Completely Chaotic House Tour
My friend Sherry reminded me yesterday on the phone that we have technically owned the house for a month now. A MONTH. And then she also reminded me that I have posted only one photo of our stuff inside the house. It’s moments like these that I am shocked and appalled at how much time and effort being a stay at home mom takes. In our last house, we tore into the kitchen & den & first floor bathroom in the first week. This place? Well, it’s been a month and our house is still quite a mess.
And since Messy House Tour was already taken…I figured that Completely Chaotic also described our current abode. It was either that or Grosser than Cellulite On Your Face House Tour, Makes Charlie Sheen look Put Together House Tour, or What Frat Party just Happened Here (and is there still a coed in the closet?) House Tour.
Here we go…
When you walk in the front door, you are immediately greeted by this hot mess. Everything just made it’s way right here. No rhyme or reason…just plopped stuff down and it stayed there until I had to move it while looking for something else. I’m not overly concerned about it….Jeremy seems to think that I would sleep better if the chaos wasn’t there…and I keep reminding him that I would sleep better if Will wasn’t around too…but we can’t seem to find anyone who wants a cranky Leprechaun.
One thing is for sure. I know where the wrapping paper is.
I took a spare minute and tried to set up the sitting room…but I hate it. The layout must die. It’s one tough cookie of a room though. Out of four walls, one has a giant doorway, one has a pair of french doors and one has two seperated doors. And that ain’t mentioning the offcenter window. One day when I conquer this room, I am gonna call this room Joe. As in Joe Mama. And I will say that everytime I enter.
Oh and see our ‘rug’? Yeah. It’s a remnant. Since we own very few rugs (most are 3×5′s) we figured that a spare swatch of carpet (leftover from carpeting the upstairs bedrooms) would be just peachy in this space. I’ve never really bought a rug before so we will have to wait and see how that goes. I have heard one tip though….they should match the drapes 
We went a little crazy in the living room. We did some pretty standard stuff – like mount the television on the fireplace (it was already primed and wired for a television like ours but we also did the unexpected. That’s right. We are total rule breakers. I am such a rebel.
How you may ask?
Well, I threw decorating caution to the wind and dragged in a play table that my mom gave us for Will. And I LOVE it. Will needs a space for him down here. And as much as I wanted to be Scroogey with my square footage, I knew that this would just be an additional challenge for decorating and it turns out to be pretty much the most used area in the house. How could I say no?!
All the toys fit on top of the thing, so we definitely have nothing underfoot to trip us up. Not counting Will of course.
As for the rest of the den – well, you can see for yourself. I think that the funny part is seeing the random stuff that made it’s way into this room. Like the capiz chandelier on the bookshelf behind the couch. And the Lite Brite…those are important….and the random fabric I scored for $4 a yard at Hobby Lobby…I’m thinking throw pillows??
The aerial view…oh and see our sidetable lamps? Yeah…they are not plugged into anything. There is nothing for them to be plugged into.
The kitchen did get the most amount of time and effort. I can find most everything in here now. oh and yes, that is a microwave on our counter.
Another room that is getting the workout is the laundry room. I have never done so much laundry in my life. Seriously. I guess because the previous laundry room was in the basement and required me to pass by Jeremy’s office…so I just waited till I was completely out of clothing to wash stuff. But now? Well, I’ve become a very hairy version of Mr. Clean (you get the idea).
Jeremy’s office is fully functional…albeit fully hideous. We put the white chairs and a random $10 coffee table in there for now.
Oh and you want to see the crazy piles of stuff that I haven’t been putting away? Okay. No need to twist my arm…
The upstairs is a little more put together (although very sparse and bare looking). I think it’s because we brought the necessities up and left the rest to rot in the garage. It’s amazing how a dozen steps can inhibit a person from transferring stuff.
The guest bedroom is decent. Or halfway to decent. Still need some side tables. Geesh…how hard is it to find side tables Katie?!
We chose to switch up the bedroom furniture in this room. Instead of the old pairing of the leather bed with the antique looking furniture, we decided that this room really just needed one piece (vs. two). So we pulled in the Pottery Barn outlet dresser that we got for cheap and we love it. Now guests don’t have to squeeze by anything to get to the bathroom. Hold on a second while I pat myself on the back.
The other blue Jack room got the upholstered headboard bed. And this is where the antique furniture ended up. I think it goes well with the blue bedding…warms it up a smidge.
Okay…now here is the most chaotic room in the house. Sheild your eyes. This is bad.
Yes – it does look like a dorm room for babies. Totally functional…and totally fugly.
This is my life right now. And I am okay with it.
(okay – so now for some old phase 1 photos – here are some snapshots that I took while we just trying to settle in a bit.)
The bed before set up. We slept on the mattress on the floor for 1 week. It was grand fun.
Giant pile of pillows and bedding on the catwalk. I threw, my friend Brooke caught. We both almost peed our pants we were laughing so hard.
The office…before my boyfriend ‘decorated’. I hate when he does that. I always tell him that it’s my role…it’s like breastfeeding…some things you should just let me do.
The kitchen. Note the different table (more on that later) and the number of pizzas. I have no idea why we needed three. I guess the third one was for Will.
Den – pre-tv era.
So that was for you Sherry. And let me officially say Congratulations on your awesome huge news. You rock my world and I am so glad to see that your endless hard work and sacrifice and commitment is paying off. I love ya friend and can’t wait to buy several copies of your book and put them on my coffee table, in my bathroom, in the kitchen, in my bedroom (just in case I need to get in the mood), and perhaps a copy in my car for a little stop-light action. I might even fully laminate a copy for a little shower reading :) Oh and tell John good job too. And give Clara kisses from Will.
So happy to see pictures-regardless of the condition of your house after moving in. Within time you will have it looking wonderful and spotless.
Do you ever stand back and think, “how in the world did all of this fit into the smaller house?” When we moved from our spacious townhouse to an even bigger single family, I found myself thinking just that.
You will get things organized little by little. Thanks for sharing your in progress pictures!
Enjoy your weekend!
xo
Kelly
I am so glad that you posted a new house update! I was starting to wonder if we would ever see one! I love what you have done with the “den” so far, and Will’s room definitely made me LOL. Can’t wait to see what you tackle next!
So funny! I love the “dorm room for babies” line – I might have almost peed my pants at that. A month is not that long – you’re getting there! I’m a stay at home mom too and sometimes it amazes me how many days I get nothing (you know, unless you count feeding and entertaining and clothing and cleaning and loving two children) done! We’ve lived in our house almost 4 years and still have random piles of houeswares in the basement.
But anyway, I’ve really enjoyed reading your blog since I started a few weeks ago!
Thank you so much for sharing!!!! It is so nice to know that other people have rooms that are functional but may not look awesome… we closed on our house on New Year’s Eve… it was a wonderful way to spend the New Year… in work boot and carharts cleaning and making it work. We’re still living with bathroom stuff in the dining room, and paint buckets in the spare bedroom… but every once in awhile as I’m wathing my husband sand a plaster patch I think “this is amazing… we’re homeowners” We get super overwhelmed with the money vaccuum that is home projects, and we’re taking small steps to make this house our home…
Again, thank you for sharing…
Love it! Can’t wait until you paint Will’s room.
hey, thanks for posting this. just keep repeating “baby steps”
LOVE the rug under Will’s play table; where is it from?
Hi Natalie,
It’s from FLOR – they are rug tiles – I think Martha Stewart something.
xo – kb
Oh my stars…your little one-liners thrown in every now and then!!! Crack me up! “I guess the third pizza was for Will…” Hilarious. Dont stop. Love your house too.
Hmm…Just wondering…Do you think you’re pregnant? It just sounds like it! (Maybe take a test?) Just a thought.
Lauren B.
(Labor and Delivery Nurse)
Aunt Flo says otherwise
xo – kb
I never did like her!
lb
Wow I’ve been lurking and reading this in my reader for so long that I completely missed the blog redesign…looking shnazzy!
You will get there with the house, give yourself a break! Not only is it the biggest house I have ever seen but you have the world’s most “helpful” little helper speeding up the process.
Can’t wait to see it all unfold!
Still in love with your place!!
Life is just one wild ride! Boxes and no rugs and all.
This was just the thing I needed to read today. I’m a stay at home mom of a baby Will’s age (one that doesn’t sleep through the night) and was having one of those days where I feel like I’m failing at everything. Thanks for reminding me that perfection isn’t reality.
Holy macaroons! what a stunning house.
Ahhh even messy your house is beautiful. I was wondering though, have you ever considering making the den a kind of playroom for Will?
We did consider that…but the extra wide opening that leads to the foyer told us that it was too dangerous for him right now. He could leave the room and head up the steps without a second thought. With the current setup we can put a standard gate in the entrance to the foyer and block him from leaving the playzone.
xo – kb
Love this post! Thank you so much for keeping it real! The mess is all so worth it. My friends thought I was so weird for taking so long putting my current apartment together. I didn’t have furniture for the first month! It’s great now, but I don’t think I’ll ever be “finished.”
Good luck with your home!
KB: Please cut yourself a little slack and move forward at a pace that works for you and your family. I’ve found that living with something for a little while can help me to truly know how to use it best, if that makes sense. We can have great ideas, only to impliment them to find out that they don’t work at all. When it’s something big like a house, we can’t always afford, either time or moneywise, to make those kind of mistakes.
More than digging your digs, which I do, I dig YOU!
It’s spring in the ATL — enjoy!
I love you house and sense of humor. It is easy to see how well things will eventually fit with your eye for scale. I am so tempted to fly across the country and paint that pink room, plus it would give my an excuse to visit my boyfriends parents.
you could throw any photos you wanted on your blog and your commentary would still make me laugh. i think most ‘normal’ people allow themselves about a year to get a new house looking semi-ok (or is that just me?). your house has beautiful bones to work with – can’t wait to see it take shape over the next many months. and if it never does take shape, keep giving us funny blog posts, ok? i live in France and it’s hard to get good humor here!
glad to be part of your fan club.
So I’ve been stalking your blog now, creating an unnatural crush on you wishing I could be your very bestest friend in the whole world so stealing your ideas wouldn’t seem so strange…but as this is the blog world and you have lots of weird stalkers and wanna be best friends, I just wanted to say THANK YOU for making me laugh, inspiring me, and giving me reason to say to my husband “Yes it can be done…look at this picture!!!” And THAT is exactly what I just did…seriously, snapped a pic from my phone while on the laptop and texted it to him (while he’s on his way out of town for a week with the message going “Look what the Bowers did…I TOLD you!!). Now while he might not get all giddy and excited by that text, I personally feel like I just had my own personal victory…see, we also just moved…into a much bigger home…needing TONS of work..in a matter of 9 days. Yea…and in our new-livoutofboxes6peopleinabedroomwheresthepotatopeeler-house we have this fantastic fireplace thats been all cleaned up and is just dying to have a big fat tv mounted on it…and what do you know?!?! My imaginarybutreal bestest friend just posted a pic of it being done!!!! So thank you…thank you for also having tons of boxes as soon as you walk in the house, and rooms not finished, and not being scared to show that. You gave me rebreath..if that makes sense. Rebreath from all the overwhelmingness that comes with moving and unpacking and remodeling…Thank you <3
We’ve lived in our house for almost 4 years and it’s still Chaotic. And being a stay at home mom is way harder than going to work every day Believe me!! Its so cute that your boyfriend tries to decorate too:-) You are always so hard on yourself:-( As Dori says…. Just keep swimming
I’ve been there so many times – 7 times to be exact – in the last 10 years
Moving is super fun – huh?! Can’t wait to follow the transformation! I love your style and how you keep it real!
I love the pictures…. there is just so much space in the house! Quick question, is the trim in the house white or off-white? It looked off-white in the pictures. I am curious because my trim in my house is off-white (painted that by the builder)… anyway, I always feel like it doesn’t go with white stuff… but your white sofa seemed to go well with it… so it makes me “have hope”… since I REALLY want a white sofa for my living room..
Lindsey
It is creamy offwhite. Not really my cup of tea but I am saving my pennies to paint it all one day
xo – kb
Your house is a hot mess, and I love it. And so is mine. And I love it too. Actually one of the best blog comments I ever got was from someone thanking me for taking realistic pictures of my house and not having it look like something out of a PB catalog. I was like, anytime miss.
Do the antique dressers in the guest bedroom have mirrors that attach to the tops? I SWEAR we have the same ones, but with mirrors on top. I just painted the “High Boy” white and distressed it and it looks AWESOME. The finish before (ours have a wood veneer) was looking a hot mess so we took a chance.
BUT – think how amazing this will make the ‘after’ pictures look!
Curtains match the drapes… I LOVE IT! You are way too funny!!
Anywho, you are human and it’s ok! Take your time. It will all get done. On the good side… the stuff isn’t going anywhere anytime soon! Thanks for showing us the goods!
Even amongst all the chaos that is getting settled. I just wanted to say that you have what is probably the most amazing house I have ever seen. That wall with the fireplace makes my heart skip a beat. No wonder you call it your “Dream” house.
Thanks for showing us that your house is not always and instantly perfect – though I know it will be. Looking at your empty “old house” photos made me admire your decorating skills all over again – the house is nice, but without your touch, not the same!
I wonder if you’d mind anwering some questions – your first house and your new house both seem to have black polished garnite countertops – can you please tell me if you find that the black polished finish shows crumbs and smudges and so on easily? Or is it pretty easy to care for? I have to pick something forgiving for a not so perfect housekeeper – i.e. me! and am torn between a black granite and something speckled or “patterned” in granite to hide the crumbs a bit more…..
Well Nic, I loved our black galaxy granite – it hid stuff really well….but this solid black stuff that is in the new house? Not so much. My advice? Take a salt shaker with you to the granite place.
xo – kb
I LOLed several times reading this. Accompanied with some blurting out so my husband would ask what I was reading. I’m usually just a chuckler. Keepin it real, keepin it real.
Just want you to know yours is my go-to blog when I need a laugh. Not sure if that’s what you’re aiming for, but you tickle my funny bone so much. And don’t believe it when they say your house will eventually get done. I’m here to tell ya It NEVER ENDS! Lucky for us
We moved on Dec 26. Yes, you read that correctly. We wanted to move over Christmas break & we had the help to move this day only. We still have boxes everywhere. I am disabled. I have been having help coming over once a week. I need more help. I am beginning to think I will never get rid of the boxes. I seriously hate them.
That 1 room that your baby is in is awful. Why do that to a room? The blue room is better. It is just bright. Our daughter’s old room we let her pick out her paint. She picked out a pink, which in turn was a BRIGHT pink, but we did not know until it was on the wall. We will now pick the color choices (like 3) then have her choice from that. This house we are in is my mother in law’s & we do not have to paint anything. Well, just my chalkboard doors!!
I am catching up on how the wall looked before. Wow!
Updated house tour?!?! because I know you have lots of free time ;p haha