As mentioned in a recent post the first step in a successful working retirement is the ‘where’.

We spent two weeks in the Maritimes this summer answering that very question. We are now the owners of 23 acres complete with woods, pond, creek, ducks, beautiful mature garden, barn, art studio and 1823 house in Nova Scotia.

It all needs some work but we have the four year plan before we move out there. The house’s potential is hidden under decades of renovations and I am excited to see what the contractor reveals when we strip it back.

While I happily shared pictures of the exterior and the grounds I didn’t let anyone see the interior as it looks now. You definitely have to be there to envision the casual elegance that I know is hidden beneath the old fashioned upgrades.

In the months to come I am going to follow the advice of the experts and collect magazine pictures of rooms that I like. The other part of the process that I am looking forward to is that because the resale component is not going to be a major consideration, when it comes to the design & decorating choices I can actually do things that reflect my personal taste, likes and lifestyle. Now that is going to be interesting.