House Update: The One Year Mark

It’s hard to believe, but this month marks one year since we moved to the new (to us) house! It’s only a couple of miles from our last house, so for the most part the transition was a simple one. Both kids remained in the same schools, and we still have the same commutes and everyday errand spots. And since buying the house happened so quickly and unexpectedly, it was like we blinked and woke up in a new house!

At least once a week Mr. SP or I will say, ‘Can you believe we’re here??’ We lived in our last house for ten years, so it was a part of us…an extension of our family. But a day hasn’t passed in the last year that I didn’t feel so unbelievably grateful to call this one home. Just like finding Maggie, this house found us, and we’re a perfect fit.

Today I thought it’d be fun to see what we’ve accomplished in the first year, and set some goals for the spots I hope to tackle next. Because if it’s on the internet, it must really happen, right?

We actually closed on the house at the end of 2014, but we couldn’t move out of our last house until early February (that whole BH&G thing!). But turns out, that monthlong leaseback allowed us time to make major changes to the new house before moving in…like new floors and remodeled Kitchen.

Hi Sugarplum | Kitchen Before

In the past, the Master Bedroom was the last spot we tackled…but this time around, I went with the ‘If mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy’ mantra, and hit our personal space first! And thanks to the {One Room Challenge}, I got it done in six weeks, as opposed to my usual nine years months!

Then I lucked out, and was asked to participate in the {One Room Challenge} a second time, and Kristin and I whipped out a jewel box Living Room.

Fortunately, this house has a pool…and if you’ve ever spent any time in Texas during the Summer, you know we’re in it all the time! So we turned our attentions to the backyard, with first a new horizontal fence, and then an outdoor dining area.

As for the rest of the house, we’re fully moved-in, but mostly just the way the movers left it! Everything about this house is different than the last…dimensions, layout, and size…so some pieces fit perfectly, and others are still wandering around aimlessly. But working through the rooms slowly has been a good thing, since it allows us time to figure out how we use each space.

A year ago, I thought the downstairs family room would be the main hangout, but turns out, the kids spend more time upstairs. I thought the Pantry would be the best spot to create a Family Command Center, but actually, the laundry room is where everyone naturally dumps their stuff. If I’d jumped right in, these spaces wouldn’t fit our lives and I’d be re-shuffling a year later!

But I’m extremely goal-oriented, so setting a plan of action will motivate me to conquer specific rooms this year, as opposed to waffling all over and not completing any. No guarantees, but I’d love to first finish the rooms we’ve already started (and I’ve begun blogging about!)…


Little Miss lucked out and all her previous furniture fit perfectly in her new room…albeit in a much different layout. So far she has bedding and art, and I recently added nightstands and a rug…I’ll share that with you soon, and hopefully finish it up this year.

The Breakfast Room has proven to be a tricky space, and not just because it’s three times larger than our last one! You’ve seen the wallpaper come down and the new floors go in, but you haven’t seen the revolving tables and rugs I’ve brought in trying to make it work! This may be one of those rooms that has to evolve over time, but I hope to at least settle on a table and chairs, and a light fixture this year!

Since completing the Living Room design, every space around it feels really unfinished. They’re also the first areas you see when coming in the house. I haven’t blogged about them specifically, but you’ve seen peeks of them in other posts…like the Entrance. 

And the Dining Room. I realize they don’t look bad, but other than paint on the walls, I haven’t done anything but move in the furniture. I’ve been scheming this room in my head for a year, but it’s changed about five times, so I’m still waiting for the perfect inspiration to strike. I mean, our last Dining Room set the bar pretty high!

As for the areas you haven’t seen yet, I decided the rooms we should focus on next are those we use most, and will get the most enjoyment out of them being done! #theresaconcept

The first one is the upstairs Game Room…sometimes known as a Playroom…but now that my kids are older, it’s more of a hangout Den for them and their friends, than a place to stash toys. And as luck would have it, I already tackled most of this room with the Ikea Home Tour Squad last month!! The talented, energetic, Ikea-loving crew came in, and together we overhauled this space.

In two days, we turned this blank slate into the neighborhood Peach Pit. #namethatshow I’m excited to share the process with you soon, but in the meantime, you can check out all the Ikea Home Tour Squad video makeovers here.

Hi Sugarplum | Before

I positively swooned over the screened porch when we found the house, and I’m not quite sure how yet, but I know it can be a dreamy spot. With our climate, it’s a space we’re able to enjoy almost year-round.

Hi Sugarplum | Before

This tiny powder bath is right off the Breakfast Room, and should be a fun and quick makeover. You know I’m thinking bold!

Hi Sugarplum | Before

And finally, the Laundry Room/Mudroom. Since all the downstairs floors were ripped out (remember that goof??), we had to go ahead with new tile, but that’s as far as it went. But I think we’re off to a great start!

Hi Sugarplum | Before
I don’t know, maybe that’s a bit ambitious. What do you think? My original intention was to share a floor plan and Before shots of the whole house, but turns out, drawing floor plans is beyond my skill set, so you’ve been getting Befores as we tackle each room. Do you like seeing them one room at a time as we go, or would you rather see the full house now? Which space do you think I should tackle first? Do you have big plans for your home this year?

Leave a Comment

37 Comments

  1. Cassie! I have love, love, loved watching this new house unfold. It's spectacular friend!

    Posted 2.17.16 Reply
  2. 1) The house is amazing. And I know it's hard for people to believe, but it's even better in person! 2) 90210 3) I'm laughing soooo hard over here. Because when you hashtagged "there's a concept", I kept reading it as "Theresa concept". And I was like, like Mother Theresa? Like you named the concept after her. I finally got it. DUH. hahahahaha 🙂

    Posted 2.17.16 Reply
  3. Wow Cassie – That's seriously impressive what you have achieved in such a short time – huge congrats – your house and your life and your fashion is beautiful. Would love to collaborate if fancy doing a guest post at all – let me know x

    Posted 2.17.16 Reply
  4. Such a beautiful home! I am so guilty of jumping in without enough thought just trying to complete a project and have made some mistakes. Trying to really sit back and be intentional about some planning for my kids rooms right now and hope to have some projects knocked out this year. And a couch…oh my goodness why does buying a couch seem so darn hard!

    Posted 2.17.16 Reply
  5. Nickesha wrote:

    Hi Cassie… Looks amazing so far. Great vision. It would be great to see the entire house to get a sense of how the spaces flow into each other. 🙂

    Posted 2.17.16 Reply
  6. What an amazing transformation! The house obviously has great bones, but you've taken it beyond builder grade finishes to make it something really special and really "you." Great job! Love the 90210 reference and the striped tile floors in the laundry room!

    XO,
    Michele
    http://www.thejoyfulhomeblog.com

    Posted 2.17.16 Reply
  7. You've made a lot of progress in a year! My living room has been half finished for two years but this is the year! With our oldest graduating from HS this year we are motivated to get the house in order for her party! I can't wait to see what you do with the screened in porch!

    Posted 2.17.16 Reply
  8. Please, please, please take us on a full house tour… So far, it's just beautiful.

    Posted 2.17.16 Reply
  9. You have made more progress in a year than I've made in 4 years! It all looks so beautiful and I can't wait to watch what you do next!

    Posted 2.17.16 Reply
  10. You know we like more than just the pretties, we like the ugly truth! Show us the whole house, let us watch it evolve over time!

    But seriously, seeing the "I thought it would go like X, but we use it like Y, so now I'm thinking Z" is really great to watch, and makes many of us feel not alone.

    Posted 2.17.16 Reply
  11. I do have trouble visualizing it all at once but I love seeing the individual rooms as you go! Such a great house and you are making it even more gorgeous! I just love that fence!! So different!

    Posted 2.17.16 Reply
  12. Patricia wrote:

    My personal choice would be to paint that powder room a dramatic color since it's such a small space. Is it anywhere near the killer living room? Borrow some colors from there … I'm thinking navy blue with hot pink accents or maybe a black and white horizontal stripe.
    Then the teen hang out space … get the kids involved with some of the color choices (hot pink may not go over well with your son). Maybe they can pick out some favorite pinterest inspirations…

    Posted 2.17.16 Reply
  13. Kelli Fox wrote:

    yaass we like it allll so go for it with any and all pictures lol! You certainly have done a LOT in one year! I for one would love to see the whole house now, just cause I like to get the whole picture in my head 🙂 either way I'll love watching what you do with it!

    Posted 2.17.16 Reply
  14. I'm always on the search for the perfect house plan and how things work well or could work better. Even if it's a rough sketch, you should share the floor plan with us! It'll make the pictures that much more real and inspiring when we can see them with the flow that you follow in your home! Keep it up, what you've done so far is awesome and inspiring for me to continue the work in my own home! We are coming up on 2 years next month and it's nice to know that it's not possible to get it all done in a year (especially since that first year was spent pregnant with our first child). Happy Wednesday!

    Posted 2.17.16 Reply
  15. I can't believe it's already been a year! You've made incredible progress!

    Posted 2.17.16 Reply
  16. That laundry room floor is SUPREME! So many beautiful rooms, so much inspiration!

    Posted 2.17.16 Reply
  17. I clicked on the "finding Maggie" link – what a great read! I adopted my Buddy almost one year ago, and he's the love of my life (besides the ole hubs). We got him from the SPCA of TX. Like Maggie, he is "All American" with short, soft fur and weighs ~48 pounds. I swear he knows we rescued him, because he's the sweetest, most loving, snuggling little ball of love I've ever encountered.

    Posted 2.17.16 Reply
  18. ellen wrote:

    Wow! I love your home!!

    Posted 2.17.16 Reply
  19. Simply LKJ wrote:

    I think you are smart to take your time in pulling things together. It is so easy to want to jump right in and get it all decorated, only to regret it a few months later. You have done a beautiful job thus far!!

    Posted 2.17.16 Reply
  20. I just watched your house tours video, what's the name of the coffee table you chose? It looks different than the one on the site.

    Posted 2.17.16 Reply
    • Hi Channing…which video and table are you referring to? I'm not sure what you saw 🙂 xo

      Posted 2.19.16 Reply
  21. I love what you've done so far! It's all so bold! I have a whole house to tackle this year since we just bought a new house and move in a few weeks. Thank you for reminding me to see how the space works before doing anything. I've already designed the house in my head, but should probably take a step back and live in it for awhile. I'd love to see a whole house tour and I LOVE floorplans but totally understand the pain of making them!

    Amy
    thedailyhostess.com

    Posted 2.17.16 Reply
  22. I love seeing all of your projects! The foundation for our new house is being poured today. Can't wait to start decorating once it's finished!

    Posted 2.17.16 Reply
  23. Your home is truly stunning and I loved seeing all you have accomplished! Loved the 90210 reference too!
    Shelley

    Posted 2.17.16 Reply
  24. Amazing transformation. Love your home!

    Kisses from http://www.poshnessary.com

    Posted 2.17.16 Reply
  25. Joanne wrote:

    You wouldn't know it was the same house. You've put a modern, colorful twist on classic. The rooms feel alive with color but not over the top. Love all you do!

    Posted 2.17.16 Reply
  26. I think it's kind of fun to see what you're living in from the get go. You've accomplished so much in such a short amount of time!

    Posted 2.17.16 Reply
  27. I am absolutely drooling over your laundry room tile. With all the images we all see everyday online, it's such a treat to see something that's both original and fantastic! OK, I know this is weird, but I'm obsessed with grout colors. Is the whole floor done in black grout? It looks amazing!

    Posted 2.18.16 Reply
    • Not weird!! Yes…I did the whole floor with a dark grout. I couldn't decide between a light and dark, bc I know one would really stand out depending on which color tile stripe, but in the end, decided the dark would weather and wear better in such a high-traffic room ! xo

      Posted 2.19.16 Reply
  28. PATI CLARK wrote:

    Beautiful Home !!!

    Posted 2.18.16 Reply
  29. Brenda wrote:

    I like seeing them one room at a time. It makes me want to re-do mine because your's is so beautiful.

    Posted 2.18.16 Reply
  30. WOW! What amazing progress! I never knew I could love a fence so much. And black and white hex tile stripes?! Yes, please! LOVE. Can't wait to see all the pretty spaces that will happen THIS year!

    Posted 2.18.16 Reply
  31. Michaela wrote:

    I can help you draw a floor plan 😉 I do it every day! Excited to see the rooms come together!

    Posted 2.18.16 Reply
  32. I love seeing the progress over the past year. I'd like to see a floor plan, just because I find all aspects of house design fun. The laundry room floor looks fabulous.

    Posted 2.18.16 Reply
  33. Hi Cassie, you are so lucky to have such a beautiful home. I absolutely love all the updates so far and can't wait to see the rest. We are tackling some major projects this year in our own home including a new kitchen (the decision on cabinet colour has just kept me awake most of last night!) Looking at your updates always inspires me. Good luck with all the changes! Xx

    Posted 2.19.16 Reply
  34. MN Girl wrote:

    I love, love, love seeing your designs come to life! Even though our styles are somewhat different, I find so much inspiration in elements of your rooms. We are currently renovating our 116 year old farmhouse. I am the 5th generation to live in it and it's a lot of fun to make it ours. The farmstead turns 150 in 3 years and we'll have a big party so it ALL needs to be done by then. #nopressure

    Posted 2.21.16 Reply
  35. Absolutely jaw dropping the amount of projects you've tackled in this house, and all done so incredibly well!!! So that laundry room floor. Can't. Stop. Thinking about it.

    Posted 2.25.16 Reply