Inside Stacey Solomon’s Surprising Top-Floor Discoveries at Her Spectacular New Family Home
Change is often bittersweet, a delicate balance between the profound nostalgia of the past and the exhilarating promise of the future. For television personality and beloved social media star Stacey Solomon, this week has been a whirlwind of emotion, discovery, and monumental transition. In a move that truly shocked her millions of devoted followers, Stacey, alongside her partner Joe Swash and their beautiful, bustling blended family, has officially packed up and bid a remarkably fond farewell to the property they lovingly dubbed “Pickle Cottage.” But as one door closes in Essex, another one opens, leading the family into an expansive new property that is already revealing a treasure trove of unexpected surprises and hidden gems.
For the past five years, Pickle Cottage has been much more than just a house for Stacey and her family; it has been the vibrant, beating heart of their world. It was a sanctuary where her six million Instagram followers watched her transform dated rooms into stunning, cozy spaces with her signature DIY flair. It was the backdrop to some of the most precious milestones of their lives. Fans were invited into the intimate journey of Stacey and Joe’s stunning backyard wedding, the joyful pregnancy announcements, and the beautiful chaos of raising a large family. Stacey shares Rex, Rose, and Belle with Joe, while also being a proud mother to Zachary and Leighton from previous relationships. Joe also has a son, Harry, making their bustling household a place full of love, laughter, and constant activity.
When the time came to leave, the emotional weight of the departure was palpable. Stacey took to social media to share a deeply moving montage, a visual love letter capturing the essence of their time at the sprawling Essex property. The video was a poignant reminder of the love that had been poured into every corner of the house. “Thank You & Goodbye Pickle Cottage,” she wrote, her words echoing with profound gratitude. “A little montage of some of the best years of our lives… We will forever be grateful for the last 5 years at Pickle. What a special place & how lucky we’ve been to have lived there. Memories that will last forever.” She graciously wished the new owners love and happiness, passing the baton so another family could build their own dreams within those walls, before boldly raising a glass to her family’s next chapter.
The decision to move was not made lightly. Driven by a passionate desire to rescue more animals, grow their own crops, and provide even more outdoor space for their children to explore, the family set out to find a new canvas. What they found was a sprawling new property, affectionately being referred to as the “Pickle Project.” And it hasn’t taken long for this new home to reveal its deeply unique character.
Upon receiving the keys and moving their lives into this new space, the exploration began. Stacey, always eager to share the authentic, unfiltered moments of her life with her audience, documented a particularly fascinating expedition within the new house. The adventure took them to the very top of the property, a space that felt entirely secluded from the rest of the sprawling home. In a captivating video shared with her massive online community, Stacey showed her children enthusiastically climbing up a ladder to access the mysterious top floor. She explained to her viewers that she decided to start her grand tour on this specific level simply because it happened to be the tidiest area in the house. However, she quickly issued a playful warning: the top floor was home to some incredibly unusual, retro discoveries.
Stepping onto the top floor felt like stepping through a portal into a different era. It became immediately apparent that the previous owners had utilized this vast space primarily for storage, inadvertently preserving a fascinating time capsule of design choices and forgotten artifacts. The grand tour kicked off with a visual shock: a completely orange bathroom suite. In an age of minimalist, neutral-toned modern aesthetics, the bold, unapologetic burst of orange was a stark, almost humorous contrast. But the vibrant color palette didn’t stop at the bathroom door. Stacey guided her camera through rooms painted in blindingly bright shades of green and yellow, spaces that radiated a quirky, retro energy.
Adding to the historical charm of the top floor, Stacey revealed that every single room on this level featured its own fireplace. These architectural details hinted at the original grandeur of the home, suggesting a time when these upper quarters needed constant, roaring fires to keep the chill at bay. In one of the vibrantly colored rooms, an incredibly old television set sat silently, a dusty relic of a bygone broadcasting era, patiently waiting to be rediscovered.
But the architectural quirks and retro color schemes were only the beginning. As Stacey and the children dug deeper into the forgotten corners of the top floor, they unearthed a collection of physical treasures that truly captured the imagination. Among the discarded boxes and stored items, they found an antique projector. Astoundingly, this piece of vintage technology was still fully operational, casting a warm, nostalgic glow that immediately sparked ideas of family movie nights screening classic films.
The discoveries continued to paint a picture of the home’s past life. They stumbled upon a little, weathered horse-riding hat. For a family that deeply loves animals and has openly discussed their desire to bring ponies to their new property, this felt less like a random item and more like a serendipitous sign. Stacey, ever the resourceful visionary, immediately declared her intention to clean up the little hat and put it to good use, breathing new life into the forgotten gear. Nearby, they found an old, beautifully worn set of dominoes, suggesting decades of family game nights played under those very rafters. Rounding out the historical haul was an antique book about the world, a physical manifestation of curiosity and exploration that perfectly matched the family’s current mood.
These discoveries have ignited a massive spark of inspiration for Stacey. The sheer scale and unique character of the “Pickle Project” present a formidable, yet thrilling challenge. However, she is approaching this massive renovation with a deeply grounded and mindful philosophy. Instead of rushing to gut the property and modernize it immediately, Stacey wants to let the house speak to her.
“I can’t wait to properly have some days off work & show you all around,” she told her followers, her excitement practically vibrating through the screen. “There’s so much to think about & so many fun things to do. I will need help with this project because it’s huge. I need all of your tips, tricks, ideas! I’m going to really take my time and live here and work out what to do with each room because I don’t want to rush it! But I can’t tell you how excited I am to sink my teeth into this project with you all.”
This collaborative approach to homemaking is exactly why millions of people have fallen in love with Stacey Solomon. She doesn’t present an unattainable, flawlessly curated illusion of perfection; instead, she invites her audience to roll up their sleeves and join her in the messy, creative, trial-and-error process of turning a house into a home. By asking for tips and tricks, she transforms her followers from passive viewers into active participants, a digital village helping to build the new family sanctuary.
However, while Stacey is incredibly generous with sharing the interior transformations and the heartwarming family moments, she is drawing a very firm and necessary boundary when it comes to the exterior of her new home. Fame, while offering incredible opportunities, also brings significant challenges regarding personal security. Stacey addressed this openly and honestly with her community, ensuring they understood her reasoning.
“I’m not going to show the outside of the house this time around,” she explained with a serious, protective tone. “Just for security & privacy reasons… we had some issues at pickle cottage in the end & it’s safer to just not show the building itself.”
This decision highlights the fierce protective instinct of a mother prioritizing her family’s safety above all else. The “issues” at Pickle Cottage served as a sobering reminder of the darker side of public visibility. By keeping the exterior architecture and the surrounding landscape completely private, Stacey is ensuring that the “Pickle Project” remains an impenetrable safe haven for her children to play, grow, and explore without the looming threat of unwanted intrusion. It is a deeply respected boundary, one that allows her to continue sharing her joyous interior renovations while maintaining the fundamental right to privacy.
As the dust settles on the massive move and the unpacking begins, the future looks incredibly bright for Stacey, Joe, and their beautiful family. The unusual discoveries on the top floor—the vibrant orange bathroom, the antique projector, the little riding hat—are just the opening chapters of a brand new, exciting story. With her signature warmth, her boundless creative energy, and the collective wisdom of her six million followers, there is no doubt that Stacey Solomon will transform this quirky, sprawling property into a breathtaking, loving home. The “Pickle Project” has officially begun, and the world is eagerly watching, waiting to see what magic she creates next.
