The day has finally arrived! After what felt like an eternity — only about three months — we’ve officially received the keys to our new brick Colonial and I couldn’t be more excited to share the before tour.
We’ve shared every twist and turn of this emotional roller coaster since we listed our old house, and doing so has reminded us how fortunate we are to have so much support from readers and friends. Robert and I are deeply grateful for every kind comment, message, and email during this process.
Right after returning from a Lowe’s Spring Makeover trip in Texas, we were handed the keys to our next chapter. We haven’t settled on a name for the house yet — yes, we refer to it as “she” — but with that front door that looks like Celtic jewelry, a feminine nickname seems fitting.
There are dozens of ideas floating around for updates — some immediate, some for a Phase 2 renovation. The best part is that this home, built in 1960, has excellent bones and has been well maintained and updated over the years. I can’t wait to see what a coat of paint and thoughtful finishes will do to transform each room.
Here’s the room-by-room “before” tour, with our initial renovation thoughts and plans for creating a modern-traditional farmhouse look that honors the home’s original character.
The Foyer
The foyer is full of charm — crown molding, a ceiling medallion, and gorgeous hardwood floors. These authentic architectural details were absent in our previous house, so they feel like a gift. Our plan is to choose a lighter neutral paint, add a well-proportioned entry table, and replace the chandelier with a semi-flush mount since the current fixture hangs a bit low.
Longer-term, we’re considering opening a portion of the stairway wall to connect the foyer to the dining room and bring more natural light into the center of the house.
Imagining that wall removed and sunlight pouring through is pure magic.
The Dining Room
For the dining room I’m tempted to try something bold: deep charcoal paint above the chair rail with white below, and either painting the chandelier or swapping it for a style that feels more casual. Replacing the curtains with relaxed, airy panels will help modernize the space while respecting its traditional bones.
The Kitchen
The kitchen is already a huge win with white cabinets — hallelujah. We’ll likely remove the valance in favor of a textured shade or open sightlines, update the backsplash and lighting, and remove the decorative cutouts on the built-in shelves. Down the road we may paint the lower cabinets a complementary color and revisit the flooring, but for now we’re thrilled with how renovated and functional this space already is.
The Breakfast Nook
The breakfast nook is still a bit of a puzzle, but I’ve already found an adorable antique farm table that will fit perfectly. I envision a lantern pendant above the table and possibly swapping the back and laundry room doors for matching antique wood doors to add character.
The Laundry Room
This laundry room has far more storage than our previous home. We’ll reorganize the layout to make it both prettier and highly functional, with clever storage solutions to keep everyday clutter under control.
The Living Room
The living room sold us on the house — endless French doors and morning sunlight pour in beautifully. This will likely be our first renovation focus: lightening the walls, painting the doors black or staining them wood, replacing the ceiling fan with something more our style, whitewashing or German-smearing the brick fireplace, and eventually adding wood beams to the ceiling for warmth.
The Playroom
The lower-level playroom has a fireplace — unconventional for a playroom, but it’s in the center of the lower level, which makes it perfect for keeping an eye on Olivia from the kitchen and office. We plan to replace the nonfunctional doors flanking the fireplace with tall windows, remove the floating cabinet, and install built-in shelving for toys and books.
The Powder Room
As much as we love Clemson orange, the powder room needs a refresh. I’m leaning toward a patterned wallpaper to inject personality and make the small space feel special.
The Office
It’s time I finally have a proper office, so this room will become my dedicated workspace for writing the blog. We’ll paint, update the chandelier (I already love its shape), swap curtains for something flowy, and add smart storage to keep the room organized.
Olivia’s Bedroom
Olivia is adamant she wants to keep her purple walls, so, for now, we’ll respect that. We may update the light fixture and add curtains, but she knows what she likes and we can’t argue with that.
Guest Bedroom / Man Cave
This room is currently a flexible space — part guest room, part potential man cave, and maybe a nursery someday. For now it’s a wild card; we’ll decide its purpose as our needs evolve.
The Upstairs Bathroom
This will be Olivia’s bathroom, so we’ll style it to feel slightly feminine but guest-friendly. With so much beige, I want to add color and contrast to modernize and brighten the space.
Guest Bedroom
This room seems ideal for a Murphy bed with built-in shelving on the far wall, creating a comfortable guest space while maximizing function if we convert other rooms into offices or multi-use areas.
The Master Bedroom
The master is a bit smaller than our previous one, so it will need some careful configuration. We’ll swap the light fixture for a ceiling fan (that’s how we roll) and may add a charming ceiling detail to give the room personality.
The Master Bathroom
The master bathroom is my least favorite room right now. Long-term we may reconfigure the layout to improve function, but initially we’ll update the shower door, paint the cabinets, and refresh the flooring to improve the overall look.
On the exterior, we have big plans too — possibly painting the brick among other updates. But practical things come first, like replacing the water heater and HVAC. If you missed the full exterior tour earlier, it’s available on the blog.
Over the next few weeks we’ll be painting and tackling as many renovations as possible before moving in. We’re so grateful to our parents for hosting us while we work through this hectic phase of the move.
We’ll share updates and sneak peeks as we go. If the finished rooms turn out even half as beautiful as they do in my head, it will be worth every minute of work.
Onward to new adventures!
