We’re a day behind on posting because our internet at the new house didn’t come on until late yesterday, but here’s a look at Tuesday—our first full day living here—when boxes were scattered through every room. That clean, empty slate we loved is gone, replaced by organized chaos. For now we’ve simply dropped furniture and boxes where they fit; nothing is necessarily staying in its current spot. We’ll live with the layout for a bit before committing to any final placement.
To rewind a little: our last big move was from New York City to Richmond in a minivan. Technically we moved once more a few months later using a small trailer, but the point is we hadn’t moved with more than a handful of boxes before. It’s humbling to realize that moving with a household’s worth of stuff is a lot more work than we remembered. It’s messy and exhausting, but we’re chipping away at it and starting to find order again. Small victories: our socks and underwear are located, and we’ve managed to shower—so basics are covered.
We’re aiming to be mostly unpacked by tomorrow, all things considered. Our progress has been interrupted by many short breaks: writing, taking photos, looking after Clara, switching addresses, and answering comments. Once the essentials are in place, we’ll move on to projects: painting, hanging art, removing and replacing items, planning furniture layouts, and deciding on window treatments. What we tackle first will depend on our mood and what supplies are on hand. For big projects we save money and plan carefully. For small projects—ones we recommend starting with—we jump in and learn as we go. Living with the house for a short while before making major changes keeps us from making decisions we might regret. So we’ll hang frames, arrange furniture, and try paint colors; if something doesn’t feel right, we’ll move it. We’ll share photos and details as things change.
Below are quick notes on each space as it appeared on move-in day.
Future dining room:
Future office:
Kitchen:
Future living room (the furniture was simply dropped in place for now; this layout is temporary):
Hall bath (we were in the middle of installing a diaper sprayer as part of a quick upgrade):
Clara’s room (rebuilding the crib and getting the essentials set up was a priority so she could adjust quickly, and so far that’s gone well):
Future playroom/kids’ room (we had to disassemble the daybed to get it down the hall):
Master bedroom (our old bed frame stayed with the previous house, so we’re temporarily sleeping on the floor until we build or buy a new frame):
Master bathroom sink area (we need to raise a tension rod to fit our extra-long curtain—one of those small fixes coming soon):
Sunroom (our dog Burger was curiously inspecting the floors and trim; no idea what he was thinking—maybe he’s into home details now):
Laundry/mudroom:
We also have a separate basement entry, this time located under the bedroom rather than the sunroom. That space will be great for storing tools, bikes, the lawnmower, seasonal decor, baby gear, maternity clothes, and anything else that needs to be tucked away.
So that’s a quick tour of the house as it stood when we moved in. We’re excited to keep unpacking and to share the progress as each room takes shape and projects unfold. For those who want a reference, we have a floor plan available on the blog to help make sense of the layout; note that we swapped which room serves as Clara’s bedroom and the playroom since the smaller room makes an easier nursery. We’ll also be announcing giveaway winners and other updates as things settle down. Off to unpack more boxes—more photos and updates to come.
Psst—see the blog for the floor plan and giveaway winner announcements.