Multigenerational House Build Update: Two Houses in One

Article may have affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may earn a tiny commission at no extra cost to you. Big thanks for supporting my small business.

Thinking about how a multigenerational house build update actually looks once the walls are up and the paint is on? This twin-brother family compound that Jim is building, is two houses in one, connected by a large holiday room which is almost move-in ready and full of ideas for multigenerational living.

If you’ve been following along, you know we’ve been building a multigenerational house for twin brothers and their wives.

Yes, two brothers.

Yes, their wives.

Yes, under one roof.

Grab your popcorn! 😉

Last time I shared the foundation update and introduced you to the family in Part 1.

Well, we’ve come a long way since then and I finally had some time to put together an update :).

This 2 houses in one setup is finally looking like… well, a real house.

And not just any house— a family compound with plans big enough for holidays, kids, and yes, even Bonnie the dog (more on her dog wash station in a minute).

Interior Update: Paint, Trim, and Floors

Interior framing is complete.

You’ll notice the exterior walls aren’t your typical wood framing—they’re ICF blocks filled with concrete.

This building method is not only incredibly durable but also one of the most sustainable ways to put up a house.

Sheetrock and plaster complete.

The paint happening as we speak and almost wrapped up.

This happens to be the kitchen wall below painted in Behr Pale Oak. It’s such a pretty paint color!

Trim and doors are almost in.

Wide-plank flooring ties everything together.

Two Houses Connected by One Holiday Room

The heart of the design is the large shared kitchen and great room.

Nicknamed the holiday room because, let’s be honest, this is where the feasting, yelling, and laughing will happen.

It’s basically the hub where both households collide.

Instead of two completely separate houses, the plan was always to have two houses connected in a way that makes sense.

Everyone still gets their privacy.

But the shared spaces make it easy to gather without anyone feeling like they’re “hosting” 24/7.

This is one of my favorite multigenerational living ideas because it keeps the family close without sacrificing sanity.

Because let’s be real, keeping your sanity is non negotiable when merging families together under one roof.

A Home That Thinks of Everyone (Even the Dog)

And then there’s Bonnie.

Sweet Bonnie is their handicapped pup.

And yes—she scored her very own dog wash station.

Related: see the updated home tour and Miss Bonnie’s complete dog shower!

It’s these little touches that make a multigenerational house build update feel real.

It’s not just walls and paint.

It’s designing for the people (and pets) who actually live here.

Almost Move-In Ready

It’s wild to think this place is almost ready.

From the outside, you can see the ICF walls and roofing all finished up.

Inside, the rooms finally feel like rooms instead of construction zones.

Bathrooms are tiled.

The kitchen cabinets will be installed hopefully in the next two weeks and then, the house will really feel almost done :).

Hopefully by the end of the month I will have final reveal pictures of a “clean” (and finished) home to share with you!

But for now, this family compound plan is no longer just lines on paper.

It’s walls.

Paint.

And a future of shared holidays together 😉.

More Posts On This House Build:

• Part 1: The Twin Brothers’ Story – multi-gen living idea and how it became an idea
• ICF Foundation Build Updates for the twin brother’s and their wives
• Part 2: Twin Brother’s Multigenerational house interior update
• The best interior doors for multigenerational living with solid core interior
• Multigenerational Floor Plans That Actually Work
• The multigenerational house is complete. Take a tour of the interior.
• New House Build Splurge or Save checklist