Pins and Needles

There are a lot of unknowns still, but within the next month or so, we are hoping to make them into KNOWNS!  

Some paperwork on the Property is needed before we can get in touch with our Architect again, so that he is equipped with as much information as possible.  In particular, it will be surrounding the Heritage Designation, the Conservation Authority, Floodplain, and the Development Standards concerning Setbacks and other legalities. 

We don't know yet, what we will be able to add, change, or improve, except that the original roofline has to be kept and that we must use original materials to finish the exterior.  The interior is Carte Blanche!  

In the meantime, a ruthless purge has to take place.  I refuse to move back there with anything that I moved here with, that I have not touched in 8 years!   If I am smart, I'll tackle it with a systematic approach, one room at a time, instead of applying my usual Attention Deficit Disorder approach.   At least I can use the Records Management Rules of pitching business stuff after 7 years have passed.  And how about the drawers in the bathroom filled with tiny samples that I've collected and will never use?  Expired Vitamins?  Gone!  Our cold storage room is filled with knicknacks and silly things... I'm not a hoarder, honestly, but I have kept greeting cards sent to me over the years, and wedding invitations...do I need them?   We have already gotten rid of almost three closets full of clothes left behind by our three teenage boys, and it was happily donated to a Syrian Refugee program.    There is furniture to part with too, stuff that has remained in our home that came from a past life ~ these items will be put out on Craig's List or something, when the time is right.

Other questions remain to be answered, such as how we'll float two homes when we no longer have a Tenant at 19th Avenue who is covering the Mortgage there.  We have an option, however, which will be to temporarily move into the basement of Hilton.  This will mean two moves, and paring down on the EXTREME, so that we can fit.   My beloved piano for instance, will have to move in advance to 19th Avenue and be carefully covered to protect it from dust and construction risk.   

A timeline will have to be built, to help us to understand when and how best everything should unfold.   I for one, don't want to be staying in the basement here through a winter, (I would miss the gas fireplace desperately) so the idea is that we'll be able to accomplish a lot from now, until the end of September or October of 2016, with a big move happening then.   What we do know, is that this whole thing means that certain other lovely things and ideas will have to be sacrificed, such as a Holiday... or the remote possibility that I'd audition for a Summer Opera Program in Italy.   But then again, 2017 is not so far away, is it?  ;)

I've started searching through Pinterest to find photos of interiors and structure that I like, and these will be the subject of much discussion with Aris and our Architect, when the time comes. I remember collecting volumes of Architectural Digest and Interior Design Magazine when I was younger, they were like gold to have...but thankfully those days are over and my mags were tossed long ago.  It's funny how our tastes evolve but ultimately, we settle into what we inherently love.  For some it is a modern interior with all of the shiny comforts and new fangled devices.  I prefer an eclectic mix and we will likely end up with a classic look to fit the era of the home, but with upgraded amenities for kitchen and bath.   What did I learn in Interior Design School at Niagara College?   Form Follows Function!