“Touch grass”, is what the new generation says when someone is expressing some seriously chronically online behaviour. Being out of touch with the real world is something typical in my stream of consciousness, because of the desire to do so much more than I am currently doing. Productivity is not the issue. Sometimes it is only a matter of time before said things can occur. Other times, it is not taking a moment to myself to realise that where I am is perfectly fine. We are all where we need to be for our existence to keep on keeping on. Why not take this to another level and appreciate our comfortable lives indoors with a fridge full of food, energy to keep us warm, and a roof to protect us from the unpredictably harsh weather? 

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House and farm hunting has forced Mr. Dixon and me to look outside our daily lives and city, and take a step into the deep countryside. I am not talking about a small village right outside the suburbs. I am asseverating how there is an entire rest of the world outside those allegedly purposive existences. 

The places that might seem isolated, but are actually strong communities of people banding together to create a conference of what would be easily labile in metropolitan areas. In my latest vlog, we drove one hour and a half out to the middle of nowhere to find what my husband calls The Shire haha. It was an actual piece of heaven that reminded me of Shakespeare.

There are more things in heaven and Earth, Horatio

Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

Hamlet

The roads were endlessly volute, winding, and wide as the height of a single man. This sparked the notion in me that I am pretty certain a majority of these remote homes are most likely self sustaining. Their storage for supplies must be stocked, prepared, and do not have need to work or worry too much considering the ice on these roads during the Winter can cause extreme accidents. Looking outside my window, there were steep hills of green taken straight out of a ranch commercial immediately at the ends of the road.

The rolling hills are ideal for pasture land and husbandry while the flat plateaus are perfect for arable. This is so exciting and inspiring. I could see myself with my horses – as you can see various breeds in my vlogs – that can be friends with their neighbours. After all, this is the hrose capital of the world.

As we walked hiked through the national forest, we realised that several properties on our wishlist had national forests of their own. Literally two national forests would be in my backyard. One is not necessarily national, but equating about enough acreage to be evaluated as such. God bless America, land that I love. This place is gorgeous. 

I am surrounded by such clean air. A clean town. This is one of the first things I noticed since moving from Hollywood Hills, California. There is no smog, everything is green, and the weather makes the sun worth the appreciation. Rather than the rays beating down on me indefatigably through neverending Springs and Summers in Los Angeles. It might seem like a pleasure, but I have a hard time enjoying myself when sitting in my sweat every time I simply do nothing. Cooler climates call for a blanket as an instant solution. The heat has none. I hate the desert so much. Yes, Los Angeles is a dry, crackling, unbearable desert.

The capacity for perambulation in this paradise is unbounded. The concomitant clear skin and excellent mental health from this volume of healthy land does not only limit the design of something sightly for a simple garden and interior blueprints. But for much more of a space to realise. A touch of permaculture will come into play when sorting a cache of two to three season’s worth of vegetables and herbs here. Versatile cattle here. Coop here. Seasonal furnishings there. A place to host outdoors this way.

What’s the plan?

1. Modernise the home on the land.
2. Cultivate the land.
3. Build a palace to call home from scratch while living in the existing home.
4. Live off the land and invite all our friends and family over.

I am going to create a whole video on all my plans for the house, then execute the plans across multiple vlogs and posts to keep you updated. Sign up to the newsletter form above to stay notified. The best part of it all, is that anyone can do this if they try. People might think you need immeasurable means to go about such ideas, but the truth is people spend much more of their life paying bills rather than building a fireplace once to chop down wood and keep their home warm instead. Living in certain regions as big cities prohibits such simple acts which baffles me. 

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At Mr. Dixon’s work, he has a coworker who has a bovine farm of his own and feeds his family on beautiful cuts of steak nightly. My husband asked him if there are any regulations he needs to follow before cutting down trees and cultivating new, healthy ones. He made a face and simply said no. This is how brainwashed we are from living in controlling conditions called ‘big cities’. Paperwork for every little thing you do. It truly is free here.

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The mudroom

The interiors are a whole story in itself. I am so thrilled to take floors apart, build the stunning bathrooms, and truly make it feel like home for anyone who steps inside. Each room has a lot of love, a set theme, and not necessarily a theme for a party, but a theme for deliberate guidelines to stick to. The mudroom is going to be very English countryside. Purdey and Barbour everywhere. Walnut from our farms. Brass hooks on the wall with a dark Dublin shade of grass under a cloudy sky. This way it hides the mud tracks with a forgiving outdoor rug. Comfortable benches for seating. Leather leashes and Apple AirTags hung. Some horse gear that is not meant to be left outdoors. 

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The entryway

The entryway will have tables for temporary storage of our guests and decoration. Wallpaper inspired by De Gournay. Mr. Dixon originally wanted me to paint it myself, but I am nervous about the thought of illustrating elaborate scenery with oil haha. It definitely has to be full of deep hues but feel inviting. Seating for putting on shoes. An umbrella carrier. And a place to put coats and hats. I am still thinking of how to design an inconspicuous area for shoes.

The bathrooms

Something that has always bothered me about apartment buildings, and even multi million dollar houses in Beverly Hills was how awfully tiny the bathrooms were. The showers were meant for bachelors picking up girls and never letting them shower at their ‘pad’ haha. Even in the multiple thousand square foot properties. When building our dream main bathroom, I want enough space that both my husband and I can shower on opposite ends of the shower. This way we can get ready at the same time and offer more bathrooms for our guests and children. I really do not care about having a bath, because it has been ages since I have taken one. Short showers are my friend, and I do not like adding things to my ablutions routine. 

There will also be his and hers sinks with stocks of all our different skin and hair products in the cabinets. All the tools we need in one place and enough for the whole year so we do not have to worry about shopping and going out for more supplies. Instead, we can focus on more important things as family.

The main room

Books are something Mr. Dixon prioritises. There are only going to be hands on items in this part of the house as boardgames, books, pads to draw on, and all without devices. Play with tools in the garage or guns in the backyard for all I care. As long as our faces are not buried into a screen haha. And using our presentation and social skills by practicing reading aloud each chapter as a family was imperative to my upbringing. This will be repeated throughout the childhood of our little ones.

For me, it is music. I grew up in a household with every instrument available on every wall. It was fun, because we would break out into jam sessions almost daily as a family. It was fun, and we could do interpretive dances while my dad played the bongos, my brother on the bass, and I played jazz piano haha. A Mason & Hamlin is a must for the main room. Another for the study so the children can practice in solitude and not feel embarrassed with our whole family or guests breathing on their shoulders about mistakes.

It also has to be insanely comfortable. There will be a fireplace with cushioned seating around it, dark wood, and tons of cushions. I want it to be as inviting as possible so we can convene as a family with determination. It will have a lot of dark rugs and furniture with ornate design to hide any spills.

This is only a handful of the rooms we are directing our attention to for now. There is an entire world of action that needs to be attended to in the next few months. This coming season will set the stage for the rest of our lives and the shaping of new ones to come.

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