I’ve alluded to this here and there recently, but I figured it was time to let you all in on what’s happening in the Epheriell Designs household!
The Backstory
At the end of last year I quit my job, and Nick and I moved in with my parents out here in the country. We build a campervan, and were set to travel Australia for a year… until my teeth started hurting. And kept hurting. All year I’ve had dental problems/pain and visits, so we haven’t been able to leave.
The van in its kitted-out glory!
This has been frustrating… but also a bit of a blessing in disguise. First, it meant I needed to keep busy, so I threw myself into my business. Well, we all know how that’s turning out, which is fabulous! Second, it’s meant we’ve been living with my parents all year.
Nick and I do have our own room up in ‘the shed’ – it’s a huge room that doubles as our bedroom and my studio – but we spend most of our day in the house in our ‘study’ (my childhood bedroom, which we’ve taken over). We share meals with the folks, and generally hang out together.
And we all realised that it was rather nice!
The Plan
I don't think ours will be *quite* this grand... or yellow...
My parents have 6 1/2 acres out here, and have always joked that they’d cut off the front 2 acres for me if I wanted it. To which I would always roll my eyes and say “yeah, sure”. Isn’t it funny how 20 year old you really has no idea what 30 year old you is going to want?
So, earlier in the year Nick and I were talking, and I said ‘so, why don’t we take them up on it’? It means we don’t have to spend squillions of dollars buying land (which we would no doubt do nearby anyways, since we both love it out here). And it means that when mum and dad get a little older, we’ll be here to take care of them. He was totally down with that – and so were they! (I’m an only child, by the way, in case you were wondering what my hypothetical brothers/sisters were thinking of this).
So, the current plan is one of two options.
1) We sub-divide and build a big house on our land, or
2) we skip the (very expensive) sub-division process and build a ‘granny flat’ – which is actually an 85 square metre, 2 bed house. We’re currently deciding which option to go with.
We’d be building a big shed, either way, which will house studios for both Nick and I.
Or... we could just build a really big tent!
So! That’s where we’re at… and cue the reason why I will be starting to blog ‘dream home’ stuff as of today! I’m hoping to do at least one post a week sharing interior design awesomeness – because gosh there is a lot to think about when planning a house!
If any of you have been through any of this before, I would seriously love your advice! It’s all a big unknown to Nick and I!
I’m also hungry for design/interior/home building blogs to read… so if you know of good ones, please leave a link in the comments!
It’s going to be a grand adventure – and one I’m looking forward to sharing with you all!
(And as for the dream trip around Australia? Oh, don’t worry, it’s still going to happen – just not for a little while… but we are off south for a month or so over summer – yay! The Great Australian Granny Square will get some action!)
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Wow Jess big decisions have been made in your family and how lucky you are to be close enough to share with your parents. Good luck with it all xxx
How exciting, thats awesome news! 😀 Imagine all the amazing, gorgeous things you could brainstorm up whilst your building your new house 😀
PS: why not yellow, its awesome! 😉
Thanks Carmel 🙂 xx
Krystal – I know!! I think I may become an ‘interior design tragic’ – I’m already dreaming up how to ‘do up’ current items of furniture!!
my mum built a small mini house on her plot of land close to her house. it’s a guest house at the moment and has its own living room, bedroom, kitchen, bath, balcony. you could probably do somethin along a similar vein perhaps so if you ever need to entertain guests you could do it at your place instead of bothering mum and dad all the time 🙂
actually we’ve always dreamed of having a massive plot of land with each of us having a little corner for our private self sustaining homes, but a communal “area” as well where we can hang out, have meals, wash up, entertain, etc 🙂
hey jess! have you been to houzz.com ? lots of interiors:) and inks to housey blogs like young house love:)
Go with the granny flat option! Lots of people do it in the UK and eventually, when your parents are fed up with running a large house, you can swap round!
Hey….firstly SQUEEEEE!! Excitement plus!!
Secondly, how do you feel about relocating a beautiful but rundown old Queenslander to your property & doing it up? I just posted about a local house (‘Old House’)that needs to go but is too beautiful to destroy. The owners mentioned they would sell it very cheaply. Also; you live less than an hour from this house.
OMG do you have chills? It’s like FATE!!
PM me girlfriend!
Mrs BC
xx
Mrs BC… I’m intrigued! I can’t find your contact deets – e-mail me? jessica AT epherielldesigns.com
Nadiah and Nathalie – it’s tempting! And mum and dad already suggested the swapping houses thing – but I’d probably be too settled in mine to want to move! ;D
Alanna, I knew you’d have something to share ;D
I LOVE this idea. You’re right 20 year old you has no idea what 30 year old you would want. We would love a property where my Mum lives on it too and even are seriously considering building a granny flat for her out the back of our place or hoping that the dude next door (with whom we share a wall) will die off (nice aren’t we?!) and as his house isn’t well kept we’ll snaffle his place for a bargain price and combine the two properties. We can dream no? 🙂
Build a tent, build a tent! That looks like SO much fun. Or maybe build a grown up tree house / deck type deal coming off your house?
Oooh how exciting! I’d say the only reason to go for the subdivision option is to make it easier for the (unlikely but possible) event that you and/or your parents ever want to sell. Obviously, the option to sell two separate houses on two separate lots is going to be a better investment than one house and a granny flat, but investment doesn’t always come first!
As far as renovating/DIY furniture, it’s difficult to go past Design*Sponge, and as they often feature guest posts, you’ll find about a zillion other great blogs too.
Cat – you made me giggle! At least you’re honest!
Jess, it does look awesome, doesn’t it?
Kit – yes! I do visit D*S occasionally… but I think I may now become an addict. And you elucidated our thought processes on the subdivision perfectly 🙂