Friday, October 12, 2012

Layers Make a Home

"We'll have all the pieces in place, every little accent table and lamp, and then we wait a couple of weeks and come back with that extra layer - a miscellaneous accent on the wall, another throw, a stool that's not necessary but looks good. It's those layers that make it feel homey."
 - Amy Kehoe, Interior Designer


A house is not a home unless it feels like one.

The question is...what turns a house into a home?



Well certainly...it starts with the people that live there.

Perhaps it is only you. Maybe it includes a roommate, a partner/spouse, children, pets, extended family members.



But after you consider your peeps...you then gotta move on to your...ummmm...keeps.

Yeah, that's right.

Your keeps.

What do you keep yourself and your housemates surrounded with?



Is your home purely practical? Does everything serve a purpose?

Well that is great...to a point.

But it is the "keeps" that perhaps are not as necessary and/or practical that truly turn a house into a home.

Take a moment and look around your living space.



Now without thinking too much, take a quick, mental inventory of the things in your space that make you feel good.

I don't care if it is a blue vase that catches the light in the morning or a cozy, the multi-coloured, knit afghan that your grandmother made, the cookie jar that sat on your kitchen counter when you were a child that has chips in it or the artwork your child made for you for mother's day, proudly displayed in a place of honour.

Got lots of kiddie crafts in my home...and I love 'em!


These are things with heart. These are things with soul.

These are the things that make a house a home.

Sterile, museum-like homes may look stunning in a glossy magazine, but it is the layers that individuals add to a house that slowly - over time - make it home.



And not just a home...but your home.

Because I am sure that hideous afghan would get nixed in mine.

I must admit, I had one of these in my home growing up...and it was purdy cozy!


But in the same breath, I am sure my collection of thrift store, white, ceramic animals would surely not be your idea of  "keeps".

It is all about how you feel. It is all about being cozy. It is all about feeling safe and protected and...well...at home.

Even this teapot is cozy!


Because when you walk in your front door...your home should reach out its arms and embrace you.



Even if it is in the form of an ugly...but wonderfully fantastic...multi-coloured afghan.

Smiles,

Lora




1 comment:

  1. I don't think that afghan is ugly!
    I agree, I think a house becomes a home when you put your soul in it.

    ReplyDelete