3 Essential Guidelines to Help You Create a Home Your Family Will Feel at Home In

Posted on Apr 29, 2021 Topic :
Posted by : Ginger Curtis

Our homes have become a hot topic of conversation these days. Spending months on end in our personal spaces will do that! As an interior designer and a mother of five, I am hearing all the chatter from friends, other parents, and clients. We’ve tested the limits of our square footage, our past furniture choices, and our patience to bump elbows with family 24/7. We’ve accomplished or envisioned DIY projects during this hiatus from normal. And, most importantly, we’re asking questions that can transform our lives more than a new kitchen ever could:

“What do I want my home to be? What matters most?”

Here are three ways to discover your answers and move toward a home shaped by what matters.

Determine what you value.

Look at how you spend your time and resources. This exploration can lead us along two paths. The one highlights where we’re placing value currently. And if we are surprised by the answer and wanting to make changes, the second path will highlight what we want to be valuing.

If we value community and hospitality, yet we avoid welcoming others in because we don’t have the ideal furniture or orderliness; then we aren’t allowing our values to guide how we use our home. We can change that by giving ourselves more grace and opening our doors to others with vulnerability and a focus on them, rather than on an elusive image of the perfect home.

If we care about family time but wind up most evenings with each person in their own nook, on their own device, and not communicating, we’re missing out on the sanctuary we long for. My husband, Eric, and I value conversation and connection. So, we’ve prioritized making supper, often with the kids’ help, and sharing a phone-free meal at a dining table I made years ago when I was just learning how to craft the beauty I longed for. Neither the meal nor the table are grandiose, but they reflect our priorities. We place a higher value on being together and hearing about one another’s day than on the seemingly good alternatives that leave us overscheduled, overstimulated, and disconnected.

Be true to yourself and your family’s identity.

Make a list of descriptive words that reflect who you are. For example, consider if your family is quirky, playful, laid back, sophisticated, reserved, elegant, casual, high energy, practical, etc. Once you identify these qualities, formulate a plan to communicate them through the mood of your home.

If your family is fun loving, create a mood that is whimsical, non-traditional with interesting artwork, bold pops of color, and unexpected uses of decor or materials. If your family is traditional or formal, plan spaces that feel pulled together and curated. Symmetry is a natural way to achieve this. And remember…less is often more.

Identify the foundations of your home.

Not the cinderblocks of your basement or your knotty pine floors, but the heart foundation—priorities and interests. Are you a family of faith? Do you serve others? Do you obsess over old movies or sports? Is your library account always maxed? Do you love to cook and travel or both? Create intentional moments in your home that reflect these passions.

Plan a gallery wall with framed verses and photos of baptisms, wedding, and other meaningful moments. Place your family Bible on a favorite end table in the living room to be used for devotion time. Set up a comfortable arrangement with versatile seating to watch sporting events or movies with family and friends. Place a comfy chair by corner bookshelves for quiet afternoons of reading. Each of these planned areas begins with a desire to support what is important to you and loved ones.

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As we return to “normal” life, don’t let a default, unintentional version take over. Choose an inspired one. Embrace what matters most as a guide for next decisions, plans, habits, design touches, and uses of your spaces. You’ll be blessed with an emerging beauty in your house and life that authentically reflects your heart for home.