***Update: catch up and follow along with our house progress by scrolling through our updates!***
Hey friends! It’s been a whirlwind of the best kind these past few weeks as we settle into our new (old) mid-century brick rambler. If you’d told me a while back that I’d buy a ranch-style, one-level house with a basement, I might have raised an eyebrow. I’ve always leaned toward cottage, farmhouse, or craftsman styles, but this mid-century ranch has quickly grown on me.
We’ve moved from a brand new house after years of living in older homes from the 1920s and 1930s, so this change in era and style is different for us. Still, the moment we walked through, we felt it could become the right home for our family. I have plenty of ideas—both short-term and long-range—for how we’ll personalize each room and the exterior, and I can’t wait to share them in upcoming posts. To kick things off, here’s a video tour to give you an initial peek. If the embedded video above doesn’t load, you can view the tour directly on YouTube.
So why did this house feel like the right fit? Here are some of its best features:
Here are some of its best features:
Gorgeous natural light — From the main floor down to the basement, the home is bright and cheerful all day long, even when the sky is overcast. Good light makes a huge difference in how a home feels and functions; our previous home had large windows that filled rooms with sunlight, so we knew light would be a priority this time. The lot offers trees in view without them blocking the windows, which was exactly what we wanted.
A sense of space — While the house isn’t huge, it feels open and roomy. Big windows and broad sky views expand the sense of space and make it easy to breathe. The layout has distinct living, dining, and kitchen areas that flow together, creating an open but cozy feel. The finished basement gives us extra space to relax and gather.
A blank slate — The mid-century character is new for us, but the house has lots of potential to evolve with our style. It’s clean and well-maintained enough to move into, yet offers many opportunities for enhancing curb appeal, adding design details, updating the kitchen and bathrooms, and personalizing the rooms with furnishings and decor. There are projects we can start right away, and others to enjoy over time.
A solid house — Some homes simply feel right. This one has a reassuring, solid presence and good bones. Plumbing and electrical updates are already in place, and the finished basement adds useful square footage. Importantly, there are no major botched remodels to undo, which gives us a great foundation to build on.
The view — We didn’t expect to find a view, but this house delivers. From the living room, dining room, and kitchen you can see wide sky, sunset vistas, distant mountains, trees, and even Puget Sound. Those everyday views are an unexpected joy and already feel like a daily gift.
The location — The house sits within five miles of the places we wanted to be near and is in an established neighborhood where many homeowners are improving their properties. That combination feels right for us and is encouraging from a resale perspective.
A quiet oasis — Seattle is lively and full of traffic, but this property is tucked away on a larger, private lot that feels like a retreat. The backyard is private and dotted with mature shrubs and trees that create a peaceful, garden-like setting. Being able to come home to a calm, quiet space was important to us.
Seeing our furniture arrive has been such a thrill, even if the house currently looks like a temporary jumble of boxes, bins, and scattered decor. I’ll share a post soon about our moving-in process and the best tips we learned while planning this move. If you missed our moving-out post, you might find it helpful to review what we shared then.
Stay tuned—we’ll be walking room by room through the house, sharing inspiration, design ideas, and both short- and long-term plans for each space.
***Update: catch up and follow along with our house progress by scrolling through our updates!***
The cute sign at the end of the video was created by a small shop featured in the tour. 🙂