Nourishing spaces: an experiential journey inside the moving process

The moving process is a journey that’s able to bring people closer to the environments they inhabit. Through sensory and experiential aspects, it unveils the intimate relationship that exists between feelings and spaces…

moving out

A move is characterized by sensory associations that make it a distinctive and recognizable moment: the smell of cardboard boxes, the sound of packing tape and screw guns… This combination of sensory elements brings the mind to the smells, sounds, and sensations that previously characterized the space, consciously realizing that a space is always experienced through all senses and all the senses contribute to the overall feeling of a space.
When moving out, daily life naturally becomes more conscious, recalling memorable events that took place in the space, giving more value to the little things, as well as noticing all the lasts. Daily moments also double as occasions to make mental notes of favourite features and nourishing experiences to replicate in the new space.

From a physical perspective, moving is the process of peeling off all the layers of a personal space – from memorabilia to furnishings. It is turning tailored into general, lived-in into vacant, condensing life inside boxes. Through packing, every single object that inhabited the space is seen and touched during a short timeframe, in a practice that recalls memories and past seasons of life. At the same time, packing is an invitation to be intentional about what to keep. Evaluating every single possession opens questions and considerations that unveil individual (and often unconscious) criteria to hold on to objects: a combination of functionality, beauty, cohesiveness, and emotional value.

Then the day comes: a final walk around empty rooms, a final look at familiar outdoor views, and mixed feelings of affection and anticipation for a chapter that closes and a new one that’s about to begin…

moving in

Once in the new space, the flow reverses: a first walk around empty rooms, a first look at unfamiliar outdoor views, and mixed feelings of disorientation and excitement for the very first moments of a new chapter in life.

A priority when moving in, unpacking resumes familiar objects that start reshaping a personal atmosphere. More than ever, objects become carriers of comfort and familiarity, allowing habits and rituals to find their place in a new space.
Yet shaping a personal and nourishing space digs deeper and requires pondered reflections around the use and experience of space. It’s a process that calls for a degree of self-analysis and observation to find out real needs, personal patterns in the use of space, as well as genuine aspirations. Day after day, reflections turn into design decisions that mirror the facets of life into atmospheres while infusing the space with those personal meanings that turn a space into one’s space.

As a whole, moving out and in fit into the wider process of moving on with one’s journey, deepening self-understanding and recognizing the importance of quality spaces for a quality life.

Be it a home, a working environment, or else, moving can become a self-discovery journey. From sensory perceptions to feelings and experiences, the moving process unveils multiple layers of our relationship with spaces, opening the way to a deeper, more intentional, and truly nourishing approach to the environments we inhabit.