Last Friday, a comment on our blog post sparked a fantastic idea: “I love your videos and it’s crazy to see the difference in YHL style from the first house to this house! If you wanted to do a side-by-side of rooms past and present, I wouldn’t hate it :)” – Sarah.
We instantly knew this was a brilliant suggestion! Who doesn’t love a good comparison, especially when it involves the evolution of home design? So, here we are, diving headfirst into a spirited showdown: our beloved first house versus our current house. Imagine the dramatic music swelling, perhaps a scene from Gladiator playing in the background, as we pit these two homes against each other, room by room.
It’s important to set expectations right from the start. This comparison isn’t entirely fair, given the disparity in their renovation timelines. We spent over four and a half years meticulously transforming our first house, bringing every room to its finished glory. Our current home, however, is a mere eight months into its journey, with grander plans and a larger footprint, promising an even longer renovation marathon. Therefore, consider this a battle of “finished masterpiece” against “exciting work-in-progress.” We’re definitely cutting our current house some slack here! Most of the “current house” photos are snatched directly from our dedicated House Tour page, explaining the “progress” label you might spot. With that preface, let the architectural and design comparison begin!
Room-by-Room Home Style Comparison
The Front Yard: First House vs. Current House
Winner: The first house. This category is an undeniable win for our first home. It took us over four years to transform its exterior from a genuine disaster into a welcoming, beautifully landscaped space. Our current home, in contrast, is very much a blank canvas. From certain angles, it still resembles a rather unfortunate mess, and we anticipate at least three more years of dedicated effort to bring its front yard vision to life. The first house simply benefits from being a finished project.
The Front Porch: First House vs. Current House
Winner: The first house. While we adore the cheerful yellow front door on our current house more than the bold red of our first home, the overall charm of the first house’s porch takes the cake. Its inviting hanging ferns and the distinctive tan-and-cream striped floor were some of our absolute favorite features. For our new porch, we have extensive plans including boxing out the columns, staining the concrete, and a myriad of other enhancements. Until then, the fully realized comfort of our first porch reigns supreme.
The Living Room: First House vs. Current House
Winner: Our current house. This might be a contentious choice, as our current living room is far from complete and still looks a bit chaotic from certain angles. However, the functionality and comfort it offers are unparalleled. In our first house, the formal living room was rarely used; we primarily retreated to the den for TV and relaxation. Our current living room, designed for everyday living, feels profoundly more “us.” We can truly sink into our giant sofa, play on the plush rug with our daughter Clara (affectionately known as “the bean”), and even enjoy meals by the big window at the pedestal table. This space, though in progress, fosters genuine family connection, a stark contrast to the underutilized formality of its predecessor.
The Kitchen: First House vs. Current House
Winner: Is it a tie? It feels a bit cliché, but this category truly demands a nuanced verdict. The kitchen in our first house, with its gleaming granite countertops, bright white cabinets, and sleek stainless steel appliances, made our hearts flutter – it was impeccably finished. However, it was undeniably tiny. The new kitchen, despite being in the very early stages of its grand transformation, offers incredible space, boasting a charming fireplace and ample room for an eat-in area. Once we create a large opening to the dining room, upgrade appliances, repaint cabinets, and install a custom built-in dining solution, we are confident the current kitchen will be the undisputed champion. For now, it’s a tie: finished charm versus immense potential and generous space.
The Hallway: First House vs. Current House
Winner: Current house. Without hesitation, the current house takes this win. We are incredibly grateful for its generous width and abundant natural light, making it feel open and inviting. The magnificent family gallery wall we’ve created here fills us with warmth and joy every time we pass through. It truly feels like the heart of our home, showcasing cherished memories in a beautifully spacious setting, a significant upgrade from the more constrained hallway of our first home.
The Spare Bedroom: First House vs. Current House
Winner: The first house. This is a no-brainer. While this picture of our current spare bedroom is borrowed from an older post detailing its chaotic state before my mom came to the rescue, it often reverts to a similar level of “ca-razy” disarray. Therefore, the neat and functional spare room in our first house, complete with a daybed and a dedicated desk, was infinitely less stress-inducing. It offered a sense of calm and order that our current, often toy-laden, spare room simply cannot match at this stage of our renovation journey.
The Nursery (Formerly The Third Bedroom): First House vs. Current House
Winner: Current house. But it was a hard call. The nursery in our first house holds immense sentimental value; it was the cherished space we brought Clara home to, filled with so many precious memories. Its cozy charm was undeniable. However, the current house’s nursery gains the edge thanks to its significantly larger closet. This generous space has been cleverly transformed by Clara into her very own reading nook, a feature that adds incredible functionality and a personal touch that the first nursery simply couldn’t offer. Sentimentally, it’s a tie, but practically, the current house wins.
The Master Bedroom: First House vs. Current House
Winner: Current house. Even though our current master bedroom is only about 20% complete, it already evokes a “geeky-giddy” feeling. Sleeping under that magnificent chandelier, which casts a perfect reflection in the mirror above the sink, is truly a delight. The sheer luxury of having a walk-in closet and a master bathroom that’s actually connected to the bedroom represents a monumental step up in functionality and convenience. While the custom built-ins we ingeniously created with doorless Ikea wardrobes to flank the bed in our first house hold a special place in our hearts for their clever storage, the promise and current state of our new master suite secure its victory.
The Master Bathroom (located in the hall): First House vs. Current House
Winner: First house. By a mile. We absolutely adored the complete gut job bathroom in our first house; its transformation was beyond words. Our new master bathroom, on the other hand, remains largely untouched (just look at that bisque toilet!). However, we are brimming with excitement for its future updates. We fully expect to love this one even more someday, primarily because it’s directly attached to our bedroom, offering much-needed privacy and convenience that wasn’t possible with the shared hall bathroom in our previous home. But for now, the finished perfection of the first house’s bathroom takes the crown.
The Office/Guest Bedroom/Playroom: First House vs. Current House
The Office & Guest Bedroom (now separate rooms): Current House
Winner: Current house. Our first house’s office was a marvel of multi-tasking – an office, playroom, and guest room all in one. However, it was undeniably tiny, leading to cramped feelings when everyone was trying to use the space simultaneously. Just comparing the size of our old desk, which once filled an entire wall, to how small it appears in our new, larger office, perfectly illustrates the scale difference. And when guests visited, continuing blog work (which never stops!) became a challenge as the office was occupied. So, while our first home’s versatile room was fun, the functional advantage of having our own cheerful, dedicated guest room with an attached bath, and a separate, more spacious office, makes the current setup far superior. Although, we wholeheartedly admit that our current office situation is still, as the song goes, “uggggly (hey, hey) it’s ugly” – but it has potential!
The Den: First House
Winner: The first house. This is an easy win for two reasons: 1) Our current house doesn’t have a dedicated den, and 2) The den in our first house was hands down one of our all-time favorite rooms – it was exceptionally cozy and functional. While the room we now call our “living room” in the current house could have served as a den, we instead opted to transform what was originally a formal living room into a spacious dining room. This decision was driven by the need to comfortably accommodate our large family, who couldn’t quite fit into the smaller dining room located behind it (which we then converted into our office). We ultimately decided that one large, casual room for TV, reading, playing, and hanging out was more than sufficient, eliminating the need for a second formal living space, especially since we barely used the formal living room in our first house.
The Dining Room: Current House
Winner: Current house. Another clear victory! First, those curtains are absolute perfection, and we are utterly enamored with the rich dark teal color we painted on the back of the built-ins. Secondly, our first house didn’t even have a proper dining room; it merely featured a dining nook nestled in a corner of the living room. Originally, there was a small dining room off the other side of the kitchen, but we closed off that doorway to create a much-needed third bedroom, which later became Clara’s nursery. The detailed explanation of this transformation can be found here. The dedicated, spacious dining room in our current home is a luxury we truly appreciate.
The Laundry Area: First House vs. Current House
Laundry Area: Current House
Winner: The current house. We are absolutely delighted with our new laundry space. While it is undeniably narrow and lacks a dedicated surface for folding, it simply feels more cheerful and efficient. Crucially, it helps us resist the natural human urge to clutter up a long counter near the door, a battle we constantly fought in our first house’s laundry area, which was perpetually covered with incoming or outgoing items. Plus, we find it far more enjoyable to fold laundry in front of the TV on the sofa in the living room anyway, making the compact design of the new laundry area a surprising win for our habits and peace of mind.
The Hall Bathroom: First House vs. Current House
Winner: First house? This one presents a delightful dilemma. The stripes, the whimsical glass chandelier, the elegant pedestal sink, and the convenient pocket door in our first house’s hall bathroom were undeniably charming and beautifully executed. The new hall bath, however, offers a crucial functional advantage: it includes a bathtub, which is where Clara now takes all her baths. So, while the current house might win for its essential function, the first house certainly wins for its finished sweetness and style. That blank slate of a bathroom in the current house is practically begging for a makeover! But based on initial instinct and completed aesthetics, we’ll award this point to the first house until we tackle the renovation of our new one.
The Sunroom: First House vs. Current House
Winner: First house, all the way. The sunroom in our first home was a true gem, a fully realized oasis of light and comfort that we cherished. Our current sunroom, unfortunately, is still very much a raw, undeveloped space. It’s on a list of about ten million things we plan to tackle, but for now, it pales in comparison to the finished charm of its predecessor. Perhaps in another four years, our new sunroom will be able to give the first one a serious run for its money, but for now, the first house easily secures this victory.
The Patio: First House vs. Current House
Winner: Current house. This win is primarily attributed to its superior spaciousness and the cozy, shaded ambiance it offers. But most importantly, it wins because we built it ourselves! We hired out the construction of our first house’s patio because we were just three weeks away from our backyard wedding and were terrified that a DIY attempt would leave us exchanging vows next to a half-finished mud pit. The pride and satisfaction of completing the current patio with our own hands, along with its improved design, make it the clear winner in our hearts.
The Basement: First House vs. Current House
Winner: First house. This is another straightforward win for our first house, simply because we’ve demonstrably spent considerably more time and effort finishing it. Haha! The basement in our current home is still a raw, unfinished space, a testament to the many projects still on our horizon. But who knows what incredible transformations await down there someday?
The Backyard: First House vs. Current House
Winner: First house. We genuinely miss that beautiful, flat grassy area in our first house, perfectly encircled by charming woods. It was a serene and welcoming outdoor space that our current backyard, with its more natural and sloped terrain, simply hasn’t matched yet. However, we have ambitious plans! Through extensive transplanting and landscaping, we aim to create a lovely grassy spot for Clara and our dog, Burger, to romp and play. It’s a long-term vision, but until then, the tranquil beauty of our first backyard remains unmatched.
And there you have it – our comprehensive room-by-room comparison! The final tally appears to be 9 wins for our first house and 8 for our current home (with one tie that leaned towards the current house’s future potential). Of course, this comparison is inherently biased towards the finished perfection of our first home. In fairness, we should absolutely revisit this fun exercise once more of the spaces in our new house have undergone their planned transformations. Sarah, thank you so much for this inspiring suggestion; it was genuinely fun to compile!
It’s truly fascinating to observe how our interior design style is gradually evolving with each new project. While we’ll always cherish the cohesive, tone-on-tone aesthetic of our first “baby” (our first house), our current home is allowing us to explore new ideas and embrace a different, perhaps bolder, design language. It’s a unique process, isn’t it? Have you ever compared photos of your current home against a previous one? It’s remarkable to see what elements you liked or disliked, and how a new house presents a chance to reinvent your living space, even if you’re working with many of your existing cherished furnishings. This ongoing evolution is undoubtedly a significant part of the joy and adventure of homeownership and DIY home improvement.
Psst- For those curious about the specifics, you can find a comprehensive source list for nearly every item and all the paint colors used in our first house right here. We’re diligently working on compiling a similar list for our current home, so stay tuned for more details on our ongoing renovation projects!