Why We Chose This House – New Home Tour

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From San Diego to Chicagoland

Hello and welcome to our new home!

It is hard to believe, but it has been almost two years since we moved from San Diego to Chicagoland. After two moves in 18 months and a full year in our new home, life finally feels settled again, and I can give you a home tour.

You can read about our process of leaving the Navy and transitioning to civilian life here, and check the before pictures of our new home here.

I am still working on several small tasks, but the bulk of the work has been completed. We completed all the necessary repairs, painted the house both inside and out with some gorgeous colors, and now it’s time to enjoy the new season.

I hope you enjoy the home tour and come back often. I will update this post with photos from all other rooms as we complete them.

Tell me in the comments what’s your favorite thing! I would love to know.

The Living Room

A round black side table holds a gold lamp, two framed family photos, a small potted plant, and books—perfect details for a home tour. The table sits next to a cream upholstered chair in a room with blue walls and a large window.

SHOP THE LOOK

As soon as you enter the house and step into the foyer, you’ll see the living room to your left and the dining room to your right.

A cozy living room awaits in this home tour, featuring a beige sofa with navy blue pillows and a fluffy white cushion. A dark coffee table holds books, plants, and decor, flanked by white armchairs and gold lamps against a dark blue wall.
Check the Living Room Colors here
A small dog stands near a potted plant in a bright room with large windows, a patterned rug, and cozy decor—perfect for a home tour scene.
  • A collage of interior design elements showcasing a natural, classic, and comfortable theme. It includes images of a dining room, a bedroom with a navy blue dresser, paint swatches, and pink peonies. The text highlights new house color schemes interior inspirations and classic paint colors.

    • Our Color Palette:

    • Simple White: (SW 7021) for all walls, in all rooms except the living room and bathrooms.
    • Indigo Batik: (SW 7602) for accent walls and details.
    • Pure White: (SW 7005) for all trims, doors, baseboards, and molding.
    • Black Magic: (SW 6991) for the front door and shutters
    Step inside this home tour—a modern living room with a cream sofa, navy and white pillows, navy blue walls, large window, two lamps, potted plant, blue patterned rug, and sleek black coffee table with books and decor.
    A round black side table holds a gold lamp, two framed family photos, a small potted plant, and books—perfect details for a home tour. The table sits next to a cream upholstered chair in a room with blue walls and a large window.

    The Dining Room

    A dining room featured on a home tour with a wooden table, patterned chairs, a potted fern centerpiece, large windows streaming natural light, a modern chandelier, and a framed portrait of an elderly man on the back wall.

    This is the first view you’ll have of the dining room when walking into the house. The French doors you see in the back are the doors to my office. It used to be a sunroom, but since we don’t need another sitting area in the house, I’ve claimed it for my home office.

    Addie and I have always shared an office, and it’s nice to have one each now.

    SHOP THE LOOK

    A dining room featured in a recent home tour showcases a wooden table, patterned upholstered chairs, a potted plant centerpiece, a round wall mirror, two lamps, and a modern circular chandelier. Light walls complement the blue accent ceiling.
    Step into this bright dining room featured in our home tour, showcasing patterned chairs around a wooden table, a plant centerpiece, two white lamps on a sideboard, a round mirror, and a modern chandelier on a blue-trimmed ceiling.
    A wooden bar shelf, featured in our latest home tour, displays bottles of liquor, stacked coasters, glassware, a gold artichoke ornament, an ice bucket, a blue tray with small glasses, and several wine glasses on the lower shelf.
    Organizing our bar.

    SHOP THE LOOK

    The Family Room

    Bright living room with large arched windows, beige sofas with red and yellow pillows, a fireplace, houseplants, and a chandelier. Natural light fills the space, making it perfect for a cozy home tour showcasing colorful decor.

    These windows….

    I was the only one to say no to this house. It’s a large home and I knew it would require time, energy, and money to keep it clean to my standards. But these windows and all the light that comes through them all day long convinced me to move here.

    The house we lived in for the first 8 months here in Glenview was very dark, and I had a terrible first winter there.

    SHOP THE LOOK

    A white bookshelf styled for a home tour, featuring plants, patterned blue jars, a gold decorative sphere, a blue candle holder, and stacked books. A leafy plant cascades down from the top shelf.

    The Backpack Landing Spot

    A wooden bench with colorful pillows and an orange throw sits by a staircase in this inviting home tour. A potted plant rests on the floor, while two large botanical prints hang above, all bathed in natural sunlight on light wood floors.

    SHOP THE LOOK

    Until we remodeled our laundry room/mudroom, this was where the boys would land their backpacks after school. It worked great, except that I prefer not to see all that mess. 😉

    Save it for later!

    Helena Alkhas

    I'm a homebody at heart who loves all things home — always with simplicity and beauty in mind. I’ve lived across cultures and life stages. I spent over a decade as a professional organizer and educator, and today I share simple, purposeful ways to create a home you love.
    Through my blog and Etsy shop, I offer printable planners and tools to help you stay organized with calm and confidence.

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