House Update
I have not shared too much about today’s topic on my socials, so for those that don’t know, Steve and I have been in the process of building a house over the past 2-2.5 years. Whenever I do share about it on my IG stories, I get many of you requesting details on what it has been like building for the first time, design aspects, what all goes into it, etc etc. SO…I figured I would write a blog post about it and update you all a bit on where things are at!
For starters, it feels like when Steve and I began this process years ago, we were babies and didn't know what we were getting into lol. We had no idea how much time and energy it would require to take on this project. It has been hours and hours of work every single week since we started. And as we begin to get closer to it being finished, it is busier than ever. That is why, if building a home is something you have considered, I recommend maybe waiting for a time when you feel like you can allot the appropriate amount of energy/time to it - because this is never something that you never want to feel like another “to-do”. Ultimately, through it all we have tried our best to give it our absolute all, even if life seems overwhelming and busy.
So, now that I have given you all a bit of a summary of what we have been up to, I thought I would share some insight into our timeline and some of my favorite spaces in the new house, as those have been some of my most requested topics!
TIMELINE:
In terms of our timeline for the build I feel like everyone’s experiences are different, but for us this is how it has gone:
Select/purchase the lot: ~2 months
Find builder: Our builder actually owned our lot, so within the purchase, it was required we build with them (luckily we loved his work ;) )
Designing the home: started in July 2020-March 2021 (so approx 9 months)
Broke ground: April 2020
The build: June 2020-Current (should be done mid Feb to mid March)
We are now nearing the end, and they are currently painting and adding exterior stone. We are just praying to be moved in before baby Dilk comes (due March 31)!
PREVIEW OF SOME OF THE SPACES:
I am so proud of and grateful for the work that has been put into making the vision for our forever home come true. It is extremely rewarding and exciting to see everything that was in our brains, come to fruition in real life. While I will not be sharing a full house tour to maintain some privacy, I will share a few small sneak peeks of some of my favorite spaces because you all are my people and I love sharing life with you!!
When we first started building, my style was a little bit different and I did not quite know what I liked, outside of white, marble, and modern. Looking back, I am SO glad I did not do anything trendy and that we made the house a bit timeless, because I now feel like I have finally dialed in my true style, which is not necessarily what I started with.
Doors:
Round doors were not on my radar until I really started to imagine how great they would look mixed with the style of the home. The doors were originally going to be regular rectangular doors painted white, but we made the change last minute and I am SO happy we did. I think I saw round doors one day in a pinterest photo and from that moment, I knew I needed to change what we originally had planned. This was arguably the best decision we made, as I think this is probably my favorite design feature of the home.
Nursery:
Here is a sneak peek of what the nursery will look like! While the master bedroom has wood floors, I thought it would be important to be extra cozy in the nursery and do carpet floors. My favorite thing about the nursery is probably the tiles in the bathtub. SO cute!! Funny enough, when we first started designing the house, I had ZERO interest in having kids at that point. My mom had said, “are you sure you don’t want to have a nursery there just in case? It can be your office for now!”. And boy am I glad I listened to her. Now, 2.5 years later, I am literally moving in while being pregnant lol! I have an idea of what I want the nursery to look like in terms of decor, and will plan to share that in another blog post at a later date! So stay tuned!
Main Hallway:
This is a design choice I am super happy about. It is unique, warm, has lots of character, and fits in with the style of the home so well (still trying to figure out the exact style to call it… Mediterranean modern ish? TBD). There will be pendant lighting at each point in the ceiling and the trim/walls will be painted white (I am doing Pure White Flat for paint).
Steve’s Cigar Room:
Ever since I was a little girl, I had always dreamed of having a secret door to a secret room in my house. So, Steve’s secret cigar room gets me absolutely giddy to think about! The door acts as a wine wall, and doubles as a door to enter. We had to add special ventilation for the smoke, but I am excited to see him have his first cigar in there!
Try-On Room:
For ALL things Vitality baby! You guys know that my heart belongs with this company. I have a strong sense of purpose with this brand, and it may seem silly but one of my favorite things about it is sharing a finalized product with you when we launch. We put our entire hearts into each product and campaign so when it is finally ready to share with you on my social media platforms, it’s like Christmas. Queue this room!! I specifically designed it to film all Vitality related try-ons so I can give you guys the best reviews when it comes to our products. Another cool thing is that I will be adding each collection into this room as an archive for us all to look back on. I feel like we each have our own memories for every collection and what that collection meant for us, so it will be cool to be able to look back on everything and remember those times. I will plan to show you the final product when it is finished!!
Overall, I have been so excited to share these design aspects with you all and answer some FAQs as well. I hope you enjoyed this update! Cheers to new chapters <3
XOXO, TAY
