Why do we decorate our homes. Is it just for ourselves? Turn on your TV and you’ll see an overwhelming love of all things home. In my opinion (and based on working with hundreds of clients) the fascination of all things home is having a place to nurture the ones we love. Creating a beautiful home is about having spaces to do the things we like to do, with the people we want to do them with.
For eight years, I taught a DIY Decor class to homeowners. (this was SO fun, btw. Read more about THAT here.) In one of the classes, I shared my feeling that your home should greet you at the end of the day with a warm hug. The world is a crazy place and our home is our refuge. Years later, it was rewarding to have one of my students cite that back to me while we were working together on her home. The fact that it resonated meant a lot to me and I hope it means something to you as well.
Home is about creating memories with the ones you love, whether they are your friends, your family or your fur-children. Your home should always have a place to do the things you want to do. Identify what you would like to do and make sure you have a great place to enjoy it!
Do you need a place to…
What I love about my home is having a place to cook!
Are you a wanna be chef or just a motivated home cook? A well organized and thoughtfully laid out kitchen is important. A few things to think about:
- create a work triangle for good flow
- keep your dishes and silverware storage close to dishwasher
- store spices and utensils close to cook top
- use clear and labeled containers as much as possible for ease of use and no surprised while you’re creating your next masterpiece
What I love about my home is the ability to make music…
Are you an aspiring (or aspired!) musician or a parent of one? Much better than a garage band afterthought, having a well thought out place to encourage and nurture this habit is a great goal for you home and needs some careful planning.
What I love about my home is it provides me the place to enjoy my hobbies
Hobbies such as
- Crafting
- Scrapbooking
- Painting
- Flower arranging
- Woodworking
- Sewing
- DIY Projects (furniture makeovers??)
Hobbies that require a little (or a LOT) of physical space, are often neglected as pulling together your supplies is often a long drawn out endeavor. Being prepared to enjoy your hobbies by creating a well thought out space set up specifically for them will make it easy to carry out your favorite past-times.
What I love most about my home is it’s where my collections can happily reside.
Anyone that has a collection can tell you how spatially challenging their collection can be. From stamps to model trains and everything in between, a much loved collection needs to be displayed to be loved.
What I love most about home is my favorite place for my morning workout.
If fitness is key to your lifestyle, don’t shove the weights and yoga mat under the bed! A great work out space should factor keenly into your overall design. It’s key to know your personal preferences on your work out.
- If you’re into HIIT workouts, you’ll need a larger floor space
- If yoga is your thing, a mirror is a must
- If your workout of choice requires a machine, investigate options that work within your space and placement that encourage regular use.
Make your home work for you not against you. Whatever your passion, whoever you like to do it with, your home should be your comfortable and happy place.
“What I love most about my home is who I share it with.”
― Tad Carpenter
