The Early Weeks.
In those first few weeks of unpacking boxes, we gave a lot of thought to how we wanted our new home to look and feel. Amid the myriad decisions about furniture, various hues of gray paint, and the daily trips to Menards, a far greater intention beyond aesthetics came into focus for us. Our conversations started to center on how we wanted our home to feel. More than anything, we wanted to create a safe place of peace and genuine welcome for others. A place where all who enter feel like they are seen, celebrated, and known for who they truly are.
A Business is Born.
As we began outfitting our home with self-assembled IKEA furniture and thrifted treasures, we were also dreaming about our future business and finally working together side-by-side (at the time, Rachel had an existing photography company that she launched in college and Ethan was a freelance designer who also helped manage Rachel's business). We realized that so much of what we wanted to create in our home also applied to what we wanted to create with our business. After weeks of ideation and trying on brand names for size, Half Acre House was born on the night of Rachel's 26th birthday.
Our Philosophy.
In our home life and our work life, we believe in doing all things with excellence, honesty, and a whole lot of care. We want Half Acre House to be known for beautiful and distinct work, but more so for an experience that's filled with warmth, welcome, and an understanding of who our couples and clients truly are. We choose to run our business this way because we know that if we get that piece right, inspired work will inevitably follow. We believe your story is worthy of being told—the messy, the raw, the big belly laughs, the real tears—all of it. Apart from just being beautiful, your photos should look and feel like you and be filled to the brim with who you are. Fully yours, for you to remember always.
Welcome.
It’s been years since we first unpacked the boxes and launched this business baby of ours, but our vision hasn’t wavered one bit. It’s always been about flinging our door open wide to welcome and celebrate people and tell their story—every beautiful, real, lovely bit of it. It’s just like this home on a half acre of land that started it all; we love everything about it because it’s ours. From it’s more charming attributes like the original built-ins and creaky stairs that lead up to our office, to it’s less-than-lovely quirks like the leaky porch roof and shoddy electrical. Flaws and all, it's our refuge, our inspiration, our half acre of home, and we're grateful for it every single day. We’ve been trusted to tell so many stories over the years, and we look ahead with joy for the ones we have yet to learn of and tell. We sincerely appreciate you being here with us, and we welcome you to our Half Acre House!
