2/11/15

Home Manifesto









Here are some photographs of the house and ten home rules I keep. It was fun wandering around taking photos of the little things this morning and also identifying the specific things that make my home work. Enjoy!

1. It doesn’t matter what anyone thinks of your house. It is your house. I repeat: it is your house! Don’t worry about what the dinner guests think, or what your friends say about your decor, it’s your space. It has taken me a long time to learn this, and I still forget much of the time.

2. Set your house up to work for you. Maybe your dining room makes a better craft space, or a bedroom is better for a family room or dressing room, who gives a crap what was “intended”, make it work for you.

3. Read home magazines with caution. Just like fashion magazines, home magazines set standards of how things should be. They tell you what is cluttered, what an ugly bathroom looks like, etc. Don’t get me wrong, they have some great advice too, but remember point one, it is your house.

4. Make sure you feel happy in your space. Do you feel calm when you are at home, or do you feel overwhelmed? Ask yourself what it is that is making you feel both positive and negative emotions in your home. Address those areas. Add more of the things that make you happy, and work on solutions for the negatives.

5. For me, personal photographs are so important for taking ownership of the house. I realized yesterday that we currently only had one personal photo hung in our house! This morning I changed that by using washi tape to put pictures of Ronald, the dogs, and me around the house. If frames are your thing— go for it, or use tacks, or tape. Remember there are no rules as to how to hang a photograph or what photos to hang. Hang outtakes or goofy faces. Whatever you love!

6. If collections are your thing, display them! I collect vintage toys and just about everything else so I blend bits and pieces throughout the house. Collections should be shown off, so don’t just hide them in a drawer. Let yourself enjoy them, after all you collect because you love the items you are collecting.

7. Mix print and pattern. Our love seat is covered in a fur throw, paisley tablecloth, plaid blanket, and assortment of pillows and I love it. It feels bohemian, cozy and lived in. It’s inviting. Don’t be afraid to have things together that don’t match. Sometimes they actually compliment each other in a weird way. Just go off what you feel and experiment.

8. Keep things tidy. No one really likes an unmade bed, dishes in the sink, or dust bunnies, so clean up! Each morning I make the bed, clean the kitchen, and tidy each room. It’s a habit now and a good way to start the morning for me. Take a little time each day to tidy, you’ll be surprised how much easier it makes your daily routine.

9. Make it smell good. With three dogs I know how smelly a house can get! I light a selection of candles every night in soft floral scents. It sets the mood for me, tells me it’s time to rest, and it makes our house smell fantastic! Don’t save candles for special occasions, use them all the time. If candles aren’t your thing, use scented room spray (easy to find at discount stores in huge spray bottles), make your own with essential oils (lots of recipes on Pinterest), or use plain old Febreeze. Spray the air and furniture, it makes a huge difference. And don’t forget to open the windows as often as you can! Homes often have poorer air quality than outdoor air!

10. Rest and play. Make your house a place of good things. Not just by the way you decorate, but the way you live in it. Play games, be silly, have movie nights. Take baths, get a shoulder massage from hubs, or have a romantic dinner at the table with those fancy plates. Whatever works for you, don’t always fuss, let the house get messy sometimes. Let there be play, and magic, and good things.

3 comments:

  1. I love your Hello Kitties!! Actually I think all these pictures and rules are lovely. I'm trying hard this year to keep on top of laundry, dishes and tidying and it definitely helps me feel less overwhelmed. Blessings xxx

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    1. Thanks love! It is amazing what tidying can do! I am still trying to get into a good laundry routine, I just hate doing it. ;)

      xx, C

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  2. Thank you for #1 on your list. It's something I struggle with daily. J is always telling me exactly what you wrote. It's OUR home, it's comfortable, it's our things surrounding us, it's the way we like it. Stop fretting that the walls are still plain white, that furniture doesn't match, that it doesn't look like a magazine piece. I am terrible at decorating, but I have to remind myself exactly "why" am I worried about it!!

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