Monday 10 February 2014

Somewhere in between



So many times I've heard and read how you should 'live in the moment'. I agree. I've also read that 'Anxious people live in the future; depressed people live in the past'. I get that, too. And I suppose I spend my time in all three spaces depending on how I'm feeling.

Right now we're living in the moment but have lots of plans. The house has been on the market since 2012. It's reasonably priced; it's in a so-called 'desirable' area (if commuting is your thing, at least) and the decor, heating and so on are all new. Yet still it languishes on the books of various estate agents. We've just switched agent (again) and dropped the price (again). Which meant taking more photos of the interior.


I'm as nosy as the next person and love seeing inside other people's homes. And as I often use images here at Mitenska which are close-up, I thought you might want to see where and how we live.


So how does all this tie in with the whole 'living in the moment' thing? Well, for starters we have to keep the house 'neutral' in terms of decoration. And tidy (fortunately, I'm a bit of a neat freak) - we don't have a great deal of 'stuff' anyway but the house is small and we haven't got the luxury of a third reception room which could house toddler things, an office area etc. and which we could close the door on each evening.

I'd love to be more adventurous in terms of decor. I'd love a house with 'features'. I'd love more room. I'd love to invest in wooden floors, a woodburning stove and all those other gorgeous things. But at the moment we're here and we make do.


So the photos here were taken to (hopefully) appeal to potential buyers. Which is why we hid the highchair.


In terms of looking to the future... I continue to collect things for our 'forever house'. Squirrelled away are my collection of vintage mirrors, trunks of fabrics, old books, china...

At the moment I make the house 'ours' by dotting little vignettes around - on the mantel shelf, on the sideboard, by the bed. I change them regularly. I enjoy it. And I use Pinterest an awful lot too. There are one or two 'secret' boards full of images which capture some of my hopes and dreams for the future. We don't aspire to having lots of possessions, or a huge house, or luxurious holidays. 



In fact, since having Joe and making the decision to stay home with him, and consequently having to tighten our financial belts, I love the whole process of simplifying our lives. Investing in the things which really matter: time spent with one another, experiences, being outdoors, eating good food.


So I have one foot rooted in the present and one tapping away, itching to move on. It will happen.

In the meantime, I refuse to list the frustrations of living in a too-small house. Because it does have its upsides: small mortgage, small bills, not many rooms to clean. 

And there you have it: chez Mitenska. A slightly sanitised version in these photos, but that's what the house-selling business is all about!

23 comments:

  1. I love seeing into other people's houses too and yours looks very stylish with lovely arty features. Hope it sells soon.

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    1. Me too! We have two viewings lined up over the next week so here's hoping...

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  2. Hi, thank you! I can't wait until we get somewhere new - I can fill it with finds and colour rather than trying to keep it neutral. Lots of earthy colours and bashed up old furniture!

    My favourite part of taking the bus to work in winter was looking in through lit windows... not a nice habit but I just couldn't help myself!

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  3. It looks lovely to me, hope you get a buyer soon.

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    1. Thank you - it's usually a bit busier (as a home should be, I suppose!) but I can't wait to get going and find somewhere new :)

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  4. Your house is beautiful. I love the way you've decorated it. I wish you lots of luck with the sale. I'm with you on the priorities of life once you've become parents; I've been at home with mine for over eight years now and I agree with all the things that are important to you. Our house is big enough for us, but by no means fancy. But it works and we're happy here and have everything we really need.

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    1. That's what's important, isn't it? I would like a bit more space but don't dream about a glitzy home. Of course, there are things I'd love, like a view over some water... mind you, all this rain's providing us with that at the moment!

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  5. You've got such a lovely (and indeed very very tidy!!) house!

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    1. Thank you - and believe me, the tidiness is for selling purposes only!

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  6. I think there is a beautiful simplicity about your house, Sarah. Something quite Scandinavian in the look you've achieved. I so understand the urge to move on and make another, bigger beautiful home but you're right to live in the moment. Fingers crossed that the new year brings you a cash buyer with no chain!

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    1. That would be wonderful! Thanks for your comment. I'm sure we'll move on at some point but I'm learning that there isn't much point getting stressed about things over which you have no control... I'm just waiting and hoping :)

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  7. Your home looks very appealing and fingers crossed you'll clinch that sale soon. I do envy you such a tidy and orderly living space. We're far too messy here.

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    1. Hello! It's not always so tidy as we tend to do most of our living in the two downstairs rooms, and with a toddler there's a lot going on! We have a viewing in the morning so hopefully it will go well :)

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  8. Can I just say - goodness me your house is beautiful! Yes it's neutral but I like that, and it's never bland as you have lovely style and have used gorgeous accessories. Love the cushions, blackboard in the kitchen, the sideboard - so much of it! I do hope it sells soon, it must be very frustrating living in limbo like this. x

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    1. Hi Gillian - thank you so much for your lovely comment. The sideboard was buried under rubble in my brother's house (he's a serious hoarder, but that's a whole other story) and the blackboard's covering up a rough wall we couldn't afford to have replastered!
      There are a few viewings lined up now so I'm hoping someone puts in an offer then we can move on x

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  9. Oh I love it! You're making me want to paint my bedroom dark grey - it looks so cosy. There are a lot of lovely textures in your house (I realise this is a slightly weird thing to say, but I'm one of those folks who wanders through shops feeling all the clothes - aka, a bit odd!). Your house looks more stylish than anything I ever saw on Rightmove when we were house hunting, so here's hoping someone snaps it up soon! Are you hoping to stay in the same area when you do move? x

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    1. Hi! Thanks for the comment - and no, we're definitely not staying around here! I think we'll probably rent back in Lancashire for a while before a more permanent move much further afield.
      The dark grey was a concession to Jay as he'd always wanted a dark bedroom as a teenager! I would love to be more experimental with colour in our next ('forever') house - I love nature-inspired colours like mossy green, heather purple and slate grey. As for feeling textures, I do that too. And I'm one of those strange people who stand there sniffing all the fabric conditioners in the supermarket!

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  10. Love all the colours in your house. it looks really restful. I love the kitchen. it looks so fresh. Good Luck!

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    1. Thank you! I have to say, the best buy in the kitchen (other than my beloved food processor and digital radio) was the little table. Ikea, cheap and cheerful but we thought there wouldn't be space for one.
      Can't imagine life without it now!
      S :)

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    2. We are on house number 14, if we were looking for a house in your area, I would want to look at your house as a possible.

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    3. Thank you! We have another viewing tomorrow so my fingers are crossed...

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  11. Love your style and attitude to small space living. Hope you get an offer soon x

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    1. Us too! If we could just pick the house up and move it somewhere else, the addition of a conservatory would just about see us right! It's just a case of sitting tight and waiting, and having faith that a sale will happen at some point....

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