Living in our new home is a very different experience to building it, the activity of making and finishing a home is constantly in progress. I’ve fallen out of the practice of writing and sharing about the build as the challenges have evolved. The human messiness of life has taken over, from rearing small kids, work and keeping everyone fed, clean and happy.
We have lived through each of the four seasons in our home, appreciating the changing light, natures blooming and hibernation. Regardless of the weather outside, we have always been comfortable and safe, a far cry from our friends in Palestine, Lebanon and Ukraine, who we wish we could do more to help. There is feeling of guilt and gratitude that comes with enjoying our forever home.
The ‘summer’ or should I say the time that passed between May and September has been focused on outside work, preparing the ground, planting and nurturing. The rain probably hasn’t been a bad thing for the new plants, they could establish their roots and produce some serious growth. The focus has definitely shifted from from construction dust to muck.
It’s obviously still a work in progress, we haven’t paved the seating areas yet, but the planting has started to soften the edges, I look forward to been able to wander barefoot from inside to out, all in good time. We’ve enjoyed having a part lawn even if unfinished, so the kids could play football during the summer, the Euros, Olympics and the many Galway team finals provided plenty of inspiration.
During the bright months of May, June and July, we barely turned on an electric light enjoying the luminescence of the long evenings. The to do list has not shortened, we just keep adding more items to it and there is a ban on me saying ‘I have an idea’ until we make more progress.
The photos are certainly not instaperfect, but they are a work/life in progress, there definitely has been an evolution when you look at the bare area we started with, nature grows at its own pace and we need to be patient and receptive to its needs.
If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask! #selfbuild #lifeafterthebuild#dreamhome #irishdesign
