My New Home (+Video Tour)
This Post May Contain Affiliate Links. Please Read Our Disclosure PolicyIt feels a bit surreal to be typing this, but let me welcome each of you to my new home!
My house hunting adventure has finally ended. I now have a new home here in Pittsburgh, and I couldn’t be more thrilled about it! *cue Leslie Knope dance* Today, it’s my pleasure to show you around via photos and a short video at the end of this post.
I have so much I want to tell you about this new house. I wish I could just invite you over for snacks and cocktails so we could chat about my plans and any questions you have about the space.
In order to keep this post a reasonable length, I’m only going to show you around and save discussions of needed repairs, future plans, and my current brainstorming for separate posts. Sound good? We have a lot to talk about. I hope you’re ready for all things house.
Without further ado, let me give you the Before Tour of my house!
As you can see, the house is a colonial with a mix of white siding and white painted brick. Although it has a Pittsburgh address, it’s located about 20 minutes from the city.
The house sits on two acres and has a big front yard, good-size backyard, and small wooded area out back.
The garage is underneath the house (specifically, the dining room and living room.) While the garage is considered a 2-stall, I’m calling it a 1 1/2.
The home also has a semi-finished basement. I didn’t photograph it for this post, but this is where the laundry is located. There’s also a funky wood-paneled bar and another big wood-burning brick fireplace. I’ll save that for another post.
Off the family room, there’s a small side porch. I love this porch. In fact, I’m sitting on it as I write this post. From here I currently see a bunny as well as a couple chipmunks “playing.” And there are birds singing away. It’s so peaceful. I’ve also been told that deer are often in the backyard.
Speaking of the backyard, there is a big deck on the back of the house. It was added in the 90s. It’s not my favorite thing about the house, but its unique shape is growing on me.
Now, let’s go inside through the front door.
You can head straight back to the kitchen or use the stairs to reach the second floor. If you turn left, you’ll be in the family room. Turn right and you’re in the living room.
In the living room, there’s a wood burning fireplace and big bay window.
There’s also a large opening which leads into the dining room.
Once in the dining room, a set of French doors open onto the deck. On the opposite wall, through the swinging door, is the kitchen.
From this perspective, you can see most of the kitchen. The dining room is straight ahead, and the front door of the home is to the right. There is a set of doors that lead to the deck on the left.
This is the opposite wall, which takes you back to the front of the house. The door on the right goes to the basement.
The kitchen also connects to the family room.
I’m in love with this room. The big fireplace, ceiling beams, and Dutch door (which provides access to the side porch I mentioned earlier) tugged at my heartstrings and ultimately sold me on this house.
On the back wall of this room, you’ll find a small closet and full bathroom (with shower). There’s even a wet bar behind those sliding closet doors. (You can see the kitchen peeking through next to those doors.)
That wraps up the first floor. Now let’s go upstairs.
At the top of the stairs, on the left, you’ll find the master bedroom. This room has a semi-walk-in closet and bathroom.
If you make a right at the top of the stairs, the first door on your left is the main bathroom which has a tub/shower combo and large linen closet.
Continuing down the hall, there are two bedrooms on the right, one on the left, and one at the end of the hall. (If I did my math right, that’s five bedrooms in all.)
There is also an attic, which can be accessed from pulldown stairs in the hallway.
I think that’s it! Your first look at my new place is complete!
Because I have a feeling someone may ask (A few of you did on Instagram.), I do not have specific paint colors used in this house at this moment. However, there are some paint cans lying around, so when/if I can figure out paint colors, I will be sure to share those with you.
Now, if any of that was confusing to you, I made a short video per your request. I just filmed it on my phone, so it’s nothing fancy or well-edited, but I agreed that a video walkthrough would be really helpful. You can watch that below.
VIDEO TOUR:
I know many of you are curious about my plans and ideas. I am too! Have no fear, I will take you along every step of the way so that you can see how this house becomes my home.
And this isn’t all about me. I hope to share ideas that you can implement in your own space too. So if you have questions, want specific advice, or need more details about something, please let me know. The more we can communicate, the better journey is for all of us.
One final note: I know that naming things can be kind of annoying and weird (I get it.), but I couldn’t resist giving my new home a name. I decided to call it Bayberry House. Bayberry is a super special name to me because my late-grandparents lived on a street with that name. Before they passed, it was my intention to purchase their home. Since life has had different plans for me, naming my house is my small way of keeping that memory and other memories of them alive.
Thank you so much for being a part of my adventures. I’ve never been more excited to take you with me into a new chapter of my life. Let’s do this!
This is such a beautiful canvas, I can’t wait to see what you do with it. 🙂
Homey vibes!
I am loving your gorgeous home. Congrats! I am so looking forward to seeing what you are going to do.
Oh, Michael, I just love your new house, its setting, and its name! Wishing you much joy!
What a beautiful home. I can’t wait to see what changes you’ll make. Congratulations!
Hey Micheal,
Whoa! This is a gorgeous home. Between the acres and the square footage, when does your family of 6 move in????? and I’m also wondering ( ball park) what you paid for the property in that area of the country? I live in New England where a house this size would most likely start around $450K. Best of luck with all your projects and making a life in your new home.
So happy you’ve found a home. Looking forward to the transformation.
What a great house! I love it that you named it. Can’t wait to see it made your own.
Well this is fantastic Michael! Bayberry House. Perfect. But I have to laugh as I read through the other comments – because the first thing I said to myself while watching your video – the slate entryway has to go! Ha ha – guess I’ve been outvoted… It took me a wee bit of time to accept you moving from your St Mary’s home. I was reading this blog when it was still a B & B and was saving my pennies to visit! Guess life had different paths for both of us. I love your apartment but I knew that would be temporary… so I’m ready for all the magnificent changes coming to Bayberry House! You are going to be one busy dude! Can’t wait for the show to start! Thanks for inviting us in!
Thank you so much, Lisa. And I agree with you on the slate tile. It most likely will go. It’s not my favorite either and is in rough shape up close. (Lots of damaged grout and tiles.)
And so sorry you didn’t get to visit the B&B. It was a fun adventure, but definitely needed to end for my own sanity. Maybe life will let us cross paths in another way. Thanks again!
xo Michael
Congratulations! What a beautiful house to transform into a fabulous home. I am thrilled for you and look forward to seeing how you bring the spaces to life with your incredible talents. My home is currently overrun by my 5 children so I will live vicariously through you for the time being (haha!). May God bless you richly in this next chapter of your journey.
Congratulations on your new house…it’s beautiful! I can’t wait to follow along on your journey to make this house your home!
I have the same tile in my foyer that you do, and I live in Illinois!
I am so happy for you and can’t wait to see what you do to make it your home and I love your name of your home….Congratulations….and now that you have lots of room….I’ll be coming to visit you and I’ll bring the wine! hee hee.
OMG!!! I love it. The yard is awesome too! Can’t wait to follow along with you adding your personal touch to it.
I LOVE that 90’s deck!! Imagine what a few Morning Glorys growing on each side of the railings could bring in regards to color! Congratulations on the new house! 🙂
Michael I have enjoyed your journey such a talented young man with many hopes and dreams and inspirations I couldn’t be more happier for you!!! I love your style!! Keep doing what you do things all fall into place and your journey is our journey so thank you for sharing and keeping it real!!!
LOve LOVe LOVE – The house is wonderful and I am excited to see what you do with it. My husband is 6’5″ and I am 5’2″. I sometimes like to peek at what you are doing and riff off it a bit to keep things from being too girlie in our home. I really like the masculine edge you always bring to your rooms. My favorite thing about the house is the hanging globe lights in the upstairs (I think) bath. Those lights always feel like lovely bits of jewelry to me. I hope you will keep them. Looking forward to seeing more! ~ Caroline
Beautiful home, congratulations!
I am so happy for you. We come to Pittsburgh every year to ride our bicycles to DC on the Allegheny Trail. We have done that for six years in a row. We, too, are in the middle of a move and major remodel here in Lexington. We completely gutted our new place, and it should be finished in July. Change is good – right?
Oh Michael I’m so happy for you! This house is AWESOME! I can’t wait to see it all decorated for Christmas, for sure! So proud of you and happy for you.
Oh my goodness Michael!! It’s fabulous!!! Congrats!! I can’t wait to see you work your magic and make it truly even more spectacular:)
Oh Michael, Your new home is simply beautiful and I know that with you as its new owner it will be gorgeous before long! It is so YOU!!! I couldn’t help but think how excited you must have been walking through the house the first time and how you must have been creating all your plans for it from that first meeting. I think your house LOVES you as much as you love it…I think it must be saying,”Ahhh, my new owner is here! He has finally made it!! To take care of me!!! Ahhh!”
I will enjoy each and every single update! I am absolutely thrilled for you!