What Makes a House a HOME?

These days, with so many of us following directions to “stay safe, stay home,” I started wondering why the word house isn’t interchanged for home? At the same time, we’ve all had days we feel “stuck in the house”, and interestingly the word home is not subbed in here.

So, what makes a house a home?

A home is less about the building, four walls and a roof, than about the emotional connection and sense of comfort we, the people who live there, have been able to create. A home can be a house, an apartment, a dorm room, a mobile home—any location where we feel we belong—and is a reflection of the people who live in it. Our home reflects what matters to us, what kind of people we are, and how we want to feel when at home.

How Do You Create Your HOME?

You need to ask yourself some questions, keeping in mind there are no right or wrong answers because the heart plays a big role.

• How do I want to feel in MY Home? Peaceful, energetic, cozy, safe, organized, proud?
• How do I want my HOME to feel? Like a sanctuary, a place to entertain, a family hangout, a casual and inviting place for friends to drop in?
• What kind of life do I live in MY HOME? Am I working from home, raising kids at home (pre-school, primary school, high school?), tinkering in a workshop, making art in studio?
• What do I enjoy doing in MY HOME? Being solitary and quiet, entertaining large or small groups of family or friends, being creative, or not being home much at all (when it’s possible again)?

During this period of social distancing, many of us have had time to reflect on what we’d like to change or add to make our houses feel more like homes.

Maybe it’s a quiet place to work, or maybe it is a comfy place to sit. Interestingly, when researching surveys on “what makes a house a home?”, a comfy sofa always placed in the top five responses. The number one response was an emotion—happiness, love, and safety.

Furniture showrooms are closed for the time being, so it’s not possible to check out furniture for comfort. But it is a great time to browse websites and compile pictures and ideas you may like to pursue when the closed sign reads open again.

Whether it’s a picture, rug, or toss pillow we can buy online or a larger piece we want to wait to see in person when stores open, rearranging and redecorating is no bad thing. Making even a small change can prevent us from feeling static or stuck and can add that little boost of happiness (survey says #1!) to make our houses “Home Sweet Home.”