Handyman expert Ivonne: Let me introduce myself!
Hi, I'm Ivonne and you know me from the videos of TOSIZE.ie, among others. Also, if you've ordered a shelving unit from us, you've spoken to me. You see, I'm a job expert at TOSIZE.ie} and I watch along with every chest of drawers and (bespoke) furniture ordered from us. I'm happy to introduce myself!
This is me in a nutshell
So I am Ivonne. I grew up in a small village and now live in the city with my boyfriend and our two cats. I studied communication management and travelled in Australia and New Zealand for 8 months after graduating. I find personal development and our search for happiness incredibly interesting. I think creativity is very important in this!
Handyman expert at TOSIZE.ie, what does that mean?
As a handyman expert, I try to impart as much knowledge as possible. Good product descriptions are important to me, as are good handyman tips that are useful to everyone! These are the things you will see on the website, but behind the scenes I also answer customer service questions and give advice on custom-made cupboards. And recently you can also see me at work in moving pictures, explaining how to assemble a shelving unit or what a mitre is!
Chores I learned from...?
My father! He is a real do-it-yourselfer, so I definitely picked up the handyman bug from him. I always used to find it very interesting to watch what he was doing. Unfortunately, he didn't let me help him much -he is a bit of a stickler for precision- but despite this, I learned a lot from watching him do things. When I was a bit older, he sometimes let me help with painting, a job he didn't really like to do, so I could let loose with that!
Together with my mother, I used to scour all the flea markets and thrift shops. Looking for nice old furniture we could fix up. My father would then (whether or not grumbling about 'that old stuff') do the restoration work. When I moved out on my own, I started working on old furniture and DIY projects myself.
Eventually, I met a really nice guy; a furniture maker and real handyman! It was bound to happen and soon I was helping him a lot in his workshop. As a result, I learned a lot more about everything to do with DIY from him!
That's how I ended up with TOSIZE.ie
With all the jobs that made me so happy, I found out that my job at the time no longer suited me. I decided to quit my job and start running his business together with my boyfriend. After a year of working together like this, I spoke to an old school friend from high school. He told me that he and his companions were setting up a new project: TOSIZE.ie. They were still looking for someone who could write nicely about wood and make DIY tips. In my mind, that role was mine! And not much later, then, was my first working day at TOSIZE.ie.
Most beautiful piece of furniture I made
The most beautiful thing I have ever made is the interior of a beach house. Together with my boyfriend, I have now made three beach houses in the Netherlands and I find these the most fun jobs to do. Actually, it contains all the elements of a normal house: a bathroom, beds, kitchen and decking. I think it's especially cool to see that we are actually making a complete house (tiny house) out of nothing at all! Of course, a beach house is not a piece of furniture... I am most proud of the litter box I recently made as inspiration for TOSIZE.ie. The end result turned out really nice and will be online soon. I would love the cabinet myself!
Best DIY tip ever
Good preparation really is half the battle! A 'quick fix' has never worked out well for me. It works so much better when all your stuff is ready to hand and you take your time. You will see it in the result!
If I'm doing chores then...
...I totally get into a flow! The fact that you get immediate results from what you do, that you can use it yourself or make someone else happy with it is what I like best. For me, DIY doesn't feel like work. I forget the time and get totally absorbed in it! By the way, I also love painting. For many people, this is not the favourite part of doing odd jobs, but it really gets me 'zen'. Yes, painting is the ultimate de-stressing activity for me!
Me and my house
At the time of writing, I have just received the key to a new house. A flat that is still completely a blank sheet; lovely! It is tempting to make everything myself, especially with a furniture maker by your side of course. But all that also takes a lot of time. So we try to make a good mix of homemade, bought and old (refurbished) furniture.
I love the light Scandinavian style you see a lot nowadays, but I'm pretty bad at the minimalism that goes with it. I love it though, so that will be my challenge for this house! We have chosen some fresh colours, but some cool and industrial elements will also have a place. My intention for this house is to include botanical elements by adding lots of plants. But I'm going to focus on the overall basis first.
We also want to give our two cats enough to play and romp around. If you search on Pinterest, you will find really bizarre houses completely decorated for cats! We don't want to make it that bizarre, but we're definitely going to make some nice spots for them, like shelves on the wall, so they can seek out the height.
My dream home? That's not this flat. In my wildest dreams, we will build our own house together, or renovate an old farmhouse. We then really do everything ourselves, so we can actually live in our own built house! I also dream of having a big garden, with room for some chickens, a vegetable garden and of course our cats, who can then go outside. Preferably by the water, so we can go boating when the weather is nice!
Who and/or what inspires me
Our clients inspire me tremendously! Before I worked at TOSIZE.ie, I got my inspiration from Pinterest, TV shows and magazines. I still do that now, but when I see what all our clients come up with and create, it makes me 'turn on' tremendously! It certainly inspires me to think up and create new jobs myself.
Small happiness is for me
- The sunrise as I cycle along the country road from the station to the office
- My cat sleeping so soundly that it makes me jealous
- Crocuses in the winter sun, heralding the end of winter
- The 'yes' moment when I walk past a piece of home-made furniture I am proud of
- A cup of fresh cappuccino (preferably with oat milk!)
In my spare time...
... I am usually taking pictures. Wherever I am, I am usually taking photos with my mobile or my camera! I love eating out (and so take photos of all the courses). With my family I play escape room every now and then which I really enjoy doing, and when the weather is nice I get happy reading a book in the park or on the beach. By the way, the beach always makes me happy, maybe even more so when it is not 25-degree bikini weather!
What you can expect from me
Besides sharing knowledge and answering DIY questions, from now on I will also inspire more and more. More and more videos will appear, in which I take you behind the scenes, give you a DIY tip or like the video accompanying this text. Together with the entire team (because behind the scenes there are of course many more people active!), we want to inspire and stimulate you as a handyman, or maybe even professional, to get to work and be creative yourself!
Greetings Ivonne
