On Saturday, March 14, 2020, we were enjoying an amazing afternoon in Xochimilco with our friends. The ‘trajineras’ are one of those places where it is impossible not to have a great time. Little did I know that the following week, we would go into quarantine and the lives of millions of people around the world would be completely changed.
The next day, my boyfriend got up early to go on a motorcycle ride with his friends and I got ready and went to Sephora to buy a few things. Shortly after arriving, I received a call from my boyfriend telling me that he had been in an accident and thought he had injured his foot.
To make a long story short, my boyfriend didn’t just hurt his foot but needed immediate surgery to fix it. They planned the operation for Tuesday and on Wednesday, the government declared quarantine. Lockdown was imminent and in full motion for one reason or another. And because I’m superstitious AF I thought: “the universe is trying to tell us something, we better listen”.
At that point, we had been living in our apartment for almost three years, and it still felt like we just moved in. A couch, a TV, a plant and a cat tree. Priorities, am I right? When we first moved in, we thought that it was better to save money for the next step in our lives. So we shouldn’t invest too much in decorating the house. Three years later, there I was. I was standing in my almost empty living room thinking that this was the space that had been with us all this time, through thick and thin. And now, because of the lockdown, it was going to be what we would see 24/7 for the next few months. Did this house feel like home?
Sometimes we focus so much on the future, on that “next step” that we forget to live in the here and now. I decided my house needed some love. We had to honour this space, make it feel like OURS, and enjoy it for as long as possible.
Our first step was putting a fresh coat of paint on the house. And what a difference it made! We went from beige to white, making the house look brighter and more spacious. Then we decided to get some custom-made curtains, which would allow us to have a good entry of light but at the same time a little more privacy.
Then came the most interesting part, the decoration. I have to confess, I love the Scandinavian style. I know. Groundbreaking. But what can I say? I’m a simple gal. I enjoy its neutral colours, its simplicity, as well as its light and functional furniture. I started the search with two things in mind: time and money. I wanted to buy cute and useful pieces without breaking my budget. Unfortunately, we didn’t have Ikea at the time we started buying the big furniture so we had to get creative and do some research. Also, due to the pandemic, some shipments could take months and if you know me, you know that patience is not my forte.
I got a white table on Amazon that I LOVED. Unbeatable price, super simple to assemble and easy to clean. I combined it with some mint green chairs from Brüm Design, an incredible furniture and decoration store in Querétaro.
Finally, a round mirror serves as the focal point of the dining room and hallway. It took me a long time to get this mirror until I came across “Don’t Forget Me Taller” thanks to an IG story by Luisa Cárdenas. Their service was amazing, they even came to install it themselves and it took less than a week from the time I paid.
For the living room area, we chose a tv unit that we saw at Walmart as it was the fastest to arrive that was closest to our budget and style. Its size was perfect for the space we had and the exact style we were looking for. I give it a 7/10 only because putting it together was a nightmare.
The final touches were small items that made a big difference. Picture frames from Ikea, and Amazon, extra plants, a full-length mirror and a beautiful rug from Ikea.
Let’s not forget the candles. Lately, I’ve been obsessed with candles and I loved these. They took a while to arrive because they came from Yucatan. They are from a beautiful Mexican business called Bendita Candles.
Now every time we wake up and look around us, I can’t explain the happiness and peace we feel. We changed the vibe from “house” to “home”. Going through this whole process of decorating our home during covid-19 made me appreciate our space so much. It made us feel connected to our now and be grateful for everything we have built in this beautiful country.
