WE’RE MOVING!!
Yup, yup, yup– the BF & I are merging our spaces into one.
Before you go telling me I’m living in sin, let me give you some background into this very HUGE decision.
We’ve been together for almost 4 years, & we have been talking on and off about moving together for the last two. To be completely honest, I’m the one who has been putting it off a bit.
It’s not that I didn’t want to live with him, but the place I’m in now is the first place I’ve ever lived alone (sans roomies) & I just felt like it was necessary for me to enjoy it for a bit. I think every woman should experience living solo atleast once in their life. It’s rewarding, it teaches you to be okay alone (I LOVE my alone time!!!), & it helps you grow/mature in a big big way.
After our trip to Copenhagen this past summer, we made the decision it was time. The awesome thing about our decision is that there is ZERO pressure. We didn’t need to do it to save money (realllly bad reason to move in together), there was no rush (we had all the time to find our dream place), & it wasn’t because our family/friends were pushing us to just make it happen (they did ask A LOT, but we didn’t care).
Simply put, we just want to spend more time together. Which, IMO, is the best reason to move in together.
We’ve spent MONTHS searching Craigslist & scoping different places, but we weren’t finding anything we loved. We are both very picky & had some serious requirements: no carpet, no dark wood floors, lots of natural light, high ceilings, white walls, modern/minimal vibes, a nice kitchen (for Zack, not me), must have a second for an office, must have a bathtub, & of course- DOG FRIENDLY.
Some may say we are asking for too much, but when you’re moving in with your s/o for the first time, I personally think things will go smoother if you are living in a place you truley love. The search continued for weeks, but last Monday we finally found our perfect place. It’s modern, has concrete floor (not a requirement, but HUGEEEE bonus), & fills all of our requirements. We saw it that day, filled out the app that afternoon, & we’re now moving in in 2 weeks!!!
I literally couldn’t be more excited, but I am also a bit nervous. I’ve never lived with a boyfriend before, I am moving to a new part of town (right now I’m by the beach, soon I’ll be in the city), I am a major creature of habit who gets severe anxiety over any type of change, I am scared we could fight about silly things more, & the whole moving process puts me into full blown OCD mode (literally, to-do lists are cluttering my entire home).
SO, I am reaching out to YOU guys. If you have any tips or advice on moving in general and/or moving in with a significant other- please please please, spill!
» Zack promised me this shoe situation (along with breakfast in bed & a puppy LOL). «
In order to calm my nerves, I have been spending wayyyyy too much time on Pinterest getting tons of inspiration for decor.
As you can see, I am very into minimalism, black/white/grey/maybbbbeee one pop of color (shocker), & nordic design. I want things to be clean & completely clutter free.
Luckily for me, Zack & I have really similar styles & even luckier for me— he barely has any furniture he is attached too. I can’t imagine anything worse than him having an old floral upholstered couch that had some sort of sentimental meaning that we had to keep it. Ick x 100.
I know we’re gonna have to compromise on some decor, but I don’t see that being much of a problem since he’s got rad taste.
It’s not going to happen over night, but I can’t wait to turn this beautiful space into our dream home. I really feel this new living situation is going to reignite some major creativity for me, for him, & for the blog! It’s gonna be fun, it’s gonna be a whole lot of DIY, & it’s def. gonna be documented– so stay tuned for more home decor posts & projects.
Also, follow along on Snapchat (UN: Fashionlush) as I will give a full tour once we get the keys.
x, e
Some of my favorite decor-inspo sites:
Nordic Design | Stylizimo | Minimalissimo | Love Aesthetics | The Minimalist
» I have two lime green chairs from CB2 in storage that are really rad, but green isn’t my thing, so I am thinking of reupholstering them in cowhide! «
» sooo excited to finally have an office!!! «
[ 01 // 02 // 03 // 04 // 05 // 06 // 07 // 08 ]
In This Post
Going to be awesome. Can’t wait to see. Love your deco style.
:) x
Congrats, Erica!! I totally agree – living alone is necessary. I actually live across the street from my boyfriend – it’s like we live together, but not. And to be honest, having our own space is amazing, but I know when that day comes for us (we aren’t ready yet – I feel like it will come organically like yours did – I honestly think we need to travel more together before we do it), we will have even more respect for each other’s spaces. I know you mentioned it, but CB2 is seriously so awesome for minimalist/marble furniture, and not super expensive! One Kings Lane and Hautelook are great for home stuff too.
The oldest trick in the book, is take a good section of hangers, like 30 or so, however many can fit, and put a trashbag over it. Cut out the bottom, and keep the hangers out, and you have an easy way to transport clothes, rather than unhanging, folding, packing, unfolding, steaming, etc. https://lifehacker.com/move-a-closet-full-of-clothes-with-a-single-trash-bag-1151766853
Good luck!!! And love that you thought of your dog in the move. I know it sounds so obvious, but too many people don’t, and it breaks my heart. So excited for you three!!!
I definitely think travelling together before moving in together is SO important, but also cool you guys live so so so close!
I love CB2! Luckily it’s where I got most of my furniture for my current place, so I definitely will be keeping it but am gonna look into One Kings Lane & Hautelook now!
I love the trash bag idea! So genius, especially since I have been kinda freaking on how I’m gonna mov all my clothes! The dog is definitely my no.1 priority in this move, she’s my world. :) Thanks for the tips love.
My advice would be to make sure you still make time for just YOU. It’s important to still do things separately, have your alone time etc. :)
Absolutely! Thanks babe :) x
Hi Erica! Congrats to you and Zack on the next big step! I moved in with my bf a year ago and it has been amazing! The extra time together is great and will bring you closer. My #1 tip is do not let little things get to you. There will be things that annoy you or you won’t understand why he behaves that way but it’s best to let the little things get to you. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help with chores etc. good luck babe xoxo
Thanks babe! I am definitely going to learn a lot and have to let go of the small things, I know that will be tough… but again, it’s all a growing experience!
Coming from a military kid and spouse the best thing is to get rid of anything you don’t need or love before you move. No need to drag things that’ll just stay in the box. Make decorating decisions together so it’ll feel like you both contributed to the decor. It won’t be your stuff or his stuff. And lastly, just remember it is only stuff. Stuff gets broken, used, moved, ruined, replaced etc. But at the end of the day don’t let stuff influence your mood.
I love love love purging, that’s one thing I can’t wait to do! Thanks for the tips, I am sure being a military kid you know how to move flawlessly!
You sound like you’re going with your gut, which is what you should do. When I moved in with my boyfriend (now husband), we had no pressure at all- just wanted to see each other every day. When we moved in together it was awesome! It was like living with my best friend (he is my best friend), and I made it so homey and cute. Also- I was living alone before moving in together and died over my apartment. It was the cutest thing ever and I loved living alone, but knew it was the right thing. I totally think you’re making the right decision and you guys will have a blast! BTW- When my man and I moved in together, I fell in love even deeper with him because of how well we worked together on picking a place, moving, and just little things you find out about one another when you’re living together. I have a hunch you’ll find that too. :)
Good luck and happy moving! Enjoy the new space and decorating possibilities!!
Thank you girl, I needed to hear that :) xo.