Getting the keys to our new home was a joyful relief and lockdown shifted the importance of why. By Rebekah Killigrew.
When I had the idea for this new blog, it was before the seriousness of the COVID-19 outbreak had really sunk into the general public’s consciousness, and definitely before it had sunk into mine.
I created this website to explore creative spaces and places, and to share extraordinary and ordinary interiors with texture. It’s essentially going to be my personal online scrapbook/magazine; a place to curate all of the design inspiration and resources that I have discovered and want other people to discover too.
I want to highlight unique homes – not just the picture-perfect ones, not just the privately owned ones, not just the on-trend ones – but a diverse range of lived in and worked in spaces that tell a story. I also want somewhere to document the resourceful renovation of our new home, for accountability and reflection.
However, with COVID-19 seeping into our communities, having somewhere to call home has taken on a new multifunctional intensity. Having somewhere to hunker down, work, parent, play, and get through this challenging pandemic has become a global discussion and a priority.
This blog post was going to be my first ‘renovation diary’ entry, which I had envisioned to be the classic “yay, we got the keys, so excited, here’s a list of things we need to renovate”, but all of a sudden it feels so unimportant and trivial, and getting the keys yesterday felt bittersweet.
What’s important now, is that we finally have a new space to call home. We have somewhere to self-isolate, a space to breathe, reboot, and come together as a family.
Since we sold our last house in November, we had been temporarily living with my in-laws. We had initially planned to stay with them whilst we carried out a full renovation, but as they fall into the ‘vulnerable’ category, it was imperative that we moved out as soon as we could.
We are truly greatful to have our fixer-upper to find comfort in, and can’t wait to shower it with love as and when we can. It took 4 months and well over 30 house viewings before we finally completed the purchase of this 3-bed semi-detached ex-council house. There are a plethora of reasons why we held out for this property, which I hope to share on this blog as time goes on.
In the meantime, we have been raiding our storage unit – which has been housing all of our worldly goods for the last 4 months – and will be setting up home as best we can for now.
Stay safe.
Rebekah x
