Mood board no.1

Two observations:

(1) Everything takes approximately two weeks.

(2) Everything has a starting price of approximately £1000.

Which is to say, that this renovation project is already beginning to feel slow and expensive. The only progress I can report for the past two weeks is that the measured building survey has now happened; I expect to get the drawings to hand over to my architect in - you guessed it! - two weeks.

In the meantime, I’m trying to stay motivated by looking ahead. I’m registered for an Arts and Social Entrepreneurship workshop in Durham next week. (Maybe I’ll meet someone who’s looking for space…?) I’m continuing to go to tapestry weaving lessons in Darlington. (I’m surprised by how much I love it, though probably shouldn’t be.) And I’ve been playing around with a mood board for my own shop/fibre space. (Likely the first of many.) In my head, I know how I want the building to feel. Bringing that feeling to life for myself (let alone others) is an interesting challenge.

Last summer, I spent a few days in Paris with a childhood friend. The Mexican epicerie pictured below was directly opposite her Airbnb. We never had the chance to go in, but I’m strangely drawn to the aesthetic of its exterior. Will my shopfront be pink? Probably not. But as I’ve kept an eye out for other sources of inspiration, that colour keeps popping up in unexpected places. If every baby step forward continues to take two weeks, I’ll have plenty of time to make up my mind.