You have probably noticed that this summer that I’ve taken a break from my blog and social channels. I’ve been working on a lot of things behind the scenes. So. Much. Going. On. Right. Now.

You may know that I teach social media part-time at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), and I also have been offering interior decorating services to a handful of clients. And even though there has been a lot to juggle, this year has definitely been the most rewarding, especially now that I’m also a mom to a 16 month old! How is that even possible?! I feel like she was born yesterday.

And, I’ve been renovating and restoring a home in Ardsley Park.

Earlier this summer we sold our home in the historic district of Savannah and purchased a home about 5 minutes away. So we no longer live in our 1850s home that was featured in Southern Living Magazine. A lucky couple lovingly purchased the home almost fully furnished. It was nice to sell the home to future Savannahians that adore all of the small details and design as I once did. Though we loved living in the middle of downtown Savannah, we have been craving more space, privacy and a yard. So we purchased a 1930s Federal Style home in Ardsley Park, about five minutes from the historic downtown. We started renovations on this home, thinking that it would be the place for Julia to grow up. The home has the most perfect location, it’s on a quiet corner overlooking an avenue of palm trees, and it has the most beautiful garden in the backyard that was designed and celebrated by British horticulturalist Rosemary Verey and Atlanta Garden designer Ryan Gainey. We’re updating all of the bathrooms, and expanding the kitchen. We’re also adding a mudroom, bar area, kitchen nook and pantry, as well as an upstairs laundry room. We worked with the very talented Joel and Erika Snyad of Rethink Studio to help with space planning. Joel and Erika did an amazing job of understanding the inner-workings of our day to day life and created a floor plan that is ideal for gatherings, young kids, holidays, etc.

Never did I think that in a few months we would be making the difficult decision to sell the home before we even had the chance to move in.

Because we are moving to Charleston, SC. this fall.

Casey accepted a position as president of a hospitality company that is based in the Holy City. We are so excited to be moving back to the city where we met and tied the knot. I moved to Charleston right after college and landed a job at the College of Charleston. It’s a very special city for us and we can’t wait to start this next chapter, especially now that we have Julia in tow.

We are very sad to be leaving Savannah. We’ve met so many great friends, and of course this is the city where Julia was brought into this world so it will always hold a special place in our hearts.

Folks in the hotel industry know that moving from city to city is inevitable. Just three years ago we moved to Savannah from St. Simons Island, and now we’re packing up and moving two hours north. We always knew that we would wind up back in Charleston, but didn’t think it would happen so soon. This is an absolute dream job for Casey and it allows our family enjoy weekends and holidays so it was an easy decision for us to make. I’m going to finish the high-end renovation on the home and we’ll likely put it on the market later this year. This is one very, very special home and I’m sad that it won’t be ours for years to come but at least I’m able to finish the project to the end and hopefully hand it off to a young family that will cherish it. It will be bittersweet for sure.

However, we’ve been very busy finding our next home in Charleston. I’ve spent the last month or so traveling to Charleston a few days every week to tour homes and explore the real estate market. Luckily since we’ve lived in Charleston before we are very familiar with the neighborhoods, schools, etc. The Charleston market is kinda insane right now. The right homes are on the market less than 24 hours with two or more offers. It was important for us to move quickly and be settled in a home before the holidays. Luckily, our realtor found us a home in Mt. Pleasant that wasn’t listed yet that had almost everything we were looking for including a large yard for Julia. The home sits on a double lot and is move-in ready. I’ll share more once all of the details are finalized. We’re currently under contract and are expected to close in November.

In the meantime, I’ll be sharing the renovation of our Savannah home this week. Enjoy these ‘before’ pictures below.

Tamara Gibson Photography