12 weeks... Last box unpacked! a review of the move and photos of the last room that has just been unpacked

12 weeks to this day since we moved, and I think I may have discovered a slight OCD about myself with unpacked boxes, there's been a constant tenseness and guilt every time I do anything other than unpacking. The reality is life goes on when you move and you still need to work, school lunches still need to made and you need a break in the weekends to do things so you don't go insane... but those damn boxes they still sit there and taunt me. I haven't watched TV for 12 weeks because every spare moment I get I cut open box after box and walk around like a lost soul trying to put things in place, find a home for it in the best place I can.

You move into a home and you have a vision or should I say "dream" of how things should look but you learn a big lesson in patience when you realise that first you may  just need to just unpack and it can't all be done right this minute, next week or even in a month. Like; you can't bang out that wall, install a door, repaint the room, hang new curtains before you unpack unless you want to continue living in boxes for another 3 months. So you weigh it up and  if those boxes are taunting you, then unpack them and pace yourself with everything else you have visually planned for your new home.  

Those boxes have been giving me a little anxiety for the last 12 weeks, so today as I sit down and write this entry in the room... the last room that has been unpacked, I feel an absolute weight off my shoulders. We now know the local recycling centre very well with the 8 or so trips there with empty folded up cardboard boxes in the back seat, front seat and trunk of the ute (is that what you call it?) . Still another few trips left to do but I can live with that. 

So 12 weeks on, how do we feel about moving out of the big smoke? Well I feel really truly  blessed.... that we could  and did. Life is different for sure, there's no shopping malls which is good and bad, lots of little boutique shops to compensate and one of the things that we've noticed the most is that people seem really happy here... strangers will stop to talk to you because I suppose because they have more time, we've met and spoken to not just our neighbours but everyone in this street! People really smile and greet you in stores, there is a real sense of service in retail and businesses here  (there are a few  who are pretty bad at it I won't lie; but not many) in the most part it's that good old school service that I think is so important as a business to be able to connect with your customers, listen and have a pleasant experience and fun; for both the owner/staff and the customer, theres a real care involved in a retail transaction, it's not scripted but genuine. Everything we have aimed for in our own business. 

In a world where everything is becoming all about speed, processes and rigid structures and rules in business,  there is a real loss with our ability to  connect genuinely with each other as human beings.  So it's been a really nice change to be in a place where you receive a smile, genuine approach and personalised service and where people want to go the extra mile.  You also feel better for shopping and parting with your money knowing that  you are supporting a small NZ business which so many need right now. 

It's made me realise how much of a consumer I was before, my spare Sunday was spent too much in Shopping malls buying things reactively. With less retail here, you are more considered in your buying, you plan a lot more. Like now that I've unpacked this room;  I now know I am on the hunt for some bright boho/ Persian style cushions for the room (yes I know third world problems)  and because I can't just hop in the car to drive to a large shopping centre and then get distracted by something else that I purchased instead. I am researching more on where I can get it, I search local first and have been going into all the stores the last week to try to  find some,  the downside is when you are after something specific the range of things that are available is a little more limited in smaller towns. But we have technology, so you research who's supplying it, you read the specifications more and you think differently,  should I buy fabric instead...  you connect with the world wide web more for those things. Which is something I suppose people living outside of city couldn't do before internet was a thing so in many ways with technology you get the best of both worlds when living out of the city.

With less retail and a general rush to get to places... and less traffic you gain time; so you look for more activities to do, walks, swims, connecting with nature, exploring, you focus on your home more  which is the one of the main drivers for us moving here, connecting and rebalancing family with work.

You take notice more of the colours in nature, the birds that are seriously, seriously loud out here...in a good way. The sunsets and the brilliant bright stars, I have never seen stars as bright as I have since we moved here, it... is... spectacular. Pitch black with just bright sparkling glitter in the sky, the air feels cleaner and the skies clearer I don't know much about stars but I am almost certain I can see a milky way most nights.

The move has been really great for my soul, and I never felt like we needed to move but now that we're here I think my headspace is so much better for it, I feel more  inspired than I ever have been, I can think clearer and overall just more grounded than I was 12 weeks ago.  Miss 9 is just loving it here, moving her out of the city was my biggest hesitation but seeing her climb trees, run through the paddocks excited by family bush walks and swims makes me realise it's been a great move for her too. I like the idea that she can hold onto her childhood a little bit longer here, appreciating and valuing the simple pleasures of life and nature.  It's a good age I think for moving with kids, Im not so sure it would be the same if she was a teenager. 

So, today I am celebrating by sharing a few pics of  the last room that has been unpacked...Although we do have have bigger dreams for this room. This is the downstairs lounge where both guest rooms are and it's the third lounge in this place,  we have had a mammoth job in unpacking and filling the rooms. We had friends over recently and it was really their lounge, the guest lounge if that's a thing;  it's connected to the downstairs deck area so is a social space, and we use it as  a bit of a hangout room and is the room I am sitting in right this moment as I am writing this blog entry with the sunset pouring in...    

We plan to knock out one wall in this room,  cut out a doorway to connect it to the the sun room next to it that you currently  can't access  without walking right around and through the house. We're starting to get a good feel of the home and how we want to use it. 

I want to re-jig it a bit so there's a bit more colour in the decor, currently looking for bright boho, Persian kilim cushions (I'll let you know when I find some) I want to put some artwork up but I have nothing that works so will look to do some with which I will share, but first I need to find the cushions... I have a serious addiction to cushions I now realise after filling an entire walk in wardrobe with cushions... So Darrell will disagree that I need more cushions lol!

So, here are a few shots of the last room that has been unpacked woohooo!

For Mothers Day this year, I received this rather large rattan pottery vase/ urn that's about 1.5m tall, I love the sheer scale of it and proves my family know me so well lol...Give Mum a massive vase and she'll be happy :-)  you can see a  little peek of it sitting at the entrance of this room which helps to connect and flow the different spaces which all have a slightly different look and feel. To the left of that cabinet is where we plan to cut out a door to connect it to the sun room on the other side. 

Remember that old banged up table we recently posted about, this is where it's positioned under the covered deck connecting the outdoor with the indoor, those trees you spot in the distance... what I love about Autumn! they are on fire! The fabric on those stools are in need of a paint and colour change so you will see them come up shortly on our pages as a project...

you can't see much of the table here in this photo, but if you haven't seen the before and after you can catch it on by clicking here a great use of an old battered table. 

This is the piece that will probably need repainting depending on what we change the walls too... I've yet to choose what to fill it up with apart from that gold vase...

Before photo:  just a blank room with a strange shape, It was a difficult space to fill and dress...How you place things, fill areas,  the soft furnishings, creating  varied heights through layering and drawing the eye around purposely through decor and textiles and paint finishes helps to draw away from the  areas you don't want any focus on... 

and here's the room  when the sun set is streaming in.. taken literally about 5 mins ago as I was writing this.  It's a room full of layering for varied heights, depth and interest...In my mind I know it's not exactly how I want it, but this will keep for the next while until we get to painting and adjusting this room.

it's easy to feel inspired looking out to this, so this entry is a bit of a long one but if you've read up to here, thank you :-) Hope you enjoyed it and we will catch you on our facebook pages soon! - Dorophya x