We Made a House a Home Before They Even Landed: The Tibbs Family
What. A. Whirlwind.
ROSE CONNECTED ME TO CHELSEA.
CHELSEA AND I BONDED.
WE DID A WALKTHROUGH OF THEIR CURRENT HOME.
WE TOURED ROSE’S OPEN HOUSE (UNRELATED SIDE QUEST).
WE TOURED THE NEW HOME.
CHELSEA + FAMILY LEFT THE COUNTRY.
I MOVED THEM OUT.
ROSE CLEANED AND STAGED THE OLD HOME.
ROSE PHOTOGRAPHED THEIR PREVIOUS RESIDENCE AND GOT IT LISTED.
WHILE I UNPACKED AND DESIGNED EVERY CORNER OF THEIR NEW SPACE.
(THANK YOU KELLY, RICO, ARI, PARKER, UHAUL, AND GIGS MOVING SERVICE!)
Sorry for yelling — but it really was that intense.
The Tibbs Family Story
Their last family photo in Tahoe Park! So sweet.
Imagine finding your dream home, signing the papers, and then hopping on a plane as it closes — all while needing to list your old home and move everything out.
That’s exactly what the Tibbs family — a family of four here in Sacramento — were facing.
Thankfully, they had Sacramento’s secret weapon: real estate agent and all-around powerhouse, Rose Cabral.
Rose isn’t just a realtor. She’s the calm in the chaos — the kind of person who guides people through huge life transitions with a steady, “I’ve got you” energy. The only thing ever on her mind? Making sure her clients are happy and cared for at every step of the journey.
How It All Came Together
Rose and I have been working on her own home for over a year — mostly because, in her words, “my clients come first.” Every time I nudge her to finish her office or bedroom, she laughs, says she’ll get there, and then goes right back to helping someone else. It’s the project that never ends, but is a GOOD way. Because slow design, is the best way to design.
So when she introduced me to Chelsea and her family, I knew it would be a whirlwind — but the fun kind. I don’t know about you, but I’m a gluten for pressure. And I love a project where I get to see instant results in every single room and corner.
Ugh, it’s my porn.
Anyway, Chelsea and I clicked instantly. We talked through the timeline, the goals, and what mattered most while she and her family were halfway across the world. It was part logistics, part design, and a whole lot of trust.
The cool thing about Sacramento is that it’s FULL of creative, talented, and decent human beings who want to meet.
Word of mouth travels quickly around here, and I can’t wait to see how many more people we can help, right here in Sacramento, CA.
The Move-In Madness
While Chelsea and her crew were abroad, I got to work — packing, moving, unpacking, and turning their new house into a home. A few of you tried to guess the final total, and I’m happy to report we pulled it off for about $4,000 all in.
With two kids, two dogs, and what felt like an entire hydroflask factory worth of water bottles, I got to know the Tibbs family through their stuff. I unpacked thousands of items — easily over 2,000 — and started to see their story unfold piece by piece.
They’re a family who loves the outdoors — the amount of camping and backpacking gear alone told me that. And they’re deeply sentimental. I can sense that the kids come first, I mean, they literally bought a house near the kids school and want to set up the kids room for hang outs. I cannot wait!!
Also, there wasn’t a single mass-produced piece of art in the mix. Instead, the walls came alive with meaningful, heirloom art — much of it created by Chelsea’s grandmother, a phenomenal folk artist who used color, pattern, and texture like a true pro. Her work brought so much soul into the new space and are so easy to build upon, I can’t wait to see what we come up with together!
What’s Next
The Tibbs project isn’t done yet — not even close. I worked my magic with what they already had, but now it’s time to layer in the finishing touches and really make it theirs.
Bookmark or save this post — I’ll be updating it weekly with new photos, progress shots, and all the juicy behind-the-scenes details right here in one place.
Coming Up:
Their old home — and WTF we did to get it ready to list (Rose you are the BEST)
Their new home — and how I unf*cked it room by room
🎥 Coming soon: the full YouTube video with before-and-afters, design breakdowns, and the real story of how it all came together right here in Sacramento.
P.S. Rico wanted to call this post “Trials and Tibbulations.” 😂 Not wrong.
