It’s Been a While . . .

I actually wrote parts of this post months ago. Life picked up shortly after that, and the words sat unfinished, which aligns perfectly with life lately. So consider this post a bit of a catch-up:  some home updates, some life updates, and a few thoughts on where we’re heading from here.

The last couple of months have been full. Getting the kids adjusted in new schools, football season, a new puppy bringing equal parts joy and chaos, and overall a lot of adjusting for all of us. It’s been busy in a way that doesn’t always leave space to pause, but it’s also been good.

Typically, when we move into a new home, our instinct is usually to jump right into making it feel like “ours.” We focus on the kids’ spaces, make the exterior feel cared for, and then slowly start dreaming up the bigger projects. This house has required some of that and then some.

Because it had been an Airbnb, it was already livable (maybe not my taste exactly, but not bad—so that was a bonus, not having that immediate pressure to make things work.  Instead, we’ve been able to focus more on the mechanics and the deferred maintenance of this house. The not-so-exciting stuff, but the stuff that really matters, like:

Replacing the roof and repairing a leaking ceiling.
Having new gutters installed, tackled major landscape cleanups, and addressing chipping exterior paint with a good power washing and touch-ups.
We added chimney liners and caps, installed new garage doors, and removed old carpet so we could refinish and update the floors.

 And most recently, we’ve been deep in the weeds with the boiler system. With seven zones, it’s no small job. It’s been a lot of behind-the-scenes work. Not especially pretty for the gram, but the kind that makes a house feel comfortable and sound.

The Interior Changes You Can See

One of the first visible changes happened in the great room. The white tile floors made the space feel cold and sterile, and I knew right away they weren’t staying. Replacing them with wood completely shifted the mood. The room instantly felt warmer and more inviting, and more in line with us.

We moved quickly on that project, knowing how much time we’d spend in that space and how it would affect the overall feel of the house. And while speed sometimes comes with trade-offs, the transformation itself was worth it.

In the kitchen, we decided to pause. We’ve had hardwoods in our last two kitchens and loved them, but this one needed to be lived in first. The layout, the cabinets, the island, even the appliances deserved some time before making big decisions. So for now, the tile stays.

And honestly, the kitchen has surprised me. The cabinets are solid wood, there’s a ton of storage, and aside from some chipped paint, it’s in really good shape. The wall ovens have been are very convenient– we  really like those, but the center island cooktop–the jury is still out on that, we love the size, but not the placement. I like an island to gather around, and the cooktop makes things feel cluttered.

Throughout the house, pulling up carpet became its own project. After decades, it simply had to go.

Underneath, we uncovered original hardwoods in many of the formal spaces—paint-splattered, imperfect, but full of character. Some of those floors were sanded, while others headed in a different direction.

Our bedroom was the exception. The floors were so heavily patched with plywood and leveler that refinishing wasn’t really an option, so we chose carpet . . .

And decided to continue it in the other two second-floor bedrooms as well, keeping hardwoods in the hallways for a nice balance.

Upstairs in the attic, we added vinyl flooring in my son’s bedroom for durability . . .

The original floor wasn’t in terrible shape, however after refinishing floors on the first floor, we were just over the dust.

So maybe, eventually, we will revisit the idea of the original floors but for now, this works.

My son asked for a calm, neutral space, so this is what we came up with:

There will definitely be some tweaks, but it feels a lot more like him than the space that we started with.

In the guest room,  I’m leaning toward painting the wood floors. It feels like the most practical and budget-friendly solution right now—and honestly, there’s something really charming about a painted wood floor. I pulled this room together really quickly for my mom for the holidays. The wallpaper in this room, oddly enough, I don’t really mind, so I chose some items in my stash to compliment it for a quick refresh.

Life updates:

Football season has just wrapped up, and I’m proud to share that my son’s team made it to the playoffs after a great season.
My daughter just moved out of college in Boston and will be spending her final semester in Los Angeles, so there’s definitely a mix of pride, excitement, mixed with that little ache that comes with launching someone you love into this wildly,  unpredictable world.

And then of course, we’re busy helping our 10-year-old adjust to a new school and a new environment, which has been a little tougher than we expected.

And somewhere in all of this, we added a new puppy to the mix, which is joyful, chaotic, exhausting, and sweet of course, all at once.

It’s been a lot. But it’s also been good.

We’re blessed. We’re comfortable. We’re learning to sit in the middle of the mess and the gratitude at the same time.

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