Four weeks in: what we’ve actually done to the house so far
Everyone keeps asking what our reno plans for the new house are. Here they are: what we’ve done so far - and what’s next.
Four weeks ago today, we had just moved into our new house—one we’d been trying to buy for nearly ten months. We’ve settled into it like it’s always been our home, despite the chaos surrounding us. But in between all that, small baby steps of progress have been made, creating little pockets of space that feel like home, rather than a very dusty storage unit…
Here is what we have done so far:
Unpacked the children’s bedrooms so they both have the maximum amount of normality. In contrast, I’ve not unpacked a single box in our bedroom, so we’re still sharing the space with several of them.
But I have unpacked my dressing room (I like to call it mine, though Mr Nordic insists on keeping his two T-shirts there too, which makes it ours), and I love it, despite the very dodgy ceiling light and the carpet I try to ignore. I have a new pendant on the way and can’t wait to share it - it’s gorgeous!
I’ve started the project of making our morning/dining room cosier. It was potentially one of the worst rooms in the house (white, boring and cold-looking -basically a box, even with the most beautiful window). I’ve unpacked all our things, ordered the biggest possible rug, and plan to paint to make the room feel more like home. I’ve included some “after” photos for you at the end of this post, but here’s how it looked when we moved in:
before I’ve bought my first vintage pieces from an auction for this house, including the sun loungers I was dreaming about in this post. They’ve arrived but are patiently waiting to be moved from the front of the house to their final destination.
Found a dead deer in the garden. Not one of those dinky roe deer, but a massive one. Not sure what happened, perhaps it was hit by a car, but it was very upsetting. I had the council come and collect it as it was too big for me to move. Of course, this happened while my husband was on a work trip. I had my blood pressure checked the same day and was told I had hypertension for the first time in my life. I’m hoping those two are related and I get the all clear to go back to salty liquorice after my next reading.
I’ve ordered worktop samples for the kitchen and am looking into getting our Aga painted (it also needs a service). I plan to keep the current kitchen cabinets (just paint them), change tiles, ideally the current flooring (currently covered in modern tiles that aren’t to my taste at all) and remove a section of the units to create banquette seating. It’s not a small room, but the layout is odd and the colours are all wrong for a north-facing space.
Photo by Ellen Tanner on Unsplash I’ve ordered a ton of different lamps-rechargeable and pluggable- and will share once they’ve arrived and found their places!
My daughter’s ensuite will be the first bathroom to be updated. It’s the most incredible room - not big, but it’s built into a bay window with three gorgeous sash windows and magnificent views. I’m thinking gold, peach, and warm yellow for that room. I haven’t made a moodboard yet, but I feel those colours will create a beautiful contrast with the green views.
Selecting fabric samples for curtains and blinds for the drawing room and bedroom. For the first time ever, I’m tempted to go for patterned fabric in the drawing room, but I’m still unsure about the walls (currently covered in stained red wallpaper from 2003, definitely not staying), so I may keep it simple. Either way, I want them to be as thick and insulated as possible to help with the big, drafty bay windows in winter.
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash Booked our roofer for two weeks in July and hope he’ll will fix all current issues. Nothing major - just general repairs needed.
Wood-burning stoves: had the hallway chimney swept, and now I need to get a log burner installed to keep us warm this winter.
Pantry shelving: yes, we have a pantry (and a scullery!) in this house too. It’s a lot bigger than our old one, but currently has the most miserable cupboards that don’t fit the space at all. I want to get made-to-measure shelving built in to make the most of the room.
Photo by Clark Young on Unsplash Garden projects are on the back burner, but I hope to get a greenhouse this summer, tidy up the front flower bed, fill my empty pots with plants, and rearrange the patio. I’m currently trying out different furniture combos to see what works where and what we need more of.
French drains: I’ve got someone booked for September - thankfully I don’t have to dig those myself.
Remove dodgy gypsum plaster from the cloakroom: a couple of rooms have had damp issues, unhelpfully "fixed" with cement tanking and gypsum plaster, both problematic in solid-wall houses like ours. I’m trying to remove all unsuitable materials and let the walls dry before replastering with lime and painting with breathable paint that allows moisture to wick out (like limewash).
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash Windows, windows, windows: we have a lot. Mostly beautiful wooden sashes, some French doors- all in a sorry state and needing repair. Luckily, they’re solid and don’t need replacing, just new glazing putty, removal of old flaky plastic paint and repainting with linseed oil paint (the same we’ve used for our cottage windows in Finland).
Had friends over, old and new, whilst ignoring the mess we are surrounded by and all the jobs waiting to be done. It was never going to be a quick job so we might as well enjoy the journey
PS. I’ve tried Freddie’s Flowers for the first time and loved my blooms! They have kindly created an amazing offer for my followers: 50% off your first box (just £13!), free delivery, plus a free vase - and 10% off your next four boxes too. It’s the best offer they do! I’ve loved having fresh flowers arriving -it makes even a half-unpacked house feel a bit more put together. 🌿 You can claim the offer here.
The morning room updates so far - how to make a bland room feel more like home:
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There’s plenty more coming soon too so if you’re into old houses, interiors with soul and restoration storytelling, you might just enjoy what’s ahead.