Making Home Beautiful

The beauty of a home isn't found in the brand of furniture, the decor style, or the sparkling countertops, it's found in the peace that resides there. A home without peace, regardless of clutter, is not a home.

A home should be as warm a long hug from friend you haven't seen in ten years. 

Maintaining a home isn't easy, and given the nature of our media-heavy world, we quickly fall into comparing our homes to others'. We find ourselves never fully satisfied with our own spaces. 

Instead of comparing, making our own homes a sanctuary and a place of beauty can transform our daily lives. 

Organize the Clutter

It's amazing how quickly the clutter builds up. A few months will go by and suddenly we realize just how cluttered our homes are. After the holidays it seems to peak, but thankfully many of us are naturally overcome with that "spring cleaning" fever. When we returned from our Christmas travels I couldn't wait to start cleaning and purging. 

If you find that your home needs some organization it's easiest to start with one space at a time. We create four piles: keep it, donate it, sell it, store it.

As you move through your home it becomes easier to get rid of things, and before you realize, your home will be substantially less cluttered. 

Enhance the Ambiance

We're all about "hygge" around here. We burn candles (not as often as we'd like, because it's challenging to find ones that don't create headaches), we diffuse essential oils, we love lamplight and natural light, and on any 50+ degree day our windows are cracked and fresh air is circulating. 

In which ways can you enhance your ambiance, quickly, and naturally? A cozy home is a delight. 

Make Lasting Changes

Before purchasing new rugs, pillows, and furniture, consider the more permanent elements that aren't as easily swapped out. The residential flooring, the light fixtures, the moulding, the windows, etc. These elements can evolve the entirety of a home. It's hard not to grab a few pillows on clearance at Target and forgo adding more money to your "window" budget. Once you've saved for those windows, you'll be glad you didn't purchase those trendy pillows that you probably would have already stashed away in a closet.

Make lasting changes, consider timelessness, and make choices the reflect your own style.

Entertain Throughout

Most homes have a television focal point, the furniture is wrapped around the TV, and the people are on the furniture. Lately we've been parked on the couch due to the Winter Olympics, and in just another month, March Madness will welcome us back to our leathery nests. While the living room can be exciting, we often forget that we can up the fun levels in other areas of our homes.

Creating spaces throughout a home that promote comfort and conversation will help lessen the power of the TV. 

Outdoor patios, basement living rooms, children's playrooms, and kitchens are wonderful spaces for gathering that don't require television. Consider background music and comfortable seating as a recipe for conversation (and coffee, always have the coffee). 

Create Continuity

This is tough, but worthwhile, it's somewhat a trial in personal growth; creating continuity in a home brings all of the spaces together. I "feel my way" through a home and often won't notice the large painting on the fireplace. Others will look through a home and observe the art, the details, and determine how the home feels. A home that has continuity will naturally feel warmer, cleaner, and more welcoming. 

Creating continuity begins with determining what you love about your home. Is it your collection of tea pots, your piles of books, your plant obsession, or your love for neutrals? 

Make your home beautiful. 

*This is a collaborative post.