to move or not to move?

Lately I’ve been battling with the idea of moving out or staying put - whether it’s somewhere in London/England, or abroad. I say battling because there are so many factors involved in making such a decision that it can sometimes be hard to think: whether your partner wants to move, family, career, lifestyle choices, it sometimes feels like the options and reasons are endless and I usually end up back in the same position - pushing it to the back of my mind, getting on with my day and forgetting about it.

I've been having these thoughts for years now and at one point in my life I was very close to moving abroad. If I did, however, I would never have met my husband so really there’s a reason for everything. God has a plan for us all whether we don’t believe it, or him, at that moment.

I recently visited a family member just outside of London and the surroundings made me feel that moving buzz again. It’s a quaint what-should-be village just outside the M25 and the architecture and houses were so cute that without realising I began snapping away on my phone to look back on the photos at a later date. It got me thinking about what I would like my home to look like and whether that’s in England or abroad, will I have the same aesthetic?

"Kim Kardashian’s home is my personal nightmare!"

What saddens me about England as a whole is its loss of traditional architecture. Anything pre-70’s is stunning and even now I can only accept that post-70’s Thatcher-esque look if it can pass as retro. For me, give me cute little cottages, fairy gardens, an Edwardian town house, Victorian, Tudor, Gothic, I love it all! These are the kind of designs that allow me to express my heritage too, blending in mediterranean and arabian styles.

Personal opinion here but I’m reminded that the modern look encourages no sense of uniqueness or identity, everything must be uniform and ‘natural’ - Kim Kardashian’s home is my personal nightmare! This is now a tale as old as time because all over social media you’ll find people craving the old and traditional over the new and modern. 

There's something in the air and, as you may know, I’ve been going through a lot of changes recently and this flying visit to a quaint little town on the outskirts of London reminded me to ground myself when it comes to my home. Whether you can afford the house of your dreams or not, as long as you can add what you love and show off your own style then that’s all that matters. Your home should be your safe haven and sanctuary. Somewhere where you can unapologetically be you! If that means the modern look then so be it, just don’t forget your own identity…

Rhéa x