Life Update: We Bought a House! Now we’re Making it a Home.

In a recent instagram update, you may have seen that I could no longer contain my excitement behind buying a new home with my heartmate!

Friends have been asking what life has been like since the move.

Old colleagues tell me I’m “living the dream” since I left my full time job in Toronto’s Financial District.

Well, as a surprise to some of them I’m sure, I haven’t quite fully adjusted to being a full time content creator. I don’t yet have a fully regimented work day for myself, since no day is the same. And I’m sure you can imagine what it might be like adjusting to working exclusively from (a new, and unfamiliar) home!  

I’m not yet “in my element” and for the past two months, most of my time has been consumed with “real life” deliverables related primarily to moving.

Nothing digital, and certainly nothing glamorous like the sound of “living the dream”. (Sorry friends!)

Picture me moving all of our furniture and belongings (ourselves) to the new home, coordinating the designers + stagers to setup our condo for listing, getting our condo listed on the market, furnishing rooms in our new home, confirming a change of address with a slew of companies, buying home insurance, having the locks changed, coordinating with the home alarm system company to come for a visit, having the alarm system installed, consulting with the city of Toronto for water tax and checking the condition of our water pipes…. And the list goes on!

Despite everything we’ve had to do to get ourselves all moved in, every day spent together in our home truly is a pinch-me moment! But that’s normal, right?! We’re still in the homebuyer honeymoon phase!

The below four photos were sourced from the seller’s marketing photographer.

Above everything else, though, we are grateful.

We bought a house, now we’re making it a home.

I truly believe that we live in a world where moments of true happiness found in time spent together are fleeting, where job-stress so readily consumes us, and where our self-worth can be overshadowed by comparison to the highlight reels of peers posting to social media… taking a moment to step back from it all, and allowing ourselves to be grateful for the little things, and the relationships we’ve cultivated can be grounding.

Every moment in our new home is a pinch-me moment because we want it to feel that way.  

It’s important for us that each room is warm, inviting, and designed for people who truly enjoy one another’s company.

The primp and proper style or perfectly aligned furniture are secondary for me, in lieu of cozy reading nooks, warm and neutral tones, and furniture positioned for comfort.

My heartmate and I consider ourselves to be somewhat modern guys, so that should be reflected in our home style, too. But modern doesn’t have to mean cold.

Together, we’re building a place that we can call home.

Where job-stress fades with steps up the entryway. Where you can sit at the kitchen counter to eat your cereal, or head up to the (device-free) meditation room simply to gaze up at the sky and be with your thoughts.

I left my 9-5 in Corporate Canada for many reasons, one of which was the lifestyle. My heartmate, though, is still absorbed by it. Just as he supported me while I transitioned to creating content full-time, I support him in his decision to continue working 9-5 in the financial district.

But the home is a place away from all that. Or at least it should be.

After I shared an Instagram story of our meditation room, a number of you messaged me about how much you liked it. So I thought I’d share a full room reveal blog post (still to come) on the progress we’re making in there.

There are still a number of things I’d like to see, like burgundy paint on the walls, lounge chairs, six-foot tall plants, and some large crystal geodes.

For a list of healing crystals I’m currently coveting, see here.

The key piece in this room that I’d been searching for, for a while now, was this rug. We ended up finding it at IKEA! Yay for the Swedish!

Link to IKEA Valby Ruta Rug. 

We found a number of great things from IKEA, actually. From floor lamps, to cellular shade blackout blinds, and every moroccan-style floor pillow you see in the meditation room, too!

There are some really great pieces from West Elm that I’ve also had my eye on lately, so we may just treat ourselves sooner than we think!

I’m excited to share every room reveal, progress we’re making, and behind-the-scenes with all of YOU, through my blog and YouTube channel in the coming weeks!

To be sure not to miss any exciting Room Reveals + Home Inspiration videos to come, subscribe to my YouTube channel!

---

Nick Joly | Inspired by Nick 

Stay inspired.

inspiredbynick.com