The Importance of Home
I’d had a blog post ready to go for this week about the importance of home, but with the announcement of an Ontario-wide lockdown beginning on December 26, it seemed to me that I needed to make some changes.
This year has been a challenge for everyone. My year started in Washington, DC, where my husband and I had been living for the past 4 years. We knew that 2020 would be our last year in the States, so change was already in motion. In anticipation of our move, I left my full-time job and was going to split my time between Ontario and DC to get my design business going in Canada. Once my husband secured his new position, we would move permanently back to Ontario.
A long story short, we wound up spending a few months in Canada to “ride out the COVID storm” (or so we thought). COVID kept raging, my husband’s job offer was rescinded because of the pandemic and we both entered panic mode in trying to figure out what we would do next. Our work visas were expiring soon, and we were going to have to move back to Canada with or without a job lined up. Thankfully, my husband was able to secure a new position (even closer to home!) and we moved in early August.
We returned to DC for about a month and packed our life into a shipping container. We drove up to Ontario and stayed with family for another couple of months while we waited for our new apartment to be ready, and for the container to arrive and clear customs. By the time we were able to move into our apartment, we had spent a combined six months of the year living as houseguests. We are both so, so grateful to our families for having hosted us, but we were definitely ready to be back in our own space.
Now, however, that all seems like a distant memory. We’ve settled in our new home, have been able to see our families (we’re bubbled with them) and are looking forward to our first Christmas back in Ontario. The announcement of a proper lockdown, beginning December 26th, brings me to the whole point of this post … the importance of home.
Design by Amber Lewis, Amber Interiors
Home, to me, is the place where I can breathe a sigh of relief when I walk through the door. It’s a place where, when guests enter (someday!), they feel as though they know you a little bit better. Your home should be a representation of who you are, what you’ve experienced, and it should function in a way that makes living easier. Home isn’t a place that should stress you out or make you unhappy.
The initial draft of this post offered broad ideas on how to achieve a sense of home, but with the looming lockdown that will keep us all home for the next month, I have a few specific suggestions for you that you can tackle in the next couple of weeks to make lockdown (and after!) more enjoyable.
First, eliminate the clutter. We all have items in our home that really do nothing for us, and a great way to set the stage for a comfortable home is to cut the excess. Maybe it’s clothing that you don’t wear or doesn’t fit, maybe it’s a tchotchke that you got in the office Secret Santa, or maybe it’s something you used to love but have outgrown. Whatever it is, whether on display or in a box, consider giving it a second life by way of donation or selling online. Freeing up the space in your home will allow room to breathe or provide a place to store something that is perhaps seasonal or used infrequently. Creating function by way of space or storage will help you keep your home tidy, which will in turn provide a sense of calm.
Also with regard to function, take a look at the things at home that consistently bother you. The little annoyances that consistently eat up minutes of your day. Next, get creative with how to solve the issues... Here are some examples from my own life:
Problem: Keys are always lost
Solution: Installed two small hooks at the front door (one for me, one for my husband). We changed our behaviour to hang our keys up as soon as we enter the house instead of tossing them on whatever surface was convenient.
Problem: Never made bed
Solution: Switched bedding from top sheet + bed blanket + quilt to a singular duvet, taking us from 3 layers down to 1. We get the same warmth, and can make the bed in 10 seconds rather than 5 minutes.
Problem: Mail on the dining table
Solution: Provided a “catch-all” bowl at the front door that houses spare change, mail, sunglasses, and a potted plant. We changed our behaviour to toss into the bowl the odds and ends that come into the house with us. It’s still somewhat messy, but it’s contained and easily managed.
Last, take stock of what really makes you happy at home and dive in. Surround yourself with items that have meaning to you: photographs of loved ones or places you’ve visited, coffee table books or plants, candles or stoneware. Whatever it is that brings you calm, embrace it and let’s all ride out the next month surrounded by the things that are going to keep us feeling good from day 1 through 28.
As always, thanks for stopping in and reading through. Wishing you a very happy Christmas and a tolerable lockdown ✨
Laura