New House Update

This seems impossible to me, but I don't think I've blogged about our new house since we've moved in. That's nuts! We've been here almost three months and it is living up to every expectation we placed on it. I could not be happier in this house!

There are so many things I love about it. Where to start? It's huge, for one. The kids have so much space to run around and play. We have a lovely basement where they can read, build, draw, and get their energy out. And it's so nice not having toys all over the living room.

I am also obsessed with our open concept main floor. The kitchen is a dream. We added so much functionality with a massive island (I think it's 11 feet!), a giant walk-in pantry, double ovens, granite counter-tops, and enormous sink. I can wash all of my cutting boards in that sink, which sounds silly, but is awesome. We had laminate counters in our last house, so it has been life-changing to be able to place hot items right on the counter. It's the little things that are making it so fun to live here.

We are slowly making the place ours. We said when we moved in that we wanted to take our time and really think smartly about decorating and buying new furniture. That's really hard for Dan and me because we love just jumping to the end and having everything complete. But we're trying to be mindful that we plan on being here a long time. So, really, what's the rush?

Some of the upgrades that we've done so far have been wonderful though. Just last week we hired someone to install under-cabinet lighting in the kitchen for us. Dan installed it in our last house, and he did a great job. But this time it was a bit more complicated so we decided to hire out. It was not the smoothest process, but the end result is great. We ended up with 24 inch LED bars under each cabinet, which makes the light really seamless.

We also purchased a few pieces of furniture that I love! The one I am most likely to request being buried with is this china cabinet. It's from Arhaus and was definitely a splurge, but both of us really, really love it.

We also purchased two wingback chairs from Wayfair. They are wider and a bit more pink than I anticipated, but I think they work really well in the space. They tie in nicely to the new rug (a Homegoods find!), and are very cozy to sit in.

We're also in the process of getting a deck and a patio! More on that later, but we've submitted the plans to the homeowners association and hope to start building in the next few weeks. That will add so much functionality to the house in the warmer months. I can even see us sitting in the patio with blankets and hot chocolate watching the snow in the winter too.

While it feels like we're making great progress, there is also so much more to do. Off the top of my head, here are some other things we would like to tackle:

• Kitchen backsplash (we're doing this ourselves over winter break!)
• Kitchen bar stools
• Dining room table and chairs
• Office furniture (have a desk, need a place for printer and files, etc.)
• Mudroom build-out (need a place for coats, backpacks, shoes)
• Basement organization (bookshelves, toy storage)
• Basement guest room curtains
• Master bedroom bedframe (we put our old one in the guest room )
• Master bedroom curtains
• Master bedroom furniture (probably a bench for the end of the bed and a chaise lounge)
• Master bedroom light (it's roughed in, but we need a fixture)
• Asher room light
• Zahara room light
• Guest room curtains (bedroom and bathroom)
• Guest room nightstands
• Decor throughout the house (nothing is on the walls yet and it's starting to drive me crazy!)

Empty mudroom

So that's the latest with the house. Lots more to come!