Home Sweet Home: Patio Progress and Settling In

We interrupt the usual updates for a quick patio progress report: the expensive patio supplies have arrived. They’re huge—larger than our car—so it took a giant truck to deliver them. The delivery ticket even shows a weight of over 19,000 pounds. They now fill the carport and John is out there working on the project today (T minus one week until Clara’s big party). I’ll share more details and photos soon, but for now here’s a sneak peek at the patio chaos and the progress that’s already underway.

But back to the bigger question: “Home sweet home?”

Those first few weeks in a new house rarely feel like your own right away. For us the place didn’t immediately feel like our house, nor did it feel exactly like the previous owners’—it was somewhere in between. Call it house limbo. Even after moving every box, setting up Clara’s crib, and sleeping in our new bedroom for about thirty nights straight, it still felt like we were living here but not quite at home. Then we painted the master bedroom—the first project we tackled besides Clara’s room—and something shifted. The house started to feel more like ours.

Maybe it simply takes a few larger, visible changes—like new paint—to make ownership sink in. When we moved into our very first home, the idea that there was no landlord telling us what we could or couldn’t do felt liberating and unfamiliar. It took time to really grasp home ownership, and surprisingly, those same feelings returned with this move. We hadn’t expected anyone to stop us from switching light fixtures or opening up a wall, but we did feel like we were “playing house” for a little while—courting the place, not yet married to it. After painting the bedroom, lying in bed and talking late into the night, we both agreed it finally felt like ours.

That “this is our home” feeling tends to develop slowly and in layers. Another deeper level arrived when we installed a personalized frame gallery in the hallway and finally had a functioning dresser and an organized closet. Those two additions were surprisingly transformative. The hallway gallery gave the house personality and the dresser restored a sense of normalcy after months of clothing piles on the closet floor. Having sentimental pieces on the walls and an actual sock drawer made us feel more like ourselves again—less like we were on a temporary stay and more like we were settled.

It’s also true that our house truly feels like home when friends and family come over. Guests make the space feel lived-in and cozy, even if all we do is order pizza and lounge in the living room. Those small moments of shared life instantly change the atmosphere and reinforce the feeling that this is where we belong.

We expect another big shift once the patio is finished. Creating an outdoor area that no previous owner has used will add a new layer of ownership and uniqueness to our property. The idea of having a distinct outdoor zone for entertaining and relaxing feels especially personal. John’s progress out there is already bringing that vision closer to reality.

Does it take you a while to feel at home in a new house, too? Or did you move in and instantly feel that it was your place? For us, the first month was full of awe—we still marvel at the house at least a couple of times a week—but specific changes made us feel more settled. For some people it’s cooking the first big meal in the new kitchen; for others it’s painting every room to create a fresh canvas. Small routines and simple personal touches can dramatically change how we feel about our four walls.

Psst—We announced this week’s giveaway winners. Check the original post to see if you’re one of them.

Pssst—We’ve been joking about baby-name ideas inspired by home decor. Should our next child be named after a favorite mirror shape? We’ll see—Quatrefoil Petersik has a funny ring to it.