It’s FINALLY here!! After over a year (almost two years) of building, it’s so exciting to be able to say that it is done at last. Today I’m sharing a full tour with lots of photos of our newly finished house!
Friends, what a journey this has been! If you’ve been following along, first of all, thank you for your amazing support. And secondly, we made it!! As a reminder, here’s everything we’ve been through so far:
- We’re Building A House!
- The New House: Kitchen Inspiration
- House Update: Framing Has Started!
- House Update: Windows + Doors
- House Update: Final Touches!
Building a house is no joke. I really had no idea what we were getting into when we started this process. Things really got crazy at the end as we pushed to close before interest rates skyrocketed. We missed our closing deadline, but thankfully were able to close before our rate lock expired (only by a few days)! Closing and moving were incredibly stressful since it ALL happened on the same day and we had to be out of our old house by the next day. It was beyond crazy!
All that to say, it took me a bit to get settled and I’m still getting used to the fact that this is our new home now (and not just a construction project). It’s a weird mindset shift, but this house is slowly becoming our home. Thankfully, I’ve had Alice from Decker8 Designs (opens in a new tab) helping me with furnishing/decorating the house and helping it really come to life!
Jar Of Lemons – The New House
We’ve come a long way since Edna The House, although she will always have such a very special place in my heart. That house had so much character, it was in the sweetest neighborhood, and we brought both of our boys home in that house. But now we’re on to a new journey living in our newly built home (and thankfully, much closer to Cody’s work and the kid’s school)!
I’m so grateful to have been able to collaborate with Alice from Decker8 Designs (opens in a new tab) on our interior design and so much more (like emotional support through the building process…but that’s a story for another time). She has been so amazing through all of this and I’m excited to share our collaboration with you guys today!
The Kitchen
There’s so much to get into here. I’ll start with my favorite: our Fisher & Paykel range! We looked into so many different types of ranges. I really wanted an Italian range, but several did not have great reviews in the US, so we went with this one. It has been amazing so far!
Our countertops are quartz, and the backsplash is porcelain. That marbled porcelain backsplash was a WHOLE thing. It actually had to be replaced shortly after we moved in and took several months because it meant we also had to take the cabinets down. It was pretty stressful, but I’m glad it’s all settled now and good to go!
In The Kitchen:
- Natural Rattan & Wood Counter Stools (opens in a new tab)
- Wood Dish Brushes (opens in a new tab)
- Dutch Oven (opens in a new tab)
- Wood Cutting Boards (opens in a new tab)
Dining Room
I thought the kitchen would be my favorite room in the house (and don’t get me wrong, I REALLY love it), but I think our dining room is actually my most fave! The arched built-ins have not only been a statement piece in our home but are also incredibly functional for all of my Jar Of Lemons prop dishes. It’s nice to be able to look at everything and decide what I want to use for different recipes, rather than having to dig through cabinets or drawers. I really love how they turned out!
In The Dining Room:
- Brass Picture Lights (opens in a new tab)
- Dining Table
- Dining Chairs (opens in a new tab)
- Curtain Rod (opens in a new tab)
- Vase
- Checkered Jute Rug (opens in a new tab)
Living Room
I knew I wanted ultra-cozy vibes in the living room, and Alice really made it happen! I was nervous about all of the white/light grey colors with having little ones running around, but so far we have survived 3 months with it all and no horror stories. I’ll keep you posted 😉
My two most favorite things about the living room are the grid windows and the arched fireplace. While we were building, I really debated having a standard brick fireplace and having it bricked all the way to the ceiling. But I’m glad I went with this arched idea instead, it feels like it ties into our house and just feels very “us”!
In The Living Room:
- Grey Slipcover Sofa (opens in a new tab)
- Accent Chairs (opens in a new tab)
- White Sofa
- Oval Coffee Table (opens in a new tab)
- Floor Lamp (opens in a new tab)
- Frame TV (opens in a new tab)
- Rug (opens in a new tab)
Bedroom/Bathroom
I feel like bedding is my biggest struggle when it comes to making our house look pretty, haha. But Alice came through and save the day! I also really love these oversized nightstands. So much room and storage!
I love our bathroom! The brass arched mirrors with the terra cotta style tile and marble floor all came together so nicely in the end. Keeping that white grout and bathtub clean is another story! But hey, it’s pretty!
We’ve had a lot of questions about why we decided to put the bathtub inside the glass area where the shower is. There’s a very long answer to this, but the short version is that it was the only place that it could go. The original plans had the vanity split on opposite walls, which put the tub next to one of the vanities and the shower next to the other. I was really set on having a double vanity along that wall, which is why the tub had to go in the same space as the shower. But honestly, I’ve loved it so far and have no regrets!
Bedroom/Bathroom Links:
- Natural Stripe Bed (opens in a new tab)
- Duvet Cover (opens in a new tab)
- Nightstands (opens in a new tab)
- Lamps (opens in a new tab)
- Brass Arched Mirrors (opens in a new tab) (Not the same, but similar)
- Shower Stool (opens in a new tab)
The Study
Ok, ok. I can’t decide if the dining room, kitchen, or study are my favorites. But the study is DEF up there! The dark paint, the wallpaper, the brass touches, and the piano that’s been in my family since I was a little girl…it all just feels right. I love this room!
In The Study:
- Wall Sconce (opens in a new tab)
- Brass Fixture (opens in a new tab) (Not the same, but similar)
- Wallpaper (opens in a new tab)
- Baskets (opens in a new tab)
- Office Chair (opens in a new tab)
I wish I could show you so much more of our house! The entryway with our double arched front door, the stairs, our guest bathroom…there’s a lot more I wanted to include in this but didn’t get to. Maybe another time!
But I truly just want to say THANK YOU to this amazing community for supporting us through this long and crazy project. If you’ve been following along, I’m seriously so grateful! And if you have any questions about building, please message me, comment below, or send over a DM (opens in a new tab). I’ve learned so much in this season! Next up….decorating for Christmas!
P.S: Because I know someone will ask…here are our paint colors!
- Stain – MinWax Heirloom Oak
- Interior Walls – Sherwin Williams Pure White
- Office – Sherwin Williams Ripe Olive
- Wallpaper – York Joyful Eucalyptus (opens in a new tab)
- Mudroom/Laundry Room – Sherwin Williams Mountain Road
Beautiful home!! Can you tell me what kind of wood the ceiling beams are and what stain you used? Thank you!
Just found your website so didn’t follow the house journey, but this is gorgeous and timeless! Congrats on finishing a huge project.
Thank you so much!
This new house looks absolutely stunning! The interior design and decor choices are impeccable. It’s evident that a lot of thought and effort went into creating a beautiful and cozy living space. Wishing you all the best in your new home!
Thank you!
Why did you go with black quartz? We were going with soapstone but I use my kitchen too much and don’t want to baby it, so we are going granite route but haven’t found anything I like. Did you do a post on countertop choices? Is your quartz matte or polished?
It was a very tough decision! Countertops were the hardest thing to figure out. We went with black because we had that porcelain backsplash that would have been competitive with a white quartz. The black quartz is polished, it’s fairly easy to keep up but there is a weird issue where if we have any kind of moisture on the bottom of a cup or bowl, it leaves a ring that’s near impossible to get out. I do think granite is the least maintenance of all of them! Soapstone is so beautiful. My quartz in our bathroom is leathered/matte and I feel like that’s a little easier to maintain.
Absolutely beautiful! Modern Traditional for the win! Congrats on your beautiful new home.