As you know, a little over a year ago, I pressed pause on Zilvi.
At the time, I didn’t know what that pause would look like, or how long it might last. I couldn't explain it to you. I only knew that life was whispering for me to slow down - to listen, to trust, to make choices that felt far bigger than I believed myself ready for. The kind of choices that change you. The kind that ask you to follow your intuition, even when the road ahead is hidden in fog.
For so many years, Zilvi was my creative heartbeat - the pulse that carried me through long nights and early mornings. It was a reflection of everything I loved and believed in: creativity, connection, and care. Through Zilvi, I found my purpose and poured it into timber pieces that travelled to your homes all around the world. Each creation carried a part of my story - and somehow, beautifully, became part of yours too.
But as time moved forward, life began to whisper again. A quiet nudge that something within me was shifting - asking for space, for stillness, for change.
Zilvi was born just six months into my journey of motherhood - a tender time when everything was new and uncertain. Running a business with a baby in my arms rearranged every idea I had about balance, ambition, and love. It softened me in ways I could never have expected. Supporting my family and raising the sweetest boy became my truest calling - and for the past eleven years, that calling has guided every choice I’ve made.
Many of you have walked this path with me - through the seasons of building a brand and nurturing a child, side by side. We’ve shared the highs and the heartbreaks of motherhood: the joy of new life, the ache of loss, the silent battles of our infertility, the small, sacred moments of ordinary days. Your stories, your kindness, your presence have been woven into mine.
Then came a season of travel - months spent chasing sunsets across Australia, rediscovering who I was beyond the studio walls. The land had called me back to her - to a slower rhythm.
Eventually, my heart led me home again - to new soil, where I am now planting new roots. These days you’ll find me on acreage, building our cottage, establishing gardens, homeschooling Felix, and focusing on my health and creativity. Life looks different now - simpler, deeper, truer.
And in this stillness, I realised something: as much as I love the timber art that built Zilvi, I can no longer give it the energy and devotion it deserves. And when your heart can no longer pour fully into something, sometimes the kindest act of love is to let it go.
That’s where Shar from Shartruese entered my story.
Shar is a maker whose hands create with the same intention and warmth that shaped Zilvi from the beginning. She understands what this brand stands for - artistry, authenticity, and heart. More recently, our paths have run parallel, and in this season of rebuilding and renewal, we’ve found strength in walking beside each other.
Passing my timber art designs to Shar isn’t the end of Zilvi. It’s an evolution - a new chapter where the story continues to grow, even as I step into new beginnings of my own and pivot my brand in a new direction.
For now, my hands are busy building our home, planting seeds, and teaching lessons around our kitchen table. But my mind is often wandering to what is next for Zilvi and where this next chapter will lead. I'll restock my tea and honey soon and so much more.
I will forever be grateful for what the journey of creating timber art for you all has given me: the freedom to create, the ability to support my son, the connections that have filled my life with purpose and love.
To each of you who have supported my brand - thank you. You’ve been part of my story in the most meaningful way. I appreciate you.
Here’s to motherhood.
To new beginnings.
To trusting the seasons of our lives.
And to having the courage to let go - so that something new can bloom.
With love and gratitude
Nicole