some green space to enjoy. Who knows - maybe I will get into gardening? I’m not betting on it, but we will see how it goes. I do know that I love taking photos of flowers. ;)

In addition to the yard, there is a deck off of the kitchen and I cannot wait to get outdoor furniture for this area. We’re looking to turn it into a lounge-type space where it will be wonderful to host friends and family for drinks and meals during the summer (hopefully).

Upon further investigation, outdoor furniture is pricey, so stay tuned to see how we furnish the deck. I can’t wait! Now, we just need the snow to melt…

Finally, a blessing of this house is that we, for the first time ever, have a garage. Incredible! We know a garage is a luxury item and we do not take it for granted. Seth’s car isn’t being covered in ice and snow for the first time in his life and that is incredible.

Not only is a garage a place to keep the car, but it’s a great place to store stuff that doesn’t belong in the house (read: bikes, tools, random outdoor gear, etc). I am so happy all of that stuff finally has a home that’s outside (in the garage). It’s also a convenient staging area for overflow recycling. And the boxspring that didn’t fit up the stairs.

While not really necessary, I’m determined to keep the garage clean, organized, and rid of clutter. TBD on that last one given its current state.

Remember those final two, unpacked boxes? The garage is the current keeper of them as well.

~~~~~~~

Thank you for reading this lengthy, too-detailed discussion of how we’re doing after one month of living in our house.

I’m loving the natural light that flows into the kitchen every morning, the wood-framed windows that add character to every room, and the fact that I just feel so comfortable living here even as the decor process takes its sweet time. As I said to Seth during the open house in November, this place felt like home from the moment we walked in. I feel so lucky that we get to call it ours. :)

Enjoy!

Mollie

Follow along on social media @glutenfreemollied .