Moving Day!
It’s the night before we move, and I’m as packed as I can be until I have to frantically throw all the last minute items into a box labeled “Misc”. So I thought I’d take some time and answer your moving questions you asked!
What is the square footage difference?
We are moving from a 1400 sq foot home to a 4200 sq foot home. The kitchen in the new house is the same size as our current living room, entry, dining room, and Jonah’s bedroom. Yet at the same time, it’s an old house, so the rooms feel cozy. It’s not an open layout.
What are you most excited for new house?
There is a COAT CLOSET with a light that turns on when you open the door and turns off when you shut it - like a fridge! And it’s WALK IN size. I’m going to be able to organize to my heart’s content and actually have space for extra coats and things!
What will you miss most about the old house?
This house really became an extension of me and my decorating style. I’ll miss having a house that is completely done and decorated the way I love. I’m sure if we had stayed here that I would have found some more projects to tweak, but we also completed every single thing on my list - which feels like a nice way to end our time here. Even down to the beautiful new front door.
What will you miss least about the old house?
How small it is! I know it’s hard to translate on Instagram how tiny our current house is. But when people who follow me on IG first come visit my house, that’s one of the very first things they comment on. There isn’t really a space for the kids to be KIDS in our old house. So I won’t miss us being on top of each other.
Do you know the house’s story?
Not really! We know that we bought from a musical couple who started a Music School in Detroit, but now live back in England. So, the house (especially the addition they added on) has a lot of English Country touches to it - which I love. It is listed in the Detroit Historic Homes - once belonging to an accountant.
How are the kid’s handling it?
They go back and forth. We’ve all had tears about moving. And we’ve all been excited about the next step. Overall, they are very excited. It helps that it’s close to a lot of their current friends and has a public park and playground basically in our backyard.
Which kids will share rooms and why?
While we really wanted a SIX bedroom home so that each kid could have their own room, those were hard to find in my four year internet search. Corbin definitely needs some time with his own room (he’s been sharing with Gavin in this house). So Jonah and Gavin will become roommates in the new house. They will share the old primary bedroom with a bathroom attached. It’s quite large, so I think it’ll work just fine. And they are both thrilled.
Was the furniture that we saw in some of the pictures you shared with us included with the sale?
Yes! Since the owners had already relocated back to England, any of the furniture pieces were up for negotiation. I immediately asked for the gold mirror that you saw in my IG post, and a few of the beautiful old dressers. After the inspection, I also asked for the two full size beds. I wish I had asked for the round kitchen table, but we will need to build something much larger anyway!
Am I going to paint?
Ummmm YES. Already dreaming about it. I thought about painting before we moved in, but then realized that I need to be in the house to really get a feel for what colors and vibes it’s giving off. But I’ve been loving the Farrow and Ball line of paint colors. There will be moody dark rooms as well as some bright and airy ones.
How will you attack unpacking? One whole room at a time or little bits in every room?
Good question! One of the reasons I decided to rent crates from Rental Crates was that there would be a deadline for when every box needed to be unpacked. I rented them for 4 weeks, and I took one of the weeks to pack them up. So I have 3 weeks to unpack them. I’ll likely start with the kitchen and the kid’s rooms. My first goal is to just set up the old house inside the new house - then we will tweak and rearrange and start buying new furniture that actually fits the space better.
How do you find your design inspiration?
I follow a lot of design accounts on Instagram. Here are some of my favorites:
@nestingwithgrace
@chrislovesjulia
@carleydigs
@the_ct_colonial
@ispydiy
@lifewithleeanne
@sincerelysarad
@juniper.home
@thequickjourney
@comfortandgracehomedesign
@thepeacefulhomestead
@thegoodmanhouse
@stefmturner
Where do you get your wallpaper?
In the past, Walmart and Amazon! I’m probably going to try to save and splurge on some higher quality brands this year. So follow along to see! Indigo Design Co is one of them - as well as the Spoonflower website!
What did you NAME HER?
My mom was the first person to suggest the name and I knew instantly that it was the right one. Remember, we found out that we qualified for the pre-approval on the mortgage right after I watched The Family Stone on New Years. I wanted a home like that where all my kids had space, yet it was still cozy and they would all come home at Christmas to be with me. There were lots of suggestions, but the winning name of our new house is….
The Smithstonian
Moving day is TOMORROW!!