One of my biggest goals whenever I set up home (which, as an adult, has been a total of six different apartments so far) is to create a haven: a place that feels comfortable, relaxing, and welcoming for both others and myself.
It's been a learning process - one that I've thoroughly relished. Below are some things I've discovered along the way, tips that help me make the "haven" goal a reality. I would love to hear ways that you make your home feel like home!
Use colors to set the mood. Paint is perhaps the easiest way to do this on a large scale. It's often cheaper than big pieces of furniture, rugs, and sometimes even curtains. It's relatively simple to paint a room, but it can dramatically change the overall feel. I love what a fresh coat of paint can do for a space! With my current apartment, I knew I wanted a fresh, clean look - one that would maximize the limited natural light, so I picked an off-white paint and used lots of greens and teals as accents colors. It turned out exactly how I'd hoped - hurray!
Use nature as decor. Cut flowers, eucalyptus branches, potted plants - all of it makes me quite happy indeed. God is the original Artist, and His creation not only brings beauty into my home, but lends a calming, inspiring feel to the space. I can't say it enough: I love nature!
Celebrate and embrace the seasons. Taking inspiration from the seasons and incorporating it into my home is so fun! It doesn't require a lot of money, just a bit of creativity. Budding branches in a pitcher in spring, cut flowers from the farmers market in summer, pumpkins and a bowl of apples (which I would buy anyway!) out on the table in fall, evergreen branches around Christmas, scented candles or hand soaps to match the seasons, extra blankets when it's cold, and so on.
Don't be a slave to stuff. Few things feel as stressful to me as a house or space cluttered with too much stuff. If my stuff is getting in the way of living, I have too much of it. More is better is a lie. Enough is good enough. Let it be. Our stuff should serve us, not the other way around.
Feel comfortable in your own space. Keeping up with the Joneses is not the goal. The beach-house-shabby-chic-cottage-retro-glam style might be just perfect for someone else, but if it isn't you (if it doesn't fit your personality or budget or family's needs), that's okay. Make your home a space that you enjoy, and others will enjoy themselves in it, because you, the host, are at ease.
You live in your house. It should look like you do. I used to obsess about having the house as tidy as possible before people came over; no dishes in the sink, no books off the shelf, no projects on the dining room table. Here's the thing: people don't come over to look at a show house. They come over to hang out. I don't go over someone else's house expecting it to look un-lived in, so why would I think they expect mine to look that way?
It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful. This goes along with the last one. There will probably always be projects, things we want to change or improve, areas that don't stay clean as long as we wish, floors that slant and door frames that aren't right angles, but that shouldn't keep us from loving our homes. If we wait till everything is perfect to invite others in, we'll miss out on the opportunity for so many good memories and friendship-building experiences.
In closing...
Two of my current favorite resources for creating comfy, welcoming spaces are Myquillyn Smith's books, The Nesting Place (great for renters!) and Cozy Minimalist Home ("More Style, Less Stuff"). They are great reads - easy and practical, full of beautiful pictures, and feel like having a good friend around for inspiration.
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