Hello all! As you probably know we moved this week from our home in North Carolina to the Washington DC area. It's definitely a big change for us to move from the tiny suburbs in central NC to someplace so densely populated where space is at a premium! Just to refresh, our "old" house {still a little weepy about leaving} was on a half acre in a quiet neighborhood:
This is our new home, an end unit townhome in Northern Virginia:
If you look closely you can see I hung up my Balsam Hill wreath as soon as I got here! I haven't unpacked the monogram for it yet though.
I managed to snap a few pictures before we unloaded the majority of our things so that I could share with y'all the "befores" of our decorating and settling in! Lets start with the entryway.
The front door comes in between the first and second levels. The bottom floor houses the garage and a bonus room which will be a multipurpose room holding my office, a creative space for the kids as well as a sofa and tv and probably our family games and puzzles. Yes, I know that's a lot of purposes for one multipurpose room!! Storage is going to be a big challenge in this space because I am used to having a separate room with a closet for my office at the old house and there are no closets in this room-those doors are a utility closet and a bathroom.
You can also walk out to the little backyard from the bonus room. This was the hardest part of moving for me because I loved our big yard (and playset and pool!) at the old house but the yard is cute and I'm excited to get a little gardening started!
Now moving upstairs from the entryway you enter the living room...I love this room with it's crazy big windows with transoms and all the light!!
The living room opens to the dining room which flows into the kitchen. I'm loving all the moldings and the ceiling medallions in this house.
The kitchen is another area where storage is a bit of an issue. The kitchen in the old house was my favorite space but I'm thankful for the gas stove and again, lovely light in this house!
Off of the kitchen is a balcony over the backyard that I'm really looking forward to decorating!
On the other side of the penninsula in the kitchen is a little family room area with a fireplace. I plan on making this the kid's little family room area where they can watch their cartoons while eating breakfast, etc. I'd love to bring in some fun color and pattern in this area which is very different than my decor normally.
Finally I have the master bedroom upstairs (we slept on an air mattress the first night!)
The upstairs also has two other bedrooms and a laundry room but I apparently neglected taking pictures of those so you'll only get the afters for those rooms!
Overall I love the new house-it's so bright and has some wonderful details. The lack of outdoor space is going to be an adjustment for us all (don't forget I have three little boys under 8!) but I think we'll be able to do some great things with the balcony and what yard we have. We did discover a small park within walking distance yesterday so that's an amazing bonus for me with the kiddos!
I can't wait to show you the progress, be sure to follow along on Instagram and Facebook to see the in progress pics! Have a happy weekend!
Donna says
Welcome to NoVA!!! I'm in Fairfax Station - so probably not that far from you!! Enjoy Virginia - it's a beautiful state (although I would love to move back to my native California!!) Your townhouse looks perfect!!
Melissa Riker says
Thanks Donna! I think that's about a half hour from me, we're closer to Arlington but I have no idea just yet-I'm still trying to get a hold on where I am and adjust to how urban it is around here, so different than anywhere we've lived before!
cassie says
love all the moldings and light! and love the dog butt.
Melissa Riker says
lol Cassie, a ton of my pictures have dog butt or cat butt or kid butt!! That one I couldn't drop though! Looking forward to getting settled and hopefully getting to meet you in person soon! Have a great weekend at Luckett's!
Vidya @ Whats Ur Home Story says
Excited for ya! Can't wait to see all the changes you make. Once again, welcome to VA!
Melissa Riker says
Thanks so much Vidya! Looking forward to getting settled and hopefully being able to meet up with some local bloggers soon! Can't wait to meet you in person!
Sarah says
Your new home looks beautiful. I am anxious to see how you put it together.
Melissa Riker says
Thanks so much Sarah! I'm anxious too-all of these boxes are stressing me out! I'm hoping to get a "progress" post up next week to update everyone!!
Kristen @ Down Home Inspiration says
Love all of the amazing light! Can't wait to see what you do with your space!
Melissa Riker says
Thanks Kristen!! It was snowing when we popped by in March to check out the house so all the light was a huge bonus for me when we got here this week!
Dria says
Your new home is so pretty, I love all the molding and those windows esp the transoms! I can't wait to see what you do with your new space!!
Melissa Riker says
Thanks so much!! I'm in love with the transoms too-it's actually much brighter than our old home so that's a fun bonus!
Petra says
Melissa, I can really understand your feelings because we also just moved to a totally different district. It wasn't easy to decide where is the perfect place for our two small kids and our daily commuting to work... We really needed to change our lifestyle and find a calm suburb what is not that easy in Vancouver, but we were lucky enough to settle in one of the oldest neighbourhoods, the beautiful part of the West End. As I see, it's not as calm and green as your new locality, but we are still happy with it 🙂 I know there is a really long way to make your new house a home, but I can already say that I am jealous for that amazing wooden balcony!
Linda @ It All Started With Paint says
Some of the finishes are just lovely - the moulding and columns and waincosting! I can't wait follow along as you make it your own and turn it into a beautiful home!
🙂 Linda
Melissa Riker says
Thanks so much Linda...we rented it sight unseen so it was nice to get here and see all the details and bright light!! I was a little nervous!
Nancy @ Artsy Chicks Rule says
Oh its going to be beautiful! ! I love a light filled home. .. And the woodwork and moldings are great too!
Nancy
Melissa Riker says
Thanks Nancy! I'm looking so forward to getting all these boxes out of here so I can enjoy the house!
Karen Ploransky @ The Decorated Nest says
What a beautiful new place, and the light is awesome. We are downsizing-actually swapping homes with our daughter and her family! Light is a huge issue for me--the moldings are fabulous. I wish your family much health, happiness and love in your new place. Looking forward to seeing what you "do" with the place!
Melissa Riker says
Thanks so much Karen! I saw your FB post about switching houses and thought that was the coolest thing!
Brittany aka Pretty Handy Girl says
Congrats on getting moved in. I think your new home is really sweet looking. I know you'll put your own stamp on that home and make it beautiful!!!
Melissa Riker says
Thanks so much Brittany! I'm so excited to get settled!
tammy hebert says
Melissa,
Granted it isn't your old home but it is beautiful and I can see your style in it.
I'm excited to see what you do with it as its a rental. I'm hoping you are allowed to personalize more than we are in base housing.
Now get those boxes unpacked. You know its expected of us military wives to have the home unpacked and totally decorated within a week. 🙂
Melissa Riker says
Thanks Tammy, We moved ourselves this time and it was not so smooth. Finally have all of our belongings here so I can really start decorating, this is the fun part!
Cherie says
You'll be missed Melissa! Enjoy your new home.
Melissa Riker says
Thanks Cherie! We will find out next year sometime where we'll go next, we may end up right back in the house in a couple years!