2025 started for me with moving into a new home after divorce. On the one hand, it was a huge dream came true. On the other hand, the new place was falling apart, had no furniture, and I had a very tiny budget available for reconstruction.

Good things take time. For me, building a new life and home is about creating a beautiful, loving, and safe space for me and my kids. And though the home renovation goes much slower than I would like it to be, I am very excited about this new adventure.

I am very passionate about home renovation and decoration, and I decided to start a new category on the blog to share my inspiration, WIP, and finds for the new home. Today’s post shares the story behind my home project and offers a sneak peek at how it all began.

From Dream to Reality – How I Found My New Home

I was dreaming of having my own house for 10 years. I created a secret board on Pinterest, and for years, saved there ideas of home decor and renovations that I liked and thought might be a good fit for my new home. Over time, this board has changed its appearance, as well as the ideas I wanted to implement. But thanks to this board, I had such a clear vision of what my new home would look and feel like that I could close my eyes and feel walking inside it.

I will not bore you with the logistics of the house buying process. More about it in my post here. Just a quick note – I visited only one house with the real estate agent, and since I had a very specific idea of what I wanted my new home to be, it was love at first sight. Instead of dirty and shabby rooms, I could see all my ideas on the Pinterest board come alive.

That is why this step, knowing exactly what you want, is one of the most important when you are searching for a new home. Many people visited this apartment, but they did not see the potential this place had. Better for me 🙂

Moving In Before Being Ready

This was the hardest part. For personal reasons, I could not wait until all the reconstruction works are done and /or when the furniture is installed.

I did a lot of cleaning, painted with a primer color all the rooms, repurposed old furniture, took my favorite photo prints as decor, and moved in with my 3 teens. Despite the critiques and comments from friends and relatives about my “extremely wrong decision”.

I am not saying that it was easy, but it was necessary. I had no other choice. And now, step by step, on weekends, I finish making this space our comfy and happy home.

Inspiration vs Reality

After moving, I had a few bad surprises and had to adjust my home project on the go. And it’s ok!

One of the biggest challenges was to give up the idea of having an open space to unite the kitchen and corridor in one room, to substitute the living room that I turned into my twin boys’ bedroom as the apartment had only two bedrooms. Technically, to remove the wall is possible, but the cost is just not worth it. I redesigned the kitchen and corridor “on the go” and like the new version even better!

It does not matter that things do not go as planned. My small new flat has everything I ever wanted my home to be: a spectacular view from any room, enough personal space for me and my kids. We have an excellent location – any shop or service in town is possible to reach on foot. We are close to a big city and, at the same time, to the farm life. There are lots of parks and lakes within a 10-minute walk.

No rush and stress of Modena, but still close to all its important dining, arts, entertainment, and sports facilities. The possibility to walk every morning in the park with fields and mountain views before heading to work is amazing. Finally, I found a perfect balance that helps me to grow professionally and slow down when I need to relax, restore, and spend quality time with my kids.

Less, but better

This is the main lesson I learned in the last 6 months. For 3 months, we lived without a kitchen – just a table, 4 chairs, and a little electric stove. So you can imagine that cooking for 4 people was quite a challenge. But, as they say, good things are worth waiting for and an effort.

Plus, I learnt how many things we do not need! Now, before adding or changing anything, I am carefully thinking about the outcome. My new home is still a “work in progress” and in my next posts in this category, I will share my ideas, finds, favorites, and before vs after.

I am obsessed with minimal, authentic, and functional home decor and hope my finds will inspire you too.

Welcome aboard 🙂