Inheriting a property and making it your own

A somewhat particular subject, but one that concerns quite a lot of people at one time or another: losing a loved one and managing an inherited property…

It is sometimes hard to let go of a place that holds memories, so if you decide to keep it, you will have to come to terms with this space you have always known in a certain way, and learn to detach yourself from it in order to reshape it your way.

First of all, there is a small ritual to let the soul of the deceased depart, still very present, permeating the walls, the objects… The key advantage of surrounding yourself with an interior architect at this point is being able to detach yourself from the vision of the space as you have always known it. I sense your space, but I have not lived in it; I see this setting, but I also immediately see other possibilities, because I am not steeped in memories or influenced by them as you are. Capturing the present and working with it: that is my mission. Your intention to change, the energy of movement you bring into it, will already fundamentally change the atmosphere of the place. 

Interior architecture, space planning, is an extremely human discipline. 

You have to learn to pick up on the energies of people and of the room in a brief moment, and learn to project yourself into the place while bringing something new: an identity that respects the past, the history, while adapting it to today, to its new occupants, their needs and their wishes. 

It is delicate work, a matter of accompanying people. It is important to build a relationship of trust and to feel listened to by your interior architect. 

Wanting to carry on a story – your story – through a family home is a noble act, but it is all the more important to bring your own identity into it and not to live in a space that visually does not belong to you.

You may have got on very well with your grandmother (for example) and loved her decor, but you remain fundamentally – although from the same family – two different people, of different ages, eras and energies, and so you have different needs and a way of living that is your own. The interior architect’s mission is also to study these changes and help you pin down your needs and build your own world. 

You are connected to the place you live in, and vice versa; don’t live through memories – you would risk shutting yourself away in the past, and that would stop you from moving on, from being in the present and from going forward. You will not erase your loved one’s presence by changing their space to make it your own; you are simply carrying on a story, with complete kindness, through yourself, to let it evolve and perhaps pass it on in your turn, with respect for your ancestors and your history. And they would be very happy to see all the energy you are putting into their former home to make it yours.