“Normal is getting dressed in clothes that you buy for work and driving through traffic in a car that you are still paying for – in order to get to the job you need to pay for the clothes and the car, and the house you leave vacant all day so you can afford to live in it.”
― Ellen Goodman
I was surfing the net this week and came across this quote above. I realized I do not enjoy my house as much as I could for the daily time and effort I put into it. I asked myself:
How many rooms do I really use? Why don’t I use the other rooms? I cannot tell you how many times I have walked into someone’s house to find a bunch of rooms that make no sense…
The lonely living room that has never been touched, the spare bedroom that is kept for when guests come over (once a year) and the home office that ends up being used once because for some reason the laptop made its way to the kitchen table, permanently.
I am guilty myself, so took a long hard look at my house this weekend and made it my mission to give each room a real purpose. Here’s how I changed things for the better:
- I fixed the “feng shui” in each room to create only positive vibes + good energy. Essentially anything that was pissing me off, I fixed. I made the design of each room work for its purpose.
- After, I decided what I wanted to use the room for, I added a bunch of practical items that I really love to make each space, a place that invokes a feeling of joy. The kitchen has some vintage nifty kitchen gadgets on display and a replica crosley radio tuned into CBC 103.3.
- I made it effortless! Books were added near each reading chair for easy grab, the laptop power-cord was put where I always use the laptop, nuts for snacking on were added in the bowl on the dining table etc.
The changes to the rooms are already making me feel happier and like some weight has been lifted. Perhaps surrounding yourself with positive things, just makes you more positive.
I forgot to mention I bought myself a $6 bouquet of flowers which I put right inside the front door on the counter. The beauty and smell is such a nice thing to come home to.
To me a house is not a home until it feels comfortable and lived in.
I challenge you to look at your house tonight and make sure it feels like a home. Sometimes it’s the small things that make the biggest difference.
Don’t forget to refer to my article How to Decorate Smart with Older Furniture and Home Accessories and Three Stores & Hours of Shopping (Ottawa, ON) to learn about some wicked places to get some antiques & vintage items – should you wish to spruce up your space.
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