Although we’ve been in our “beach house” for several months, I realized I never shared an official before-tour. These are the beach house before photos we took before moving in, and I thought it would be helpful to gather them all in one place so you can see how the spaces connect and imagine the changes ahead.
We bought the house furnished, so you might notice pieces we later gave away or moved. Also, you’ll see plastic still on some carpets from the open house—excuse that. Many spaces are charming and well cared for; we love living here already. Still, we have plans to personalize the home over time.
Some projects are happening soon: we’re planning a small main-floor primary suite off the back of the house for my parents, and while that’s underway we’ll remodel the kitchen and install new hardwood flooring throughout. As we live here, I expect more ideas will arise and evolve.
If you missed it, I wrote about our first six months in the new beach house and the backstory of how it came to be—those reflections explain why this place means so much to us.
Enjoy the before tour below!
At the top of the stairs is a bright bonus room that immediately won us over. The built-ins, ceiling detail and the view made it feel special right away.
Photos don’t fully capture the room’s warmth, but the layout and light convinced me it would become a favorite spot. We’ll add hardwood floors and other finishing touches; the built-ins already make it feel like home for my books, and the dogs love the window seat.
From that room you can head downstairs to the entry, living room and kitchen, or continue up to the primary suite, laundry closet and a guest bedroom and bath. We removed the protective plastic from the carpet soon after moving in and are looking forward to new hardwoods and a runner in the stairwell.
I have ideas for the stairwell and hallway—new lighting, paint, and possibly paneling over time. It has a lot of character and will be fun to make our own.
At the top of the second stair is our compact laundry closet. We don’t need a full laundry room for two people, though we’ll add a second washer and dryer downstairs for my parents once their suite is in place.
This hallway leads to the guest room and bathroom. The house has two bedrooms plus the bonus room, so it’s compact but cozy and comfortable.
The guest room has windows on three sides and a peek of water from one angle. For now it serves as my parents’ room until their main-floor suite is built. I’ve mentioned ideas for making guest rooms double-duty with a built-in daybed in past posts—this room has that potential.
The guest bathroom is a nice, simple space that we’ll update eventually to reflect our personal style.
Down the hall in the other direction is our bedroom. The view from the hall into the room took our breath away when we first saw the house—and it still delights us every day. We often point out the ferry passing by; it never gets old.
Last spring we dreamed of a bedroom with French doors opening to a patio and a new primary bathroom. This room almost exactly matched that vision and even exceeded our expectations with the view. It’s a reminder that some dreams do come true.
I’ve posted updates on the bedroom and simple changes that make it a cozy retreat; we’ll continue to refine it as we settle in.
This is the bathroom we love. We’ve already added an antique chinoiserie cabinet that fits perfectly; the photos above are from before we moved in, so I’ll update them later to show the cabinet and how we use it.
Heading back downstairs, I’m excited about small spots like this stairwell. With hardwood floors, updated lighting and our artwork, these before photos will be fun to look back on as the house evolves.
Below are more images of the downstairs. We’ve already made a few changes, and many more are planned this year—so I wanted to document the starting point in one post.
We updated the entry light fixture to a charming lantern and added a door basket and fresh paint—small changes that made the entry feel welcoming.
The built-ins and bench by the front window are lovely for sitting and watching the view. We added a plug-in brass wall sconce on the bookshelf for extra light without rewiring.
We adore the ceilings and French doors in the living area. This room will change once the new flooring is installed and as we bring in more of our furniture, though we’re already fond of the blue sofa.
The covered front porch is a favorite spot since it can be enjoyed in all kinds of weather.
We’ve only added accessories here so far, so it will be rewarding to see the room transform with new floors and some furniture updates.
This area will change dramatically: we plan to remove the peninsulas, move the kitchen to the back of the house, create a new dining area between kitchen and living room, and build the small addition for my parents. It will open sightlines and make the spaces feel more connected.
Relocating the dining area between the living room and new kitchen will give us more room to spread out while keeping the spaces adjacent—perfect for family gatherings.
The current kitchen is sweet, but the dining room space will make a charming new kitchen. We hope to add windows on the far wall and will repurpose the existing kitchen elements so nothing goes to waste.
There’s more to share about our kitchen and dining plans, and I’ll post updates as the work progresses so you can follow along.
The small mudroom between the kitchen and garage is charming. With the addition, it will likely become a pantry and extra storage for dishes and supplies.
I’m delighted to have a little powder room—its whale wallpaper felt like a sign that we were home. It’s a sweet space we’ll enjoy updating over time.
A quick look outside: we love the backyard and the rear of the house. The addition will alter this area somewhat, but we’re excited about adding windows, French doors and extra charm—plus gardening, fences and gates to come.
Thank you for following our journey to this little forever home. We feel very grateful to have found this house and look forward to sharing the remodel and addition progress as we make it our own. You can read more about our first six months in the new beach house in my post about that milestone.