Many of us have moved homes, cities and/or countries and yearn to have a space that offers comfort while managing the new challenges of life and love. Some are comfortable with basic needs but that is not us! This blog is called Inner Harmony for a reason, it is about creating a space that offers a sense of calm despite what is happening outside in the rest of your life. It is about maintaining a sense of self when everything else is changing, it can be a psychological support when are starting again or in a state transition.

We have been moving cities and countries for over 15 years and are now landing in the South of France for our future. It means sadly saying goodbye to some pieces and hello to others. It may mean selling some pieces for a song but that is the life of moving. For some, it is necessary to do this on a budget and others have what they call ‘traveling furniture’ and some have core pieces that help anchor them. Preferring to travel lightly, others happily buy and sell temporary pieces.

Core Pieces

These can be ornaments and books or perhaps your favourite chair and help keep a sense of self. For us it is some chairs, a French farm table and pieces of art or other items that centre us in each space. If you can afford to move some furniture, do it. While it is costly, it offers a familiarity that those who don’t move forget. Without planning, quickly think of the items in your life that instantly mean something to you and you want to keep. That would be your Core List and non-negotiable. Then make a second list of ‘nice to have’. This is the most difficult list as you may have to choose. The last list is those items that you can let go.

Temporary Furniture

We have all visited IKEA and similar outlets of course, but don’t forget the furniture forums and flea markets which can offer some great bargains. In our French apartment, we needed a dining table for another two years. A vintage walnut table was found online. It could do with some restoring but a table cloth covers its imperfections and we will sell it on again. As in previous posts, sand it and paint it is my motto! These days, you can get chalk paint, primers and cheap sanders to restore easily. Don’t be frightened of this, you can always just paint it white.

 

Think Outside of the Box

Most of us think if we need a TV cabinet, we go to that section. Well, get out of that thinking! Go to the kitchen or bathroom sections, buy a kitchen cabinet and cut some holes in the back. Use a closet as a wardrobe, take the door off and put a curtain up, use baskets for storage and turn garden pots upside down for temporary tables. Here are some other tips and tricks.

  • Use curtains as doors and screens especially if you are in a studio;
  • Outdoor tables and chairs are often cheaper, repaint them and buy some cushions;
  • DIY stores sell pieces of wood and will cut them to size and belt the edges if desired – great for a table or shelves;
  • Cover that old dining chair with new fabric using a staple gun – use the old fabric as a stencil to cut around;
  • Change over door knobs and draw pulls;
  • Buy greeting cards and put in cheap frames for instant art work;
  • Check out the garden section, some of the pots make great side tables

Last but not least, it is still ‘stuff’- let it go. Partners, friends and pets are still the most important travel essentials.