This same week two years ago we were closing on our home. We’ve grown to love this house even more since then. We’ve also added plenty of our own personal touches along the way.
I’ve gone bolder with almost every design element in this house than I’d ever gone in a previous home. When we moved in, I had to ask myself whether I should play it safe when it came to home design updates or do what interested me and made the space unique. Two years later, I can safely say I’m glad I chose the latter.
What I love most about all the changes I’ve made to our home is getting to share it with others. Whenever we invite friends and family into our space, it’s so fun to share a home that’s deeply personal.
Today I’m sharing five of the home design updates we’ve made over the past two years that I love most.
01
Dining Room
I love that we changed what was previously our “extended foyer” into the dining room. It felt like a risk at first because, given its location directly inside the front door, it’s not the most natural space for a dining room. It was worth it though since we use this space all the time now (before, we typically just passed through it on our way to another room).
I’m also glad we made a couple of changes at the end of last year that brightened up the room. We painted the room a lovely white color, in the middle of the sea of bold colors that is the rest of the house. We also figured out how to turn on the lights above the skylight, which adds such a nice ambiance in the evenings.
02
Kitchen
This room was the biggest project, headache, and expense! That being said, it has contributed immensely to our overall enjoyment of our home. I am very happy with the design choices we ultimately made in this space.
The decision to go with an island in the kitchen dining area instead of a table was crucial to the flow of the space. I love that we use it as an informal area to get messy, whether it be making dinner or doing a school project. It’s a place where we make, first and foremost!
03
Family Room
This is a room where the design decisions I made were deeply intentional in how they contributed to the space as a whole. I’m really pleased with the results. My favorite part about this room is its centerpiece: the velvet green sofa (gifted by the brand). The fact that we have this large, comfy sofa to lounge on is so impactful, versus the alternative of a sofa that’s more formal. There was something about the formality of the fireplace that was limiting my design instincts initially, but I’m glad I ultimately went this route.
04
Main Bedroom
We’ve made a lot of tweaks to this room over the past two years and I’m really happy with the space right now. We recently added a new bed I love (more on this soon!). While our old bed frame was beautiful, the material was too delicate for our energetic family members—two kids and two dogs. We also found antique nightstands and an antique dresser that are so much more functional than our previous furniture pieces, especially in terms of storage. I also moved my closet downstairs recently, which made more space for Joe’s clothing. We’ve reached a sweet spot in terms of design and functionality in this room.
05
Heated Floors
This is not a sexy update but it’s something I’m so glad we did. Adding heating underneath our floors had been recommended to me a lot. While I was initially nervous about the cost it could add to our heating bill, it’s been so wonderful. It made a huge positive impact on our comfort at home this winter. (Our SunTouch heated floors were gifted as part of a previous partnership, but their inclusion in this roundup was 100% my decision.)
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Kate is the founder of Wit & Delight. She is currently learning how to play tennis and is forever testing the boundaries of her creative muscle. Follow her on Instagram at @witanddelight_.
BY Kate Arends - May 9, 2022
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Thank you for being here. For being open to enjoying life’s simple pleasures and looking inward to understand yourself, your neighbors, and your fellow humans! I’m looking forward to chatting with you.
Hi, I'm Kate. Welcome to my happy place.
Thanks Kate for this post. I love the kitchen with dogs around.
Thank you for taking the time to read it!
[…] is working easily is almost all of what leads me to really feel actually good in my residence. Any design updates I make past this are the cherry on […]