While scrolling through recent posts and photos in one of my groups, a friend posted a photo that inspired me to write today. Her post made me think about making a house a home, and what that means. I began thinking about previous places I’ve lived, what I liked about them, and the home I live in today. I was reminded of the things that have made all the moves with me in the myriad places I’ve called home, from tiny apartments to large homes, from old and decrepit to a new build. What did those places all have in common?

I realized that for me to call a house my home, (besides sharing it with Mr B and my kids), there are a few things that always make me feel…..“This is home.”

FUR BABIES. I cannot live in a house without pets, at present that means dogs. I love animals of all kinds and have shared my life at various times, with a crazy wild burro, 2 Shetland ponies, several horses, dozens of cats, dogs, hamsters and gerbils, fish, birds, including a Sulphur Crested Cockatoo that screamed like a banshee, and a raccoon named Gunther.  I’ve rescued and released chipmunks, squirrels, rabbits, baby birds, mice, and once, a baby screech owl. (Many years ago I held a license to rescue and rehabilitate birds of prey.)  But all that changed once I moved to the Burbs. No longer do I have the space (or the time) for multiple critters, I own only dogs since Mr B has some allergies. My lifestyle may have changed, but thankfully my home is still filled with love and joy…… and two dogs are just enough. For me, pets, whatever the species are a necessary part of turning any house into a home.

BOOKS. I am a reader. I love books. I love the feel of the pages, the portability, even the smell of the paper. I love the way old books are bound, some are works of art in and of themselves. Books transport me to other worlds, offer instruction, and entertainment. They are a necessity.  Books are also one of my signature decorating tools. Decorating with books can be as simple as filling a bookshelf with your favorites and adding a unique bookend, or using a stack to elevate a vase or statue or showcase a plant.

 PHOTOGRAPHS. I take pictures. I always have. I love having a camera to capture everyday life, much to the chagrin of my kids and grandkids. As the years pass and people leave us, sometimes all we have left of them are the photos we took along the way. Photographs capture moments,  hold it still so that life can be examined. Some of my most treasured possessions are the old photographs of my ancestors. These photos depict a life long before me, and I love looking at them, to find a resemblance, noticing that I have my father’s face in a more feminine form or that my jawline is now that of my Grandmother. Or remembering an event, a place, or how my babies have changed and grown through the years. Photographs are essential in making any house a home.

COLLECTIONS: This is so fundamental in designing and creating a home it almost doesn’t merit a sentence, much less a paragraph. Almost. Why should you display collections in your home? If photographs and books help visually tell your story, who you are, what you are interested in, your history, what impact do collections have? Collections are the spice of your personal environment. Think about a room in your home, when you walk in does it say; “I live here?” Are you surrounding yourself with things that speak to your heart, make you smile? Why not? Does your home have character and personality or does it look like a hotel?

Displaying personal collections adds the finishing touches in creating a home that speaks to your heart. I have collections, boy! Do I ever. I have “a thing” for many things. I enjoy finding different ways to use my collections, unique ways to display them. I love things with history, not just my history, but history in general. I wonder who touched an item, how it was used, if it meant something special to someone before me. I love using the same things my Mom and Grandmother used, reliving the times we shared, the meals served in old dishes, the warmth of an old quilt tucked around me when I was sick. The dings and dents, the chippy and peeling paint, the workmanship and creativity that went into making things.  I simply must have “my stuff” in order to make a house my home.

PLANTS.  I must have plants in my home. I use live plants whenever possible, but if I have a spot that doesn’t receive enough light to sustain a live plant, I go with faux. To me, a room without plants can read as sterile and lifeless, because, well….it is!  There was a time when I would never have considered faux plants. I couldn’t  stand the plastic and fake look and feel.  I gave in during the early 90’s when I lived in one side of a tiny duplex with no natural light in the common living areas. I also had to go faux while owning a dog who would eat every single plant I brought home. Since many house plants are toxic to pets, that meant I couldn’t have any unless I went faux. It required a search to find the most lifelike fakes available and they were not inexpensive. But I had to have plants, even fake ones are better than none in my home.

So these are my Must Haves to turn any space into my home. These are what I take with me wherever I live, what I require to make the humblest of spaces one that makes my heart smile.                      What are some of yours? What makes a house your home???

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