It’s not every day that one buys their first home during a global pandemic! Everyone always asks me how (and why) I decorated my home so fast. The truth is, I was on EDGE. I’m a very anxiety-ridden being, and I’m also a homebody – so the news of the pandemic and a 30-day stay-at-home order made me both nervous and excited.
What was it like to move during a pandemic?
We bought our first home back in March and closed on the house the morning that the state went on lockdown (literally just made it!!!). The morning of our closing was a chaotic one. Even the real estate office was closed, they made an exception just for us. It was cold and raining - not always sunny in Philadelphia! The office was dark and gloomy. Everyone was wearing a face mask and rubber gloves and had their own designated signing pen. All of that seems relatively normal now, but at the time it was so surreal! I could finally breathe a sigh of relief when the keys were in my hand.
How did you unpack so fast?
It took an army, and an army was exactly what we had! With the help of my parents and Chris’ large family, we had all of the boxes in the house and furniture assembled within a few hours. I also think everyone was eager to help due to quarantine boredom. I could not be more appreciative to have such a wonderful group of people in my corner.
I started unpacking all of the boxes instantly. My mom kept asking, “Why are you in such a rush? You have the whole weekend to unpack!” Welp, I just couldn’t help myself! It was a mix of nerves and excitement. No one knew how long COVID would be around for or how serious it really was at the time (we still don't SMH). It was an all around stressful time, and I think I just wanted to feel safe and comfortable. I was also ecstatic and still in denial that this beautiful home was finally mine, so I could not wait to decorate!
Did you buy all your furniture before you moved in?
Nope! Before we bought our house, I lived in a small apartment and then moved into an even smaller apartment with my boyfriend for 6 months, so there wasn’t much room for décor. We moved through the process and closed on the house relatively quickly. As much as I wanted jump the gun and buy everything at once, I knew that it wasn’t practical. We still had a few hoops to jump through in regards to the home buying process (appraisal, inspection, etc.) so I didn’t want to jinx it. But I did have a plan...
How did you plan for a move like that with so many unknowns?
That’s exactly what I did – planning, planning and more planning. I went to all the home stores and took photos of all the things I wanted to buy. I started creating mood boards around the listing photos to determine how exactly I wanted to decorate. I made a list of essentials – couch, bed, dining table and chairs, etc. Once I configured the space to reflect my interior design vision, I bookmarked the links for everything I wanted to buy immediately. I timed everything appropriately when buying the larger items and scheduled everything to be delivered the day of our move, and the day after. A bit risky, but I wanted to do it all at once and get it over with!
Where did you purchase your décor considering all non-essential businesses were closed?
Wayfair and Amazon were my go-to! With Wayfair Professional, you can typically pick your delivery dates and times. Although with everything going on in the news, I’m not sure if I’ll be buying anything from there in the future… #sketchy. It absolutely killed me that I couldn’t go to TJ Maxx, HomeGoods, or AtHome, but I just used what I already had in the meantime, and added some plants into the mix to bring the space to life.
Facebook Marketplace was another life saver. A lot of people were using their quarantine time wisely and offloading old furniture and home decor. The Airbnb industry also got hit pretty hard due to travel restrictions, so some hosts around the Philadelphia area were selling off their properties. Marketplace has a few hidden gems for those who look hard enough!
Y'all all probably think I'm crazy! But this has been an absolute dream come true for me. I have been manifesting this house for years. It's everything I ever wanted, and I feel so incredibly blessed to call this place my home. I have big plans for this kyliewhitespace, and I'm so excited to share our next chapter with you!