I’ve shared many real-time renovation updates on Instagram Stories, but here’s a longer-format catch-up for anyone who prefers to read. We’re about seven weeks into our biggest renovation in over five years, and the house looks as chaotic as expected. Remember our 2012 mantra, “the middle makes no sense”? Over the last month and a half we’ve opened walls, removed ceilings, and framed entirely new rooms. There’s been a lot of progress, a ton of dust, and still much to do.

If you prefer video, watch the update posted with this project to hear a room-by-room walkthrough. If you can’t play the video with sound right now, read on for a concise status update and some practical tips for handling dust and making a smaller house feel larger while renovating.

Two persistent issues nudged us toward this renovation over the last several years. We didn’t want to address only one problem and leave the other unresolved, and nothing felt urgent enough that we couldn’t wait for the right solution. After considering many options, we arrived at a plan that solved both main goals without moving the kitchen, without complex upstairs plumbing work, and while allowing us to keep at least one functioning bathroom throughout most of the project. The estimate even came in under our expectations. Our two primary goals were simple:

1. Enlarge our son’s small bedroom so it can handle bigger-making activities and storage.
2. Improve access to and views of the backyard pool area by removing a hidden hallway that felt detached from main living spaces.

A bonus that made sense while the house was open and dusty: adding an ensuite bathroom to the primary bedroom. Running plumbing there was straightforward because the house’s plumbing already ran beneath the porch area, so tapping into it was relatively quick and economical.

Finishing the Porch

After exploring many possibilities, we realized that finishing the covered front porch into a conditioned bedroom would accomplish both of our goals. Making the porch into our daughter’s new bedroom allowed us to open her old room into the adjoining kitchen and sitting area, creating an L-shaped shared living space with large glass doors leading to the pool. The space that used to be the pool hallway became part of our son’s room, making it significantly wider and deeper. The change in circulation and sight lines has been dramatic and joyful.

From the outside you can see the new bedroom structure — the shell is up and it still needs interior finishes and paint. One small painted patch was placed for electrical equipment originally, but we relocated those boxes to a fence at the side of the house, which hides them from view when approaching the front door.

A Better View and Access to the Pool

Before the reno, the pool was almost invisible from the downstairs living area; a laundry closet and our daughter’s bedroom blocked the view. By removing those barriers and adding a new lounge area with large glass doors, the pool is now visible and accessible from the main living space. The result is a bright, connected living area that lets us enjoy the pool when entertaining or simply relaxing on the sofa.

This new lounge area will be vaulted like the daughter’s bedroom was, which amplifies the sense of space. Moving the kitchen’s sitting area into the lounge frees up room in the kitchen for additional cabinetry and a peninsula with stools, and lets our dining table float in a wider area so it can seat more people comfortably — a practical change for family dinners and gatherings.

The framing and the new openings reveal where the light-blocking walls used to be, and they make it easy to imagine how much more cohesive and functional the new layout will be once finished. A laundry closet will sit tucked into a wall under the HVAC header, recessed in a way that won’t create awkward bites into the daughter’s bedroom layout.

A Bigger Bedroom for Our Son

The former hallway to the backyard is now part of our son’s bedroom, widening the room from about 7 feet to roughly 11 feet. We were also able to move his entry door further back and add a much larger window, which together make the room feel entirely transformed. Vaulting the ceiling in this expanded footprint brings in more volume and makes the room feel playful and roomy — perfect for craft projects and storage.

We even found a small, hidden safe embedded in the foundation concrete during demolition — a quirky discovery that felt like a tiny adventure in the middle of the renovation.

Our Ensuite Bathroom

Although living with one bathroom wasn’t unbearable for our family, adding an ensuite while the house was open made logistical sense. The raised deck and existing plumbing runs made tying into water and drain lines quick, so the new bathroom took less than a day to connect. The ensuite occupies a former L-shaped nook in the bedroom, and converting that corner into a compact but functional bathroom allows the bedroom to become a simple rectangle with an attached bath.

We relocated the bedroom door to open from the closet wall, which allows for a continuous run of built-in storage on one side of the room and frees the former doorway wall to become a floating vanity nook in the new bathroom. The space will include a sink, a toilet, and a wall-to-wall zero-entry shower finished with tile to the ceiling. It won’t be huge, but it will be highly functional and feel thoughtfully integrated into the bedroom layout.

Other Renovation To-Dos

Beyond the major moves, we’re tackling a number of smaller items: rebuilding an outdoor shower at the back of the house, extending the patio slightly for access from the new French doors, swapping and repurposing windows to increase natural light in certain bathrooms, and matching new roofing materials so the newer construction patinas to blend with the older roof. Reusing windows where possible has helped correct past choices and increase light in spaces that needed it.

How We’re Handling the Mess

Renovations are dusty and disruptive. To keep the mess manageable while living in the house we rely on a few practical items and routines:

• Drop cloths to cover furniture and tape off doorways where possible.
• A small shop vac for cleaning sawdust and debris in corners and ledges.
• A wet-vacuum mop that vacuums and mops in one pass to remove the chalky residue that dust leaves behind.

The advice is simple: do whatever it takes to stay sane during a renovation. Keeping one working kitchen and bathroom most of the time has helped, and while renovations can feel stressful in the moment, the finished result is always worth it for us.

Tips for Living Large in a Smaller Home

After nearly six years in a down-sized house, here are a few lessons we’ve learned about making a smaller home feel larger and more livable:

• Avoid bedrooms that feel too cramped but also don’t oversize them; balance matters.
• Maximize sight lines and natural light in shared living areas and consider vaulted ceilings where practical.
• Furnish shared spaces so they’re used daily rather than treating them as formal rooms that sit empty.
• Address key sticking points — sometimes solving two main problems unlocks many smaller wins.
• Consider larger furniture in small homes; a few substantial pieces can feel more purposeful than many small ones.
• Prioritize storage — creative storage solutions make a smaller home much more functional.

This house was about 1,400 square feet before the renovation and will be roughly 1,520 square feet after converting the covered porch into interior space. It’s still modest in size compared to our previous home, but the location, the pool, and the neighborhood made this the right choice for our family. Renovating this house proved more cost-effective than attempting to buy a larger property in the same area, and it let us tailor the layout to how we actually live.

The new views of the pool from the front door and downstairs living area already feel like an embarrassment of riches, even in this rough state. Adding a separate upstairs shared space gives the kids a place to craft, host sleepovers, and watch movies while adults entertain downstairs — another way to make a small home feel more flexible.

Next steps include final electrical work, insulation, drywall, tile, fixtures, and flooring. We’ll share another update as the project progresses — follow along on our social channels for real-time updates and expect another blog-style update in a few weeks.

P.S. If you missed our initial post about the renovation, it includes background information and additional photos that help explain the project.

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