The time we live in have had me thinking a lot about the privileges I have in my life right now. For example such a simple thing as a safe home. It is very sad to think about how many people around the world that does not have a home, none the less a safe one. I have one. My family have one, we are safe and we even own our house.
After moving houses, and countries, several times through my life (have stopped counting how many times I have moved!), I have been thinking about what I need in a home, what really makes it a home, for me and for my family. It is more than just the bare necessities like a roof over your head, water to bath, cook and drink, electricity and a bed to sleep. That is things we need to survive, that is something we all should have at all times in our life. No-one should need to be without a roof over their head.
For us that are privileged enough to have a roof over our head, and more, we often see our home as a place to rest. A place where you put up your feet after a long hard day, where you take a nice warm shower after being out and about, and where you cook your favorite foods in the kitchen. So yes, we do need more from our homes than just shelter, and often it is not just the space in it self and the stuff that is in it but the feeling of home. My dad always said its not about the actual structure of the house, its the things he brings in it, that makes it a home. I would like to add that it is not only the things you bring with you but the feeling you create with those things and how you experience it. Both feelings and experience are very personal and individual. To create the feeling of home for you, it is your feelings and experiences that matters. The stuff you take into your space need to mirror that.
I read a lot of interior design magazines and in the January issue of Livingetc the editor wrote about renovating his space, and while it is nice to have a kitchen and a bathroom that works he realized that when the living room was done and he had a space to rest at the end of the day, that was what made the rest of the renovation easier. So for him that was the feeling he needed to get through his house renovation.
And even if we are not all in constant renovation of our spaces (even if it can look like that on social media) this thought about what you need in your home, house and space is a very important one. Ask yourself those questions, how do I or we, use this space, or how do we want to use it? Are you entertaining a lot, watching movies much, reading books? And where do you do it?
On top of that the feeling of home comes from the feelings and experiences you want to savior in your home. So the things you put in it, even the useful things like the cooking sticks, the pans, the plates and the chairs and tables can help to increase this feeling. Things that has a memory to it, maybe just a memory only to you, but it can still help bringing the feeling of home to your space.
After all my moves my experience tells me that some of the small and simple things that can add that home feeling to your space is for example:
- Books (favorite or not, books create a homely feel)
- Blankets and pillows with patterns and material you like
- Plants (all of them!)
- Small collectables or things you really love
The small collectables or the things you really love can be things you have picked on your own or bought that you really like. For example to me that have been small wooden bowls from Zambia and small ceramic vases bought while thrifting in Sweden. Maybe a painting or wall decoration someone painted or made for you. The most important thing is that it is things that makes you smile when you look, use or hold them. It doesn´t have to mean spending a lot of money, it just takes some time and thought into what you really want to surround yourself with.
Down is some of the things I love in our home right now, plus the dog (love him too but he is not a thing). Happy homemaking! It´s a wonderful feeling when it all pans out and you enjoy the space you live in.
/Jenny
Jenny Changala Writes 