NEW HOME & NEW BEGINNINGS

Hola amigas. I think I am experiencing a tidal wave of karmic goodwill after the break-in on New Year's Eve. I quickly realized how incredibly lucky I am; dear friends and acquaintances alike have really reached out to me in unexpected and incredible ways. I've had offers of computer donations from near strangers and my friends have gone out of their way to make me feel safe and loved. I'm almost over the loss of my stuff; it's just that - "stuff". I'm just happy nothing really sentimental was taken and that I wasn't home when it happened.

Speaking of home.... I ramped up my apartment hunt in the hopes of moving March 1 but I stumbled on a once in a lifetime dreamy dream home that I am now moving into at the end of the month. Once again my friends have rallied behind me. I have a bro army to do the heavy lifting (in JANUARY, in MONTREAL, thank heavens for guy friends) and a few painting parties scheduled since the whole place needs a coat of paint.

I don't talk about what I do for a living much, but I am a commercial interior designer. To say I am obsessed with what my home looks like would be a massive understatement. I was getting squeezed out of my small 500 s.f. place since I started sewing and wanted something bigger and more accommodating for dinner parties. I ended up finding a 800 s.f. place on the third floor with tons of light, 2 balconies, a huge living and dining room, decent sized kitchen, bedroom & bathroom, around 67 closets, huge storage unit at the back (big enough to setup a woodworking shop, no kidding), a really deep, old bathtub (crucial), and wait for it... a laundry room slash walk-in closet. All for the low low price of $700. Thank you Montreal rent control! (All my Toronto/NYC/Vancouver buds want to punch me in the face right now, right?) It needs a ton of work but I can't wait to start fresh and try out some new design ideas. I want to move away from the really vintage girly thing I did in my current place and aim for something a little less romantic. More designy, refined, modern.

Here is what I am working with (don't mind the mess, it's not mine):

Above is the living room, below is living room on the left of the SECOND set of stained glass doors, dining room/sewing studio on the right. Tons of great architectural detail. I want to paint all the walls a warm white and then have a few punchy feature walls.

I have been suffering from insomnia because I can't stop brain decorating when I get into bed. This place is gonna be magical. From traumatized & destroyed to ecstatic in less than 2 weeks? Life is funny sometimes.

Needless to say, now that I have an apartment to pack up and another to paint and move into, I will be really & truly MIA for the next 6 weeks or so. But trust when I say that when I am back, it will be bigger and better than ever, because I will have a new workspace and a new lovely bright apartment to take photos in! (No more outside shivers!)

I may post in a week or so with some of the inspiration pictures I'm nurturing for the new place if I can sneak some time on my lunchbreak....