Lost in Self Isolation: Moving, Styling and Re-defining ‘Home’ during COVID-19

A few months ago, my entire world as I knew it changed. As a deadly virus spread across the world like wildfire, self-isolation and staying at home became the new normal. Being in self-isolation allowed me to take a step back to re-evaluate my life as a whole. One thing in particular came to the forefront: My current living conditions.

Home, sweet home.

My small, cozy Toronto apartment (which I loved so much) all of a sudden felt like a shoe box. I felt like the walls were slowly caving in on me. OK maybe that’s a tad dramatic, but my apartment was tiny. Like most people, I was not prepared for COVID-19 and this entire experience taught me how sacred and important it is to live in a comfortable space.

Ah, space.

Such a simple word, and yet it packs so much importance. I was desperate for more of it. With two of us now working from home in a confined space, we knew that we needed to consider upsizing. If this was going to be our new normal for the next few weeks, months, or (God forbid) rest of the year, we needed to act now and we needed to act fast. Together, we agreed that it was time to move.

Finding a New Apartment: Virtual Tours are the ‘New Norm’

We were very careful in practicing social distancing when looking for an apartment. Luckily, landlords were quick to adapt to the changes by listing virtual tours that gave us a better sense on the layout of the space. After narrowing down our shortlist, we knew we found the one and it was time for a tour. The landlord conveniently left the keys in a disclosed location and allowed us to tour the space on our own which was extremely helpful. It also allowed us to take our time to talk amongst ourselves to weigh in the pros and cons. After the tour, we were able to ask any questions through texting as well as over a phone call. After lots of back and forth, we settled on our new place.

My go-to apartment search engines in Toronto are viewit.ca and Kijiji

Sending out and SOS for LBL: Virtual Interior Styling with Love By Lynzie

As event design experts, Love by Lynzie (LBL) have recently adapted their process used on weddings and events to interior home styling. They are known for their creative, innovative events and designs and I was familiar with them from my line of work. One new addition to their repertoire is virtual interior styling. Totally makes sense. These women often style all types of events, why not a home? When they reached out to me to discuss the possibility of collaborating, I was thrilled and the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. I knew that with their creative flair, I could realize my living room dream.

You might ask yourself: How the heck can someone style your apartment virtually? I know. I asked myself the same thing. I am here to tell you that it’s totally a thing, it totally works and it’s not going anywhere!

The entire experience involved a few virtual zoom chats. The initial meeting which they call the ‘Virtual Discovery Meeting ‘ allowed them to ask questions about my style and what I like which helped give them a foundation to work with. I was able to share some dimensions of the new apartment as well as provide some photos to help them better visualize. The second virtual meeting was to review the deck that they presented to me. After a little bit of finessing, it was time to make the dream happen. My experience working with Jess Forstner and Lynzie Kent was fantastic.

I always thought that having an interior stylist was only for the wealthy or a television home show. This option is attainable. It allows you to put all your focus on one room in particular if that is your preference. They introduced many fun ideas that I wouldn’t have necessarily thought of including a half painted stump (that totally works) and a gallery wall with antique frames. Any projects that involve a DIY approach, are broken down, step-by-step and are super easy to follow. It was nice to have some fun projects to work on during self isolation. To take a look at the final deck, you can click here. You can also read about their perspective on this experience on their blog.

Love By Lynzie’s Inspiration Board

Furniture Highlight: Plank and Pin

An integral part of my apartment furniture is Plank & Pin. Plank & Pin are a husband and wife small business that create beautiful furniture pieces that are minimalist and sleek. Even better, they are super affordable! The pieces I chose include a TV media console, a coffee table, a set of 3 shelves and two nightstands for my bedroom. Each piece is handcrafted from solid pine with exposed nails that give them a nice modern yet slightly rustic look. I’m obsessed with them. In addition to being super affordable, Plank & Pin has also partnered with One Tree Planted, and they plant one tree for every table they sell. How amazing is that? Check out their website for your next design inspo!

Bedroom with two side tables from Plank & Pin

So here’s a photo of the living room in the apartment before:

Before…

And after:

(Can I get a drum roll please!)

TADA!

I’ve never felt more happy and I feel like my new apartment totally reflects my style and personality. It’s old, meets modern. It’s neutral earth tones that reminds me of the outdoors. I CANNOT WAIT for Christmas and decking this place out for the holidays. Throughout this entire process, I’ve realized the importance of home and why it deserves so much attention. Stay tuned for my next post, which will include some of the DIY projects in more detail!