Leaving our previous home, living in a new one
We are moving all the objects we live with by hand and on a bicycle. We live with very few things, and the moving experience feels playful and joyful. We could ask some family members and friends to help us, but we decided not to. We wanted to carry everything ourselves (in many goes of course), to feel what we live with, to contemplate nature's embodiment and our environmental footprint.
It is interesting to observe how the new home invites a somewhat different relationship with objects. It's a very different space, with much more light, a balcony and a different layout. We now have many windows, a great amount of sunlight coming in, a washing machine, and two bedrooms. Both bedrooms are very small, and one of them is for my partner's child who doesn't live with us. Though I liked living in studio apartments, I also felt that there was not enough privacy. It was difficult to have work meetings, online lectures and calls.
This apartment is slightly bigger than the previous one. My partner and I were contemplating that it could be tempting (were we different persons) to invite more objects in as there is more space. We decided to have even less objects than we lived with. There is some built-in storage in the apartment, so we will not need to use the tøjstativ. We also decided to try and live without a bed frame. I used to sleep on the floor for some years, which I loved. When my partner and I moved in together, we got a bed frame and a mattress, but we are planning to use the mattress and not use the bed frame.
In our previous apartment, we were not allowed to dry clothes indoors. In this current apartment, the washing machine is also a dryer, but we invited a drying rack into our life to be able to dry clothes and other textiles without using electricity. In the washing machine, we use unscented laundry sheets. They are packaged in a small cardboard box. We used to buy them from a small, independent online shop here in Denmark but recently I saw them in our local supermarket. I still prefer to support small businesses, but it is nice to see more ecological products accessible to more fellow humans.
Many fellow humans in our neighbourhood have furniture on their balconies. We are using the meditation cushion or just sit on the floor.
Some of the objects we moved as soon as possible from the previous apartment were upcycled glass jars that have lived with us for months. The one in the picture above came with some pickled vegetables. I removed the label and washed the jar well (it doesn't retain smell). I use it for water and tea. We use similar glass jars to store small things in, cutlery, and as vases.
The only objects we are considering inviting into our new space in the future are a small rug (we want to make our home a cosy space for my partner's child) and a larger pot to be able to cook more food at once. Having some extra space will allow us to host our friends who visit Copenhagen. We are also planning to grow some herbs on our balcony. After some conversations, we agreed to have a balcony screen too. I love to connect with the sun, and in such moments I want to wear as little as possible. I would not want to impose my choice upon fellow humans living across the street from us, and the screen would create some privacy.