Last month we shared how refinishing the floors at the duplex felt like a major turning point in a renovation that’s been going on for over a year. After months of hidden, costly work—upgrades to plumbing, electrical, and structural elements—seeing the floors brought everything into focus and finally felt like the project was moving from rough construction toward a real home. Now we’re firmly in the fun stage: bringing in rugs, light fixtures, furniture, and accessories so the place stops feeling like a construction zone and starts feeling lived-in and welcoming.
Here’s a look at one wall in the left-side main bedroom that we rebuilt almost from scratch:
That rug was originally intended for another living room, where it sometimes read too dark against our dark sectional. In this bedroom, however, the rug sits beneath a fluffy white bed and instantly brightens the space. It pairs beautifully with our pink closet doors and the capiz chandelier we moved in to hang between them. Small swaps like that—reusing pieces from other rooms—have made a big difference in cohesiveness and personality.
During framing we added two closets flanking the window. The room was the largest in the unit but didn’t have any closet at all, so placing two smaller closets on either side of the window created symmetry and generous storage without cutting into the room’s usable corner space.
Here’s that same bedroom viewed from the doorway. We’re planning to add thick wooden shelves in the chimney nook that we exposed during the renovation—perfect for books, photos, and decorative objects that will make the room feel finished and personal.
Below is a before photo from when we first bought the house. The room was a plain box with a drop ceiling concealing severe mold and rot above it—one of many issues we had to address before restoring the space.
On the other side of the duplex, the back bedroom showcases one set of original doors we were able to salvage. These skinny pine doors still have their original hardware: tiny latches and faux drawers with old cup pulls. Their scale and quirk add a lot of charm and character to the room.
Because these doors are shorter than standard interior doors, we added small cubbies above them for extra storage and display. Curved baskets and a rounded chandelier soften the many rectangular lines and introduce texture and warmth.
We also made major progress in the kitchens. Over the holiday break we assembled cabinets on both sides of the duplex. It wasn’t without hiccups, but we’re finally past that big hump. Appliances are on the way, and countertops will be templated and installed before the end of the month. Once those are in, the remaining work is mainly shelves, hardware, and a bold patterned backsplash. The finish line feels within sight.
This photo shows the right-side kitchen and the adjacent mudroom/laundry room. We still need to build a storage cabinet here, but we’re waiting for the stacked washer and dryer to arrive first. The painted pocket doors, in Oyster Bay by Sherwin Williams, open to the kitchen and will likely stay open most of the time. They’re useful for containing laundry noise and just plain adorable.
The mudroom will get plenty of storage: hooks, baskets, and cubbies for shoes, towels, and swim gear. The outdoor showers are just steps from the back door, so this space will be a true workhorse for the home.
On the left-side kitchen we chose moody blue-green-gray cabinets. Right now they still have protective film on them, which can make the color read brighter and bluer in photos. Underneath, the finish is more muted and leans toward gray-green—a playful, beach-house-friendly shade that feels fresh without being too bold.
The mudroom off that kitchen mirrors the tile pattern of the other unit’s mudroom but with a different colorway. They complement each other like cousins—clearly related without being identical. We still need to install quarter round trim after adding some built-ins, but the rooms already feel like cohesive parts of the whole duplex.
These photos represent just a handful of spaces that already look dramatically better—even before our big furniture delivery. We’re renting a large box truck and bringing in beds, sofas, tables, and more in a few days, and I can’t wait to share the fully furnished rooms with curtains, art, and all the finishing touches. For now, we’re savoring the momentum and celebrating real, visible progress.
*This post contains affiliate links*