Some years ago (too many!) I got married and moved down to DC. I was working as a model in NYC  so we hired a designer to renovate an old home we bought.  Except…within a month I found myself doing a lot of the work, and was quickly offered a job by the designer we’d hired. To make a long, complicated story short – I ended up designing this big, old Virginia home on my own, having no previous experience. Instead of relaxing on our honeymoon I obsessively read a book on how to start a design business. And Marmalade Interiors was born.

Fast forward a bunch of years. Luke was born, we divorced, I moved out, but we lived a few minutes apart. Sadly last Christmas Luke’s dad passed away from brain cancer (some of you might have read it).  After sitting empty for a year – tomorrow this pretty old house will have a new owner.  They will move in to the house just the way I designed it years ago.

This weekend Luke and I got to have perhaps the sweetest farewell.

Chris, a filmmaker friend of mine, asked Luke to in one day write and direct a short film for a film festival. (He’s an avid writer and director at 11!).  Chris crew would film it, and make a short film of the making of the film and the location was Luke’s dad’s house.

A day that would have been difficult became a great memory instead.

I couldn’t think of a better farewell for Luke. Saying goodbye to the memories of his dad, while creating new memories for the future and having his first real film to show for it.

He had a blast.

Since back then I didn’t design to “Live Like You” (mistake!) I designed around fantasies (crazy!!), the two stone walled rooms in the back look like a Medieval castle.

So in the story there had to be a king….

King Bubba of Bubbaville.

And at last…all those medieval interiors MADE COMPLETE SENSE!

There is a reason for everything I guess, you just never know when that reason will show itself.

The old English crest in it’s glory.

A chair fit for king. (I always had a lot of imagination.)

Pretty old settee in faux zebra.

If you can’t tell I was influenced by Ralph Lauren and old European castles.

It all made perfect sense.

This room was originally the stables that later turned in to an art studio, then the next family turned it in to a bright family room. And of course it was my turn and I made it a medieval billiard room. The house spoke to me I guess!

Luke gave a tour of the house. Some stuff was moved around.

Everything in the house tells a story. Not necessarily our story, but a beautiful story non the less. I always felt the house had to be designed a certain way because it deserved to. Sometimes you just can’t ignore the spirit of the house.

The back billiard room was for the day called the THRONE room in the story. It looked perfect with the smoke machine.

We both got our farewells.

I of course took pictures of old designs I did (here in the guest house bath).

Luke took a walk on the land.

There is one thing constant in life and that is change.

We can look forward yet embrace our history and our experiences and aim to make the best memories we can.

This week marks a beginning of huge changes both personal and business.  The next blog post we will share our next big adventure.

Hope you will come along for the ride, share yours, and perhaps give us some good advice!

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