1

The breakdown

Life is too short to live in a home we don’t love.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting we should all up and move, quite the opposite. There will always be things that we don’t like or desperately want to change no matter where we live, but that doesn’t mean we can’t love the place that keeps us safe, warm and dry, right now. While thinking and dreaming about living somewhere else is fun, we must remember that anywhere we live involves compromise and issues. If we’re able to change our perspective and see the issues as quirks it can help a lot.

You see, my favourite car ever was a poo brown, 1975, Mini. It was also the most problematic and prone to breaking down, but I loved that car. It was completely non-threatening and small enough to do silly things like drive down Pitt Street Mall, a huge pedestrian-only shopping area in Sydney CBD. We didn’t get in trouble, because everyone just pointed, laughed and waved, while we did the same. Eventually, practicality won out and I had to sell it and buy something I could move furniture and other DIY bits around in.

I only mention this, because somehow, we now seem to think that a home needs to be perfect to be lovable and it’s not true. Besides, there probably isn’t such a thing as a perfect home and if there is it would be a boring place to live. Spending a whole lot of money on a home will not necessarily make it more lovable, it might make it more practical and yes, classically beautiful, but love is different.

I’m passionate about this Love the Home You Have adventure, because I remember a time when I felt drained every time I walked in my front gate. I was so close to selling it, but I knew that wasn’t sensible. It dawned on me that I could choose to love my home and her falling down ways.

Little project by little project and the love crept in. Making these small changes made a world of difference to my perspective. I still have a long way to go and if I feel myself getting frustrated I remind myself that our home is very good at keeping my loved ones safe and dry (with only the occasional drip now). The rest is icing on the cake.

On my deathbed, I hope I’ll be thinking of all the people, love and life that happened within these walls, not how imperfect my home was. Hence, this Love the Home You Have adventure is about creating an easy and relaxed space you love living in. When we love what we have, we need less stuff to fulfill our dreams. This frees us up to get on with the important business of living life.

In this book I’ll be sharing photos of my home in Sydney and photos of my dear friend, Klara, and her beautiful Swedish apartment (featured on the cover) that she lovingly restored with her father and husband.

Klara and I met while she was living in Sydney. We spent way too much time plotting and doing home projects together and I miss her terribly. This is a pic of us and our babies, three years ago, the day before she returned to Sweden. Yes, we had shed a few tears, so you’ll have to excuse the puffy eyes.

The schedule

This Love the Home You Have adventure is broken into tasks that can either be done everyday, as blocks of work on the weekend or whenever possible.

Don’t forget to ask for help. Maybe a friend is in a similar situation and you can do working bees together. The main thing is enjoy it!

We have one life, it doesn’t last for long and loving the home we have makes it so much more enjoyable.

 ~

Section 1 – The front door, hallway and living area
Sort, organise, clean and projects.

Section 2 – Kitchen
Sort, organise, clean and projects.

Section 3 – Bathroom and laundry
Sort, organise, clean and projects.

Section 4 – Bedroom and wardrobes
Sort, organise, clean and projects.

Section 5 – Linen
Sort, organise and projects.

Section 6 – Paperwork
Sort, organise and a projects.