When Real Simple magazine asked “designers, writers, cooks, and others,” “What makes a house feel like home?” I reached out to my circle of women: “What makes your house your home?” If not top of mind, the words nevertheless seemed to be right there, on the tip of the tongue. Read on….
MB: A Steady Anchor
Your home should be a reflection of who you are…when you return to it…it is a place of comfort, peace, familiarity, and safety. A steady anchor…a grounding presence. That is my home.
AN: A Sacred Place
Home: a very special, sacred place for family, friends, LOVE, happiness, sadness, candid communication—a place where we can be who we REALLY are—no makeup, girdle, etc.! Home can be wonderful smells from the kitchen, happiness and celebrations. But it can also be where, in life’s sad moments, we rally together as a unit, or as individuals. When I think of home, I think of warm and cozy.
SH: A Place for Living and Loving
While I’d love for it to be a showplace, people I love live here. There are homeschool books spread out from one end to the other. My son’s daily detritus litters the foyer table. There is a pile of dirty socks at the foot of my daughter’s bed. Dogs sprawl on my beautiful leather couch. The remains of our shared pot of coffee need cleaning up. It’s all home. Signs of living and loving in this shared space.
HC: A Shared Life
My home is where I feel safest and most loved simply being me. It is a place of love and comfort, a reflection of memories and aspirations. Together we’ve created this shared space: a beautiful Steinway piano and paintings by beloved relatives connect us to our ancestors. Photographs and little craft projects remind us of the joyful exuberance of our children. Cozy nooks for reading, exercise equipment, and games reflect our interests and activities. The loving eyes and wagging tails of our dogs greeting us at the door and the click, click, click of their nails on the wood floor as they follow me from room to room; yes, that definitely makes my house my home.
JA: A Refuge
My home is a reflection of who I believe I am. I hand-picked the color palette and every piece of furniture is something I thoughtfully chose for a purpose. It’s comfortable and every room makes me feel good to be in it. Remnants of my travels are everywhere. My husband and I worked together on combining our households and he’s just as much a part of this home as I am. When we walk in, we feel at home. It’s our refuge, always. These aren’t just things, they’re memories with a story that makes us smile.
MR: A Memory Maker
It’s knowing the creak in the fourth stair up, the foot pattern in my kitchen when I’m cooking and need to reach for the refrigerator or the pans. It’s the satisfaction I get from sitting in my garden that I’ve cultivated for 26 years, listening to the water burble in the fountain I built. It’s seeing how the hydrangeas from Abby’s wedding have grown, and it’s the 26 years of clutter I have to clean out. It’s the photo of Joel and me in the front yard the first year looking at where we need to start—start digging, start planting, start living a life together. It’s the comfort of sleeping in my own bed knowing that the sun’s light will wake me in the morning, when I’ll make my tea and think about what needs to be done today.
Here’s to your home!
