We are in between places at the moment so have moved into a short-term let before finding something more permanent. I've never lived in a fully furnished property, so it's been a brand new experience for me.
I get antsy if I can’t put my stamp on somewhere and have been known to leave walls looking like Swiss cheese after nailing up anything and everything that possessed some sort of deep personal meaning. I have been filling rooms with vintage furniture found on the street since the day I learnt how to pay council tax – my technique and resource pool has improved with age, but the urge still remains.
The large majority of our possessions are in lock ups across the country, so we’ll only be taking the bare minimum with us: clothes, some unread books, our excessive spice rack and the throws and cushions I can access. With a pause between places, it’s given me a moment to take a minute and assess what we own and look at things with fresh eyes. A lot needs to be moved on to new homes, so I’d like to bring their quality replacements into our temporary flat whilst we feel a little displaced, first as a little treat and secondly, to set the standard when we find our next place.
Of course, making someone else’s space feel like your own is a bit of a challenge, especially when their presence is so… present. Nesting season has increased this urge to imprint ourselves in this temporary home, so I am looking for a few personal touches - small luxuries and some homely, tactile pieces - that will be easy to pack up for our next adventure. My thinking is that if I can trick my senses into feeling like home, then my brain will follow.
It’s difficult to make a bathroom feel like your space in a rental full stop – let alone a short term one – so I’d like to amp up the small luxuries I can control and a bear hug from a new bath sheet is one of life’s GREAT luxuries.
Our new setting has highlighted just how much our bath mat has HAD it – off to the recycling centre it goes.
What an upgrade for a toothbrush holder! I know that this would then go on to have many lives in other rooms of our future dwellings.
Bathtime is sacred and this bath oil would add to the ritual.
You know those practical items that you put off getting as you can never quite find the one you like enough. I’ve finally settled and will no longer just use any vessel that will do.
I’ve been eyeing up various boucherouite rugs for quite some time – and a Larusi number would be the dream. Containing so much colour makes them pretty versatile, so I know that it would work in our pit-stop pad and our future homes. Another item that I can imagine travelling from room to room over time.
I am attempting the very adult thing of streamlining my glasses. I like the weight and robustness of these Mexican glasses (and not to mention the price), plus they work with the small collection I already own.
I’ve settled for a lot of lighting over the years that I’m not quite satisfied with that ‘does the job for now’. This dinky little creature is a very useful size. Perfect for placing on a shelf or side table. The ball moves around in its base so you can control the light. I can’t see a time when it wouldn’t be a useful part of a lighting collection.
You will never feel at home living amongst a stranger's smell, so I have amped up the scented candles throughout the place. It’s done the trick, however lighting gorgeous scented candles everyday is not sustainable – this potpourri is the ultimate affordable luxury that does the job.
I own a lot of vintage clothes so my eye twitches when I see a clothes moth, plus I don’t know the lay of the pest land in my new digs. My lavender bags have depleted over the years so I would like to get some of these funny little chaps as a deterrent and I know they’ll bring me joy whenever I riffle through my drawers.
This pause in a permanent living arrangement has given me the opportunity to assess what I really want to be surrounded by and what I would like to upgrade. Cutlery is one of those.
I irreparably broke my favourite jug when we were last moving, so I’d like to replace it with a new favourite. If you can’t be surrounded by many things, then make sure they are your favourite things.
Our dining/living area space is (naturally) a little devoid of personality, so I’d like to snap up this jazzy bowl for the table. It’s a handy size, so I know it will go on to be used time and time again.
It’s not a terribly warm flat and I am tight with the heating. A good pure wool blanket is needed and I know I’ll never get sick of these colours.
I showed this bedding in a shoot earlier in the year. It was my final shot after a long day, so I crawled into the bed at the end. I could have quite happily remained there thanks to this linen.
There’s a real lack of bins in this flat and again this is an item I put off buying until the perfect one comes along, which leaves me with a deficiency. This one is a lady amongst tramps!
