Ahoj! Yes, that really is how we say “hello” in Slovakia. My name is Annetta. A couple of months ago, my little family moved to Slovakia’s capital city, Bratislava. My husband is a native Slovak and we have an 8-year-old son called Augustin, plus a dog named Tucker. We moved to Slovakia a little over 2 years ago from Seattle, Washington, after traveling the States for a year in an Airstream. I’m a bigball of creativity and, when I am not tutoring English or homeschooling my son, you will find me knitting a sweater or designing one, photographing something pretty, cross-stitching or working with clay. I love the creative process and find great joy in it.

Just a few weeks ago, after much struggle and waiting, we finally got the keys to our flat. I still have rooms to put together and boxes to unpack, but it already has the bones of a good home that will serve us for years to come. Because we just moved into our house, things are still changing and being shifted around while we work out the kinks in how we want things to be. My son's room is a mess of boxes, clothes, and toys while my own room feels about the same.

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When we looked at the flat when it was just a construction zone, the first thing that caught my eye was the entry way. That day, I knew what I wanted to do and how I wanted it to set up the mood for the rest of the house. I was going to draw, watercolor and print my own wallpaper design. It was meant to be a big statement piece as you enter.

When designing my house, I knew I wanted white floors and lots of white in general, but I had no idea that color was going to be the main theme of the house. I wanted to go for an eclectic feel with lots of refurbished pieces full of character but ended up with a whole lot of IKEA. I am thankful that IKEA items look completely different when the paint is added.

Our home has an open floor plan - the kitchen, living room, and dining area are all one big room. Most homes in Slovakia have a separate room for all these areas, but I wanted that American open floor plan so that when I was cooking I didn’t feel separated from the rest of my family while they were in the living room.

Our home is unique in that it has 3 bedrooms versus the typical 2 bedrooms. That gives us the ability to host people in our guest room, as hosting is my type of serving people. What is also different about our flat is that it has two bathrooms. One bathroom has a sink, a toilet, and a shower, while the other has a sink, a toilet, laundry, and a bath. Most homes in Slovakia have a sink, laundry, and bath all in one room, while the toilet is separate.

The best part about living in these new modern flats is the fact that I got to pick out my own tiles, floors, and kitchen. That gave me a lot to work with. I chose a white kitchen and white floors. Yes, I do have a dog and a boy, but that just gives me a chance to make sure I am on top of my cleaning. Because of all the white, I started to add bright pops of color that also matched my entryway color scheme from the wallpaper. After 8 cans of spray paint, things are starting to fit in well without having to buy new furniture. I still have lots of work to do as a home can’t really be put together in a couple of weeks, but for now, I have something to build on.       

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