How’s that for a sensational title? A little dramatic, sure, but it set the tone. John and I realized recently that there are a surprising number of corners and details in the house we’ve never shown. Some are tiny nooks, others are noticeably larger spaces we somehow overlooked—odd for two people who usually share everything. So consider this a small corrective: here are a few spots and stories from around the house that we haven’t photographed or mentioned in detail before.

First up: our pantry. We’ve mentioned a pantry-style cabinet next to the wall oven before, but never fully opened it for a photo. The kitchen cabinetry was redone about 25 years ago, and the swinging doors and that middle flip-out compartment feel very of that era. There’s storage on both sides of that center piece, and all the little shelves are still oddly charming—even if they sometimes send us on ten-minute scavenger hunts trying to remember where we stashed an ingredient.

Next: our in-ground irrigation system. It’s just for the front yard and a small grassy patch in the backyard, not the entire almost-acre lot. I usually call it “the sprinklers” because I’m not fancy, but they’re convenient—way easier than wrestling a hose. We only run them when we’ve had a spell without rain and when local restrictions allow, so we’re mindful of water use. Also, Burger jumps off the couch or flies out of bed to watch them through the window, which is endlessly entertaining. He really loves the show.

We finally framed the portrait I mentioned getting for John—an ink and marker rendering of our first house that was a Father’s Day gift. The artist included an initial sketch in the envelope, which was fun to see alongside the finished piece. We hung the portrait in our hallway gallery, placing it low on the wall so Clara can enjoy it. She already says “ohh hou” to mean “old house,” which melts us every time.

Above that portrait hangs a page from a hand-me-down catalog that a friend left behind. I cut out a playful phrase from the page and popped it into a frame; it’s imperfectly cropped but charming, and it sits at Clara’s level so she’ll see it as she learns to read.

Here’s a slightly creepy but harmless detail: there’s a vine wrapped around the trunk of the oak tree by our upper patio. It looks dramatic—maybe a little like something from a movie—but we had someone check it out. The vine near the base doesn’t seem invasive right now, and the tree is healthy. If the vine grows heavier or the tree begins to decline, we’ll deal with it promptly.

On to a disappointing discovery: the reclaimed pine floors in our bedroom are beautiful but in need of attention. There’s a faded square in front of the dresser that suggests a piece of furniture sat there for years while surrounding wood aged differently. The area has lost its protective finish, and something brown was apparently absorbed into the wood, leaving a stain that indicates the sealant was gone at some point. Refinishing that section—and other worn hardwood throughout the house—is on our someday-to-do list.

We also noticed how often we photograph the same angles of a room and miss other perspectives. For example, we didn’t show a view of the den that looks into the kitchen and laundry nook until moving day when everything was packed. That made us want to include more mundane, everyday shots—like this hallway photo—that illustrate how rooms connect: Clara’s room, the playroom, the guest room, the hall bathroom, and the main living areas are all tied together by this corridor.

There’s a big intake vent low on the wall in that hall that’s been bugging me. I’d love to add some wainscoting, but I’m not sure how to integrate the vent. My current thought is to design the trim around it and paint the vent glossy white so it feels intentional rather than awkward.

Finally, a detail that often surprises people: the south-west corner of our house is pointy. The sunroom’s roof slopes upward, which threw us during the walk-through because the rest of the house is more mid-century ranch in character. The sunroom was added later, and its lofted ceiling makes the room very airy and light-filled. It feels a little different from the rest of the exterior but offers great interior volume and potential. We have ideas about how to better integrate that addition visually with the rest of the house down the road.

Do any of these small revelations shock anyone? Probably not, but it feels good to share these little imperfections and idiosyncrasies. I sometimes dream about stumbling upon a hidden room in the house—that would be an incredible surprise. As a sidenote, I recently had a random dream featuring a celebrity and a shared necklace; it was amusingly specific but entirely harmless. For now, we’ll keep documenting these small discoveries and the gradual improvements as they happen.