There are things we all do when styling our homes. We search for inspiration, we source products, we style and restyle, and restyle again. All of this on repeat until home starts to feel just right. But I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how our homes don’t feel like they used to; like they’ve forgotten the celebrations, like they’ve forgotten the traditions, like they’ve forgotten the nostalgia. And it poses the question, “What’s missing?” When creating home, it isn’t always about the newest or trendiest decor. Sometimes creating home is about what we keep versus what we discard.
As John and I look to move frequently, I want more than anything, for our spaces to feel like home – not matter where our location. Which leads me to think that maybe somewhere along the line, as we work at creating home, maybe we’ve been doing it a little bit wrong.
Dream home…
I believe each of us can create our dream home. But we first have to define and determine what that space looks like, but more importantly, what we want it to feel like. Do we want it to be dreamy and ethereal? Are we more into dark and moody? Do we want a modern aesthetic? Would we love living in a Nancy Meyers movie set?
Creating home is a process. At some time, we decide what design trend we want our homes to incorporate. And that’s a great starting point. Knowing if you prefer traditional over modern, boho over Japandi, or eclectic over minimalistic will give you a good base to start from. But creating home – or rather the feeling of home – has to go one step farther.
Collected home…
When creating home, there can be great benefit to collecting pieces over time. It gives your space a lived-in, time-honored, “at home” feeling.
A collected home is a design approach that values spaces that are curated and layered over time, rather than purchased all at once. It focuses on a strong color palette, an interesting design aesthetic, and focuses on the feeling over the trends.
When creating a collected home, we focus on family heirlooms, antiques, and travel finds. We focus on artwork that feels like it could have belonged to a relative, or soft layers that bring in nostalgia of warm memories. All of these layers, when added together, creates a deeply personal aesthetic that feels lived in, and quietly confident. Suddenly, our created spaces feel like us, and our homes no longer feel like they were purchased at the big box stores.
Created home…
One of the questions I continually ask myself as I think through different design aesthetics for different homes in different locations, is “How can I make this space feel like home?” Believing that home is a feeling more than a destination, gives us the freedom to pick and choose what we take with us, and what we leave for another time. That’s where the idea of creating home becomes so important.
I want each space we live in to feel as if it carries with it the memories we’ve created over the course of our lives. That means the pieces we select must have staying power. They must carry us toward the goal of creating home wherever we land.
That means artwork we’ve collected over time, trinkets we’ve picked up during our travels, and the steady pieces we take with us everywhere. It’s the cozy throws we snuggle under during movie nights, the dinnerware we host family meals with, and the treasured items that cause us to reminisce about all the collected memories we store in our hearts.
And it’s in those memories we’ve collected as we work at creating home, that home starts to become a feeling more than a design trend. It’s when we pull out the same place mats every Christmas, it’s when we serve the same signature drink at each hosted gathering, it’s when we bring out the same serve ware for family meals that home moves from a store-bought dwelling to a curated collection that carries with it memory and nostalgia and a sense of belonging.
Creating Home for Life and love…
So whether you’re starting out in your first apartment, or downsizing your belonging for the next phase of life, remember to keep with you the pieces that work with you at creating home: The pieces that have true meaning, carry valued memories, and give you a feeling of home no matter where you live, or how large or small your space may be.
