First Floor Reveal

It has been a strange and sad week. And now I think a little levity is in order. You too? Onward.

The construction on our new house is finally, mercifully, finished. Oh there are always a few odds and ends, and some boxes that still need to be unpacked, but nothing that is keeping us from living - really living - in our new home. And we are loving it.

Last Friday I posted before and after pictures of my brand new kitchen. And today, for your viewing satisfaction, I am doing the same for the rest of the first floor. The befores and afters aren't quite as dramatic as the kitchen, but we think it's looking pretty good. The "before" pictures, like on Friday, are the pictures from the original listing, so they are exactly what we saw when we walked into the house for the first time.

Here we go. Living room first.

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After:

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After:

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After:

And as an added bonus, the perfect view of our newly mounted 63 inch TV, tuned to the Steeler game of course.

Now the family room:

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After:

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After:

And for good measure, my new bookshelves:

Last weekend we had lots of family and friends over on Saturday night to celebrate our new home and the first night of Chanukah. We had lots of great food, a fire in the fireplace, and all the people we love most. And now, parents are on their way to New York as I type this to see the new house, and stay with us for the weekend, and I am, quite literally, counting the minutes until they get here.

It feels better than I ever imagined to have a place that is really our own. A place where all of our people can gather together, and be together. Growing up, my parents' house was that house. The one that welcomed friends and family to celebrate in good times and to comfort in hard times. And I hope that our house will be as well.