What makes a house a home? What qualities elevate our nests from wood and sheetrock boxes to warm and inviting retreats that we want to share with our friends?
In observing homes of all types for most of my life, I find the answer to this question to be both simple and complex. As with most things in life, the concepts can be simply stated (appropriateness and authenticity), but it’s in the execution that the challenges arise.
I believe that successful homes don’t just happen. They are the result of a lifetime of effort and awareness. Often the most difficult thing to comprehend in this world is who we are as individuals and what our real needs and desires are. Without this knowledge (in full or in part), we judge our lives (and our home) against our friends or neighbors.
Given the constantly changing landscape of our lives, this presents us with the challenge of a moving target. How do we evaluate our lives against those around us without repeatedly perceiving ourselves as failures?
As we gain clarity about ourselves, we can monitor our progress against the personal goals we have set. Success is more likely with our own yardstick rather than the yardstick of others.
I believe that, as we gain clarity about ourselves, the application of appropriate and authentic decisions about our home become easier. Soon, our friends accurately see our individual character in every room of our home.
And that’s beautiful.
