Moving Home
It was just over one year ago that my husband and I decided to take the next step with our businesses and move out of the home to a shared showroom and workshop space.
Both of us had operated our businesses out of our home for years and felt it was time to move out of the home and on to bigger and better things. I was looking for a healthier work/life balance and Nik was running out of material storage space and needed a workshop.
We spent the first couple of months renovating the rental space and getting our showroom and shop space set up. I remember the pride I felt when I spent my first day at my new desk in my own office. It was surreal, and truly bittersweet.
As a wife, mother and self-proclaimed mom-preneur you could say that during any given day I wear many hats. This is especially true in the construction industry where I could be a delivery gal, site clean up crew, coffee-bringer and project lead all in the same 15 minutes. I had become alarmingly effective while wearing multiple hats at once so when we moved to the showroom and I was only wearing my work-hat at work and my mom-hat at home I felt a bit overwhelmed. I soon realized that when I work from home I have the freedom to call contractors and scan documents while I prep supper or change over the laundry. So when I made the move to working in an office out of the home the biggest thing I noticed was that by the time I took off the work-hat, got the mom-hat on and finished up with my homemaker-hat I actually had no time to wear my 'me-hat', you know, the one where you read a book or go for a walk or do things that make you, you. It turned out that the "bigger and better" wasn't best for our family. I have a deep appreciation for those who are able to separate their work life and home life as this balance can be challenging.
When we renovated our home, three years ago, we did so with the intent of using it as a showroom. The kitchen is full of handy gadgets and the bathrooms each have their own unique aesthetic. I found myself meeting prospective clients first at the showroom in the office to view samples and then the house to view cabinetry inserts and kitchen work stations. From there we would meet at their home or at other local businesses to source other finishes and products for their project and shortly after that the work would happen at their home. Having a designated showroom space out of the home seemed to be counter-productive, and you know how moms feel about that.
With all these considerations, and many others, in mind, I am happy to announce that we will be moving our office and showroom back home as of January 1, 2018. I am so excited to be able to work from home again and look forward to another fun, project filled year.