We've moved!

kitchen (west)

Kitchen (north)

Family room adjacent to kitchen

family room and kitchen

Office

Dining room

Entry hall 

living and dining room

1880s Brunswick billiards table 

After a whirlwind 6 months of work on the house, we are in!  Our amazing contractor Joel got us in ahead of schedule--on September 26th!  We are now quickly unpacking boxes and settling in to our new home.   Here are some pictures of the first floor (still lots of boxes upstairs!).    We are overjoyed and a bit overwhelmed.   Moving forces you to own up to all that you have acquired and gives you the rare opportunity to part with all the things that are no longer relevant to you. If you adopt a ruthless attitude and set the "keep" bar very high, it can be a great opportunity to lighten your load.   But it's not that easy.   Selection is hard, sometimes bizarrely emotional, and curating and editing your collections--be it kitchen gadgets or art can be tougher than it seems.  In addition, due to all of the stuff that came with the purchase of the house, it has been a harder move than usual since we are also sorting and sifting through furniture and objects that the previous owner left behind.  Since we aspire to live in a more minimalist, er, uncluttered way, we are selectively integrating a few wonderful pieces that we inherited.  To that end, the grandfather clock is now back in its original place in the front hall, the 1880s Brunswick billiards table is in the upgraded basement, and I have claimed a small secretary desk for my use, which tucks into Grant's office quite nicely.   And the best part for me?  The kitchen.  It's a perfect combination of form and function.