Hill House Update: Moving Back In, Phase One, and What's Nex
THE HILL HOUSE
A few weeks ago, in the midst of a broken collarbone (our 10-year-old’s), a fallen tree branch that took out our power and gas, and a last-minute rental issue that sent Garrett to Seattle, we moved back into the Hill House. It was not our smoothest move. In fact, I can’t think of a more chaotic one. But once the mattresses were in place, the toothbrushes were unpacked, and everyone knew where to find their socks, the rest faded pretty quickly.
We are home :) And now we have one more big milestone to celebrate…
couch (ink cap), rug, flush mount, sconce, paneling, skylight, window shade, floors, dresser, TV, color: FB slipper satin
Phase One Is Officially signed off!
The first phase of the Hill House renovation is complete. Some of you may remember that we’re phasing this renovation into three parts. Phase one included the entire upstairs: three bedrooms, two bathrooms, the hallway, and the snug (aka the landing at the top of the stairs). It was the only phase we planned to move out for, and finishing it first meant we could move back in and have bedrooms and bathrooms for the whole family while we continue working our way through the main floor.
The blog is running a little behind real life, so we still have plenty of the upstairs left to share. We haven’t revealed either bathroom yet, or the stairs and railing, but those had to be complete in order for Garrett to call for final inspection. And when he did finally call last week, drum roll please… we passed! Phase one is officially closed and we can move our attention downstairs. Yay!
stairwell light, paneling, floors
We’re Settled… But Not Finished
While the permit is closed, I hesitate to call the upstairs ‘finished’. That would imply art on the walls and matching nightstands next to the bed, which is just not where we’re at yet. Construction is done but we’ll be decorating and collecting and rearranging this house for years to come. We’re home and settling in - the rest will come.
Of course we know that there will still be some shuffling in the future. Garrett and I are temporarily sleeping upstairs in Daphne’s room, but eventually when the downstairs renovation progresses, we’ll move down there.
mirror, skirt, faucet, sconces, ceiling light, floor tile, paneling, skylight, sink, outlet cover, wall tile, color: F&B off white
but first…mattresses!
One thing I made sure to do before moving in was order new mattresses for all the beds. Garrett and I have become picky sleep people in our 40s (middle age is kinda like that ;) and we knew exactly what mattresses we wanted - the Royal Luxury from the Futon Shop. It’s the mattress we got four years ago at the Farmhouse and it’s Garrett and my favorite mattress we’ve ever had. Not only is it comfortable but it’s filled with natural materials like hemp and latex and no chemicals. We also picked out lower-profile latex mattresses for the bunk room. I should mention that the Futon shop kindly gifted us these mattresses but we have no obligation to share them here - we just love them that much :)
bed frame, mattress, wallpaper, lamp, bedding
In July, I finally broke down and bought us a brand new bed frame after months of looking and not finding a vintage one that I liked and was larger than a full. I ended up finding this vintage-inspired one, and it’s really lovely. If I designed beds, I would definitely design something just like this :) Getting your mattress off the floor is quite the renovation milestone, and let me tell you, it felt great. What a joy to get a really comfortable bed to sleep in every night!
We’re still working our way through decor in here. There’s no art up and the nightstands are leftover pieces we’ve had for years. I’ve said before and I’ll say it again, home takes time. Not just the construction part -although goodness, that takes plenty of time - but the slower decorating that comes afterward, too. A house really becomes a home through collecting, editing, rearranging, living with things, and occasionally realizing that it’s all wrong. We’re building our kids’ childhood home, and we want to do it thoughtfully. That process can’t (and probably shouldn’t be) rushed. Little by little, we get to add and edit and make this home really our’s.
what comes next
We still have plenty to share from phase one, including both upstairs bathrooms, but closing the permit also gives us a chance to catch our breath after a mad dash. And I think we’ll be ready to get after the next phase this fall!
We’ve spent a lot of time thinking through the Hill House main floor, revising plans, and deciding where it makes sense to work within the existing footprint - and where a small addition is worth the cost and disruption. Those plans are finally done, and our kitchen addition is officially in for permit. Soon we’ll share the updated main-floor plans and walk you through what we’re tackling first and why we landed where we did. But for today, we’re taking a minute to appreciate this milestone.
Phase one is complete. We’re home. And now we get to make it ours.
More soon.
xx
a little house update