We Have an Opening Date! The Final Push Begins

Well, I’m finally back at the shop after being knocked out by illness, and it feels as though we have gone from slowly getting there to full steam ahead!

The walls are being painted, skirting boards have been made and painted, the flooring has arrived and all being well the upstairs floor will be going down tomorrow.

And, most excitingly of all…

We officially have an opening date!

Nell’s Farmhouse Interiors will open its doors on Saturday 31st October at 10am.

I can’t quite believe I’m actually writing that.

After months of planning, painting, ripping things out, putting things back together, changing my mind, worrying, getting excited and wondering whether we would ever actually get there, we finally have a date when we get to welcome you all inside.

We’ll be celebrating throughout our opening weekend, and there will be a little gift with every purchase as a thank you for supporting us. I’m also thinking about including a special discount card for your next visit — because obviously I’d quite like you to come back! 🤎

The evening before our official opening, Friday 30th October, we’ll be holding a small, invite-only preview evening for family, friends and some of our fellow local business owners.

But I also want some of you there.

We’ll be choosing 10 of our lovely followers to receive an invitation to the evening, so keep an eye on our social media over the next few weeks. You might just find an invitation heading your way!

Renovating a building from 1664…

I have also discovered something this week.

Painting ceilings is HORRIBLE.

My arms hurt. My back hurts. Muscles I didn’t even know existed hurt.

At some point, standing there with a roller above my head, I did begin to question whether I am perhaps getting a little too old to renovate a building dating back to 1664!

But we are getting there.

Stock is now arriving almost daily and seeing the shop slowly fill with all the things I have spent months choosing is probably one of my favourite parts of this whole journey.

Our Christmas stock has started arriving too, although we’re keeping that tucked away for now. Christmas at Nell’s will officially arrive in November, and I genuinely cannot wait to dress the shop for our first Christmas in Framlingham.

Business, motherhood and a little mum guilt

The children have all settled back into school beautifully, which has made getting back into the shop routine a little easier.

But today was one of those days where trying to be a mum and build a business at the same time felt particularly hard.

I couldn't attend their Harvest Festival at church because I needed to be at the shop.

My son was not impressed.

And neither was I, really.

I came away feeling absolutely awful and had a little cry about it. Because however exciting this business is, sometimes building something for your family's future means sacrificing moments with them now and that part is hard.

Mums really do have it hard sometimes.

You want to be everywhere, for everyone, and occasionally it just isn't possible.

I'm hoping that one day Nell's will be doing well enough that I can employ someone to cover the shop on those days when there's a school play, Harvest Festival or something else that I absolutely don't want to miss.

That's another little goal to add to the list.

It’s starting to feel real

We’re now waiting for the finishing touches.

The fascia lettering is being organised, Tom still needs to put our proper Nell’s Farmhouse Interiors sign up, the flooring needs finishing, and then we can really start turning this beautiful old building into the shop I’ve had pictured in my head for so long.

Maybe when that sign finally goes up, it will actually feel real.

I feel incredibly blessed to have got this far, but I won't pretend it has been easy.

This shop has taken blood, sweat and tears quite a lot of tears, actually, as Tom will happily testify!

I've probably done around 90% of the renovation and shop preparation myself while Tom continues to work full-time. He's helped whenever he possibly can (and built me a rather lovely checkout counter!), but the reality of starting a small family business is that there isn't a huge team behind the scenes.

Most days, it's just me.

Me with a paintbrush.

Me surrounded by boxes.

Me trying to remember what I've ordered.

Me panicking about everything still left to do.

And occasionally me sitting amongst it all wondering what on earth I've got myself into.

But then I look around.

At the sage green windows. At the counter Tom built. At the stock beginning to fill the shelves. At this beautiful old building that we've slowly brought back to life.

And I remember why I'm doing it.

Saturday 31st October, 10am.

Nell's Farmhouse Interiors finally opens its doors.

And after everything it has taken to get here, I genuinely cannot wait to welcome you inside.

Nell x

*Timeless Homewares for a Beautiful Home*