5 Changes We recently made Around the Home

Oftentimes, changes are made around the house that I don't really pause to share because, well... I guess things can change pretty frequently. A lot of projects are near the finish line (the laundry room and the upstairs bathroom), so we've been making tweaks here and there, moving some furniture around, as well as doing some clearing out and organizing. Behind every finished room (is a room ever really finished?) are tweaks and adjustments and rearrangements, and this post documents those changes. Sometimes a room is changed 10 different times before it starts feeling settled, but you never know until you try it!

1. A New Table in the Study

Mural | Rug | Chandelier | Table | Desk Chair | Ottoman | Sling Chairs

First, to address a frequent comment I keep getting about this front room is that it was never a dining room. I've been getting suggestions to switch it back to its original form, but it has always been a "front room." The dining room used to be where part of the kitchen is, but we opened it up to expand the kitchen. In fact, this room used to have an entrance into the primary bedroom that we closed off. However, we really love the idea of being able to transform this study into a dining room for hosting dinner parties where we might need more seating, which also inspired the new table purchase.

This new table arrived last week, and it's a stunner. A new table called for swapping out the rug, which actually makes me like the paint color a lot more. We also moved in the leather sling chairs from the bonus room, and suddenly this room is feeling more and more settled. The soft blue gray paint (Benjamin Moore Boothbay Gray) really needed those leather chairs to add some grit to the room.

Last week we transformed this space into a formal dining area for an upcoming Thanksgiving shoot, and I can't wait to show you because my jaw hit the floor. Stay tuned!

I've been playing with the idea of changing the paint color here entirely, but I’m actually loving it so much more now. If we do change the paint color, it won't be until we make the opening more narrow, add some french or pocket doors, and add built-ins on either side.

2. Credenza in the Hallway

Sconces | Branch | Bowl | Swivel Chairs

This credenza used to be in the study, and since we made some changes in there, it needed a new home. It feels like an art piece in this wide hallway, and I'll say the storage is incredibly convenient. I feel like the color and shape really complement the floors.

There used to be a round table in the little curved nook, and it felt like everything good was in one spot and so your eyes couldn't flow down the hall. This arrangement feels much more fluid and inviting.

3. A Brand New Bench

Bench | Gallery Wall | Sconces | Branch

I'll admit... I bought this bench without having a spot for it. It's just so pretty, and it matches me and my aesthetic. Therefore, it will fit anywhere. I love it under the photo gallery in our hallway.

4. Leather Armchair in the Bonus Room

Table Lamp | Rug | Sconce | Floral Pillow

We used to have the two leather sling chairs here, and everything was looking so good. The reality is we almost always sat on the sofa and never on the leather chairs. This vintage leather chair used to be in the study, and Chris loved sitting in it. It's incredibly comfy, and he said he really wanted to sit in it when he's watching shows. So I said, "Let's make it happen," and here we are today. Now he's in this chair every night, and I think it looks so good in this corner.

5. Bunk Room to Storage Room

Originally we had the idea to make this little room (the other side of it is the new laundry room) a bunk room. It's located behind a hidden door in the bonus room, which we realized might actually be a safety issue if we're having kids sleep in here. The reality is, we'd rather have it be storage because the door's hidden. Nobody's going to go lurking in there. Right now, it has some of our rugs, and Chris put up some shelves for decor and camera equipment. There's a lot more camera equipment than you'd think! Eventually we want to go all out with beautiful cabinetry and shelves and make it the most legit storage room.

Which brings me to the rec room...

The rec room can now double as a playroom and bunk room, all in one! We moved all the toys into the rec room, and the girls have actually been playing with their toys! They never really played with them when they were in the other room. I just love the idea of kids coming over at any age, and they can all go up into the rec room to play. Eventually, we want to do built-in bunk beds along a wall for cousin sleepovers and sibling sleepovers! A big game table, perhaps a pool table That doubles as a ping pong table. Double Shot! With all that, for us, it would make sense to get rid of the stairs that lead down into the home gym. It feels like a safety issue to have kids sleeping in a room with an outside entrance! This will give us so much more floor space up here and wall space! And also means that the kids won't be messing with the gym equipment. This will also allow for the home gym to be larger, and the only entrance to it will be from the outside. It just feels right.

Rug | Credenza | Chair | Pendants | Mini Flush Mounts