I'm pouring my heart and soul into this new home for myself, as it's possibly the first home I will have that is just for me. The first house I owned in my own right was after my divorce, and was bought with myself and my younger son in mind. He had always wanted a large room to himself and lots of privacy, so when we found a house with an attic bedroom up it's own little staircase with a door at the bottom I knew I just had to go for that one. Between us we painted Jason's room a bright shade of red, with the red winged insignia of his favourite ice hockey team picked out in white above his bed.
It was a womb-like room, and with all his possessions around him no doubt brought a lot of comfort to a sixteen year old lad that had just gone through watching his parents divorce and was trying desperately to keep some sort of relationship alive with a Dad he didn't really want to see. But it jarred with me, and I would deliver freshly washed and ironed clothes in a neat pile up the little staircase and leave them on the end of his bed, once a week I would quickly drag the hoover around any floor space visible and see how much of the pile of clothes had been worn and discarded back onto the floor ... this was of course Jason's training ground ready for student life 😄
But it was his space and his sanctuary and I loved it for that.
By the way the rest of the house was creams, whites and shades of wood and books, lots of books, with everything except the kitchen, the beds and the sofa bought on a very tight budget, mostly from the charity shop that I managed.
And in a way this annexe ... soon to be renamed officially I promise ... is my sanctuary and my space to be myself and grow even more as a person. Because if we stop growing, we stop living and I want to live in a space of my own creation with only those things around me that have earned their place.
So although you are seeing lots of new things pop up at the moment, in the background there will be things that have been with me for years, little things like the two teaspoons taken from home when I moved out to set up home with my first husband, the little glass chicken paperweight bought for me by my older son when I gave him 50p to spend at a car boot sale, and the toy car he bought for 40p left him with enough change to treat his Mum. The steamer stack bought for me by my Mum when she read about aluminium pans being bad for your health and realised that both her and my pans were all this dreadful substance 😀
It's the littlest things that can make a home and it's the littlest things that will fit so beautifully and easily into my new tiny home.
Sue xx
Yes, I know how you feel, Sue. My husband died 18 months ago, and recently I have been decluttering layers and layers of 'stuff' and making our little house mine. Dave bought it long before we got married, and though I changed lots of things, it always felt a little like living in 'his' house, which was not a bad thing, but it feels more like my sanctuary with less in it.
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry for your loss, it must still feel very raw at times. Turning his home into your sanctuary is a lovely tribute to both of you. I'm sure you feel safe and loved there. xx
DeleteSorry I haven't been commenting recently, not been 100% . . . lovely to see your vision and dream come to fruition. xxx
ReplyDeleteI hope you're feeling better soon. Take care. xx
DeleteI am sure it will be a real sanctuary once done but the process can be just as interesting.
ReplyDeleteIt can be at first, but I have limited patience, so it's starting to wear a bit thin, lol.
DeleteAn exciting time for you, having everything exactly as you want it. I'm looking forward to seeing how it will shake out.
ReplyDeleteI have taken a bit of a step back in our new home as our eldest daughter lives with us, and has a flair for decor (NOT so much china, mum!!!) but she's good with colour and we are having fun choosing bathroom and kitchen tiles together etc. Sometimes I think I would have had totally different to our joint choice but this is our last home, and I don't want it to look like an old biddy's house when she and her siblings come to sell it in the future.
I'm hoping mine won't look like an old biddy's home either ... haha. I have a mix of old, new, a real vintage piece that has literally just arrived, some beautiful wallpaper, some rustic touches, sparkly white walls and woodwork and there will be china, lots of lovely china.
DeleteI understand completely. I've never had my own space. Perhaps that is why I am enjoying your little adventure so much.
ReplyDeleteIt's almost like playing with my dolls house when I was little, but with less plastic furniture ;-)
DeleteWell said, Sue, and what a lovely thing for your Son to have done to buy you a glass chicken paperweight. I wouldn't be able to part with it either. I still have a mug and a pen holder bought for me by my Son and Daughter for Mother's Day many years ago when they were at school. The kids are now 48 and 46 yrs old but I can't part with these items. I might have to photograph them and write a post though, if you don't mind me copying your thoughts :)
ReplyDeleteYou seem to be enjoying planning your new home immensely. It will be amazing x
He had his sweet moments for sure, but he was also a little tearaway at times.
DeleteGosh no, copy away it will be lovely to see some of your items. I tried to find my glass chicken but it's packed away in the storage lockup I think ... everything I need seems to be packed away and I'm falling over things I don't need, typical eh!!
I want to guess what you will be calling it before you reveal the name?
ReplyDeleteGuess away ... perhaps I'll do a post asking people for their guesses :-)
DeleteI'm so happy for you! Your new home is beautiful and I know you will be happy in it.
ReplyDeleteThank you Bonnie, that's a lovely comment :-)
DeleteI think it will be lovely. Thanks for sharing the process.
ReplyDeleteIt will be nice to have a record of the progress from purchase to moving in day. Perhaps when everything's done, I'll do a little film and show you round.
DeleteI am excited for you in your new home and can't wait to see the finished article - I know you will make it a wonderful space. I must have missed something though as I am not sure why his and hers kitchens is Alan somewhere else?
ReplyDeleteWe have a house and an annexe, Alan will be living in the house and me in the annexe. I have mentioned it on a post way, way back I think.
DeleteI must have missed it! Sounds like a good way to go perhaps when we finish the cottage (and at the moment that is a big WHEN) maybe I will live in the cottage and DH can stay in the caravan!!
DeleteLovely post Sue♥ Can't wait to find out the name of your new tiny home:) xoxo
ReplyDeleteThanks, there will be a big reveal, perhaps first there should be a guessing game :-)
DeleteJust a thought on The Annexe front ensure that you get the 'best deal' for Council Tax purposes.
ReplyDeleteIt seems there is no 'best deal' to be had, once a property has been banded and then reviewed it is seemingly set in stone for the future.
DeleteThe annexe and house are each taxable separately and have been since the annexe was developed. We thought this was a bit strange as they cannot be let or sold independently of each other, so we were looking into having it all being made as one council tax bill and that was refused, we then asked if we could therefore both have the 25% sole occupancy discount and that too has been refused as we are both down as owning the entire property.
So we are stuck each paying Council Tax, me at the lowest band and Alan a few bands higher as he has four bedrooms.