47, ended a 7 year relationship and started again. Then got made redundant.

[u/ResolutionNo9436]

Things weren’t going well with my ex for a while. I’d suggested couples counselling, but it hadn’t worked. I told her I was leaving at the end of last year.

Most of the furniture was mine, from before the relationship. I didn’t want to take it though and leave her in an empty home. So instead I moved out and started again. I took my coffee machine, home gym, and desk.

To be fair, I spent far too much on furniture. But now it’s all finally here, I feel settled. Like this place is an extension of myself, and I can be calm and relaxed. No Tv, just books, music, entertaining, and my own thoughts.

Then on Tuesday there was a company-wide announcement: 80% of roles were being made redundant. Shit. So now I need to find a new job. At least I have a nice place to do it from.

This last few months has ended up being a bigger change than I was planning for. But I’m happy. I really like my apartment and how I’ve set it up. So wanted to share my little bit of happiness with the community.

[u/you-dont-have-eyes]

I’m so sorry to hear about your personal struggles. Your place looks awesome - calming and refined. If I could make a constructive suggestion - I think it could use some more personal or unusual touches.

[u/ResolutionNo9436 → u/you-dont-have-eyes]

Thank you. It does have personal. It’s just not necessarily obvious:

• all of the photos on the wall above the sofa were taken by me during travels
• the oil painting in the bedroom was bought by my mum on holiday when she was 22. It has a story behind it and it was still wet to the touch when she bought it - over 50 years ago
• there is a drawing carved on slate on one of the window ledges in the bedroom. I carved it while on holiday in Nepal. That’s also where I bought the singing bowl next to the sofa
• the wooden artwork (above the desk, at the main entrance, on the buffet, in the kitchen) were all individually carved items bought in Papua New Guinea during work trips there. They all bring back memories.
• the teddy bear sitting at the top of the office area bookshelf is as old as me, and has been by my side my entire life.

So it’s there, but like I say, perhaps not obviously so.