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.
We’re still a long way from finished — we need nightstands, dressers, headboards, a coffee table top, rugs, art, lamps, and several larger installations like the kitchen, built-in bunks upstairs, and bench seating in the breakfast nook. Even so, having a sofa, real beds, flushing toilets, and working showers feels like a huge milestone after a year of renovation. It’s especially satisfying when you remember how the house looked last October when we bought it.
We spent the weekend unpacking, arranging, and making shopping lists for what’s still missing. I also put together a long video tour to show every corner — including a space I hadn’t shown before that many of you requested. In the video I explain what remains on the list, why we chose certain pieces, and give a room-by-room rundown. If you can, watch the video for the full walkthrough. Note: if you’re in a reader, click through to see the player.
UPDATE: You can also view the video here on YouTube
Last Sunday we loaded a 15′ U-Haul with furniture, Ikea kitchen boxes, and our pink stove. Those items have been taking up space in our house for months, so it felt great to get them out to the beach house. The truck haul included new purchases, thrifted treasures, and a few hand-me-downs from our previous rooms — hello, green office chairs!
We drove the truck out to Cape Charles the following day, unloaded, and spent hours arranging things. The house finally started to feel like a home during our overnight stays. The foyer feels notably settled — we even hung a mirror, which instantly makes the entrance feel more finished.
The kitchen is still chaotic — many cabinets, counters, and appliances remain in boxes — but the stove is installed, which is a major win. Moving that thing required neighbors, a dolly, a ramp, and help from our contractor’s crew when it arrived at the house. That picture of the stove has me itching to start building cabinets.
Upstairs, the biggest change was beds. After a night on air mattresses, a delivery of three queen and two twin XL mattresses — plus boxsprings and frames — made the second night feel much more legitimate. We bought them from The Original Mattress Factory and were pleasantly surprised at the price and quality. The twin XLs will be built into a wall-to-wall bunk in the kids’ room down the road.
The master bedroom in the back is the most put-together room so far. We assembled nightstands, brought fresh bedding, and hung art. The space still needs a headboard, rug, dresser, and the bed needs to be raised to fit the nightstands better, but it was surprisingly relaxing to sleep there as-is.
Not everything went perfectly. Door latches aren’t installed yet so interior doors don’t close fully. We remembered shower curtains but forgot hooks, so showers were a little splashy. And we ended up covering windows with cardboard at night because we didn’t like the blinds we bought. Still, staying there felt more like glamping than a construction site: we had running water, working showers, and real mattresses.
I loved finding original character throughout the house — refinished pine floors, original moldings and doors, a back staircase, stained glass, and a curved foyer wall. Preserving those details while restoring the house feels special.
We see many weekend trips like this ahead: working on projects, checking items off the list, and squeezing in family time (we even went to the beach and swam). We trimmed a door in the bunk room, installed door stops, and added house numbers in the transom window — a small but meaningful milestone.
To apply the vintage-looking decals for the house numbers, John taped guides on the inside of the glass to mark the center and baseline, then we applied the decals from the outside and smoothed them with a credit card. They look great — though we’re debating ordering another “9” and nudging it slightly to the right because we’re a little obsessed with spacing.
For more progress, watch the video above or follow along on Instagram and Instagram Stories for real-time updates. The blog will continue to be the place for detailed posts, source lists, and full walkthroughs — all the extras that don’t always fit in social snippets.
Below is a quick roundup of items featured in the photos and video. It doesn’t include secondhand pieces we can’t link to or discontinued items, but it covers most of the fixtures, finishes, and furnishings we used.
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 round-up in recent posts and are happy to report that the ceiling fans are a hit — sleeping with one on low in the back bedroom was wonderful.
So that’s where things stand: a lot of beach house progress, and a lot left to do. We can’t wait to share the next stages — cabinets in the kitchen, headboards in the bedrooms, rugs, and proper window treatments instead of cardboard. It’s an exciting time.
Psst — to read all of our previous beach house posts, check the project archive on the blog.
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