8 WEEKS TO A NEW LIFE, HOME AND FURNISHINGS
When a job offer required relocating from Halifax, this couple jumped at the chance for a fresh start, writes Helga Loverseed.
Stephanie Smith grew up in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley and her spouse, Nigel (he did not wish to reveal his last name), is from Timmins, Ont. The couple, who are in their early 30s, met in Halifax.
Smith worked her way up to management in call centres. After getting his degree in electronics engineering, Nigel, “who always liked to tinker around with computers,” taught himself the Linux operating system (“because it runs the world”).
A three-year contract doing IT for the global financial firm Morgan Stanley led to an offer of a full-time position. There was a catch. The job involved moving to Montreal from Halifax.
Smith says that, although they were happily ensconced in their lives in Nova Scotia, the idea of living in another city — particularly Montreal, with its reputation as a fun, trendy metropolis — appealed to them both. Smith, too, found a job, working for a startup that helps businesses to get listed online. She also manages their social media accounts.
The couple had only eight weeks to deal with their worldly goods, and in December 2016, they and their two cats moved into a two-bedroom rented condominium on the eighth floor of a former industrial plant — the 1929 Northern Electric building — in Pointe- St-Charles.
The living/dining/kitchen area is open plan, and a glass-sided balcony gives views over the surrounding buildings and the Atwater Market tower.
Q Eight weeks wasn’t a very long time to pack up all your personal effects.
Stephanie No, it wasn’t, but in the end, we decided not to bring any furniture with us and to travel light with just two suitcases. We also sent some things we wanted to keep through Canada Post. As soon as we knew we were moving, we starting selling everything off. Our furniture was a mishmash of Nigel’s stuff and mine, anyway, and we realized we wanted to start afresh.
Q That must have been an expensive proposition?
Nigel I was given a sign-on bonus when I got the job, so we were able to use some of that. We were also getting to the point where we were wanting to buy good things — pieces that we could keep long term.
Q Is your dining table one of them? It’s a really solid looking piece of furniture.
N We got it on sale. The regular price had been $3,000 and we got it for $600!
Q That was quite a deal!
S We’re very much bargain hunters. We’d bought three other tables before that one, but their styles didn’t fit.
N We’d been buying tables online but when we actually saw them in situ, we realized that one after the other, it was a case of wrong table, wrong table, wrong table. This table was our fourth and we found it in a store called Artemano. It’s a Canadian company that specializes in beautiful wood furniture.
Q And the chairs?
S They’re a mix. We didn’t want to go the matchy-matchy route. We got the two black ones from Must Société.
Q As well as the furniture, did you buy all your dishes new?
S A couple of things came from Ikea, and we have a random selection of old silver cutlery that we’ve picked up here and there.
(She and Nigel show them to me by opening the drawers and the cabinets in the kitchen. Elegant and modern, the kitchen units have a glossy black finish and stainless steel handles. At one end of the kitchen/dining area is a floor-to-ceiling glass door leading to the balcony. In front of the door, atop a wooden table, stands a tall, stainless-steel container.)
Q I can’t work out what the container is used for.
N It’s a Berkey ceramic water filter. It uses an old technology, which has been around for at least 300 years. The filter works on gravity, and it makes great tasting water.
S It’s one of our favourite pieces! (From the kitchen we walk into the couple’s bedroom. A larger than average king-size bed dominates the room, and in the far corner is Smith’s home office. The second bedroom is windowless and much smaller. It contains little more than a bunk bed, a desk and an ergonomically designed chair — Nigel’s pride and joy, according to Smith.)
Q What’s the story behind the Lego toys on the shelf under the bed?
N I have a young son from a previous relationship, and he plays with those when he comes to stay.
Q You mean you didn’t construct any of them? N (Laughs.) Well, er, yes, I guess I helped him a bit. I love Lego, too!