How to Make a House a Home

We recently had the pleasure of hosting Christie Purifoy as our guest speaker for May's Goal School Premium master class. Our topic was "how to make a house a home," inspired by Christie's newest book, A House to Call Home: Creating Places That Will Comfort and Care For Us. It was a delight! Inspired by our conversation, I wanted to share a few ways I have made my own houses into homes over the years—and a few new ideas I learned from Christie in our time together! 

Whether you've lived in your home for years or have just moved into a new home, are happily ensconced in your dream home or can't wait to move on, have littles at home or live alone, I hope one of these suggestions sparks an idea.

How to Make a House a Home

1. Add ambiance with music. The right playlist at the right time can change the entire mood of a home. Personal favorites of mine include Olivia Dean's album The Art of Loving while making dinner, my Morning Worship playlist while eating breakfast, the In Nancy Meyers' Kitchen playlist when having people over, and my Cozy Fall playlist during the fall (of course!).
2. Cut greenery and bring it inside. You don't have to have acreage or a thriving flower garden to bring life into your home. A few branches snipped from a tree or bush and plopped in a dinner glass instantly add elegance and movement to a kitchen counter or bedside table. 
3. Keep lovely details accessible. It's one thing to want to light candles at dinner or use cloth napkins or snip greenery. It's another to make it happen. To give yourself the best chance of success, keep taper candles, linens, vases, or whatever other glimmers of delight feel like home to you close at hand. That way, it won't feel hard to put them to use.
4. Light candles. Speaking of candles—nothing draws people in like a flickering flame or a delicious smell. Don't wait for "someday" to use those votives you were gifted. Every day of your life is a special occasion! Make a habit of regularly lighting a candle at transitional moments: in the morning, when you return home from school or work, at dinner, after the kids go to bed.
5. Add sources of light. In addition to candles, add table lamps, floor lamps, and maybe even one of those cutie rechargeable lamps to your rooms instead of relying solely on overhead lights. Multiple sources of light make a room feel cozy and warm.
6. Invite others in. When we first moved into our new home, it didn't feel like home—at all. The first thing that made it feel like ours? When our dear friends dropped off a meal in the wake of the moving truck. Just showing them around and chatting with them at the island made our new space feel like home in a way that no physical belonging could. Don't wait to invite others in.
   
7. Hang faces you love on the walls. I know opinions are mixed as to what faces, if any, should be showcased on the walls of a home. I'm unabashedly Team Loved Ones. Yes, I like to have a few photos of our family, but what I love even more is showcasing our extended family, more distant relatives, and even dear friends. After all, I'm lucky enough to see my immediate family every day, but walking by faraway loved ones in frames helps them feel closer.
8. Prioritize furniture that isn't precious. My affection for my tan sofa is well-known, at this point, but it's also well-earned: at 15 years old, it still looks almost as good as the day we bought it, despite a decade of goldfish munching, marker coloring, and little kid shoes. While I dream of white couches, I'm so thankful our furniture is a stress-free place for anyone to curl up.
9. Let your art tell your story. Is that coastal scene from your favorite vacation spot? Did you buy that painting on your honeymoon? Did your aunt gift you that collage? Even though the meaning of every piece on your walls might not be obvious to others, carefully-chosen art will make you smile every time you walk by.
   
10. Keep simple games easily accessible. Homes where you want to stay awhile invite you to do so in subtle ways. To encourage conversation and analog play, I like to keep a deck of cards and the peg game out in the open so that they're easy for friends and family members to grab in down moments.
11. Stock up on cozy blankets. Chappy Wrap and Lola are my two favorite brands, but blankets don't have to be fancy to be beloved! Curling up with a blanket makes guests feel right at home—and helps adjust the temperature to their liking.
12. Display your books like the treasures they are. Maybe this is because I'm a lifelong reader, but I know I'm in good company, here :) To me, books add soul to a home. They give a window into what the people who live there value, offering points of connection between parents and children, homeowners and visitors. Whether you line them up on bookshelves or stack them on benches and beside couches, display your books with pride.
13. Make the bed. A neatly made-up bed is like a little sigh of contentment every time you enter a room. And what a gift when you slip between the sheets at night!
14. Wear slippers. I think that anyone who walks around their house barefoot miiiiight be a psychopath. I am absolutely kidding (!), but it is so strange to me that someone would willingly subject themselves to stepping on crumbs, tiny toys, and/or dog hair all day when they could be wearing comfy slippers—or at least socks! To me, putting on my favorite pair of slippers sends a clear and welcome message to my brain: you're home.
15. Have delicacies to offer. A selection of tea bags, cold cans of Spindrift, mini Dove bars, frozen scoops of cookie dough in the freezer: whatever feels hospitable to you, try to keep it on hand! That way, you'll always have what you need to make guests or your own family members feel at home.
    
16. Solve tiny problems. As you move through your day, work to have what you need when and where you need it. Is there a place to drop your keys? Is it easy to grab your ball cap on the way out the door? Is there a spot to dry dripping bathing suits during pool season? While less exciting than adding a new throw pillow, making sure your home supports the way you actually live in it goes a long way to feeling like its yours. 
17. Measure heights. Nothing says "a family lives here" like a smudgy row of marked heights marching up a door jamb or wall.
18. Keep a playful spirit. Having just finished up an expensive bathroom renovation, I know home projects can feel freighted, frustrating, and stressful. When possible, however, try to keep a playful spirit when it comes to your home. Try things. Incorporate oddball items from your children or distant relatives. Use what you love, even if you're not sure if it matches. My very formal built-ins include plenty of books, yes, but they also include a giant disco ball. Others might not understand, but it makes me smile every time I see it!
    
19. Make good food and eat at the table together. No matter what season of life you're in or who shares your space, prioritize cooking at home and gathering to tuck in together a few times a week. Not only will your home smell delicious, but you'll feel the warmth of providing for others, too.
20. Celebrate. Birthdays, anniversaries, great test scores, the first day of fall, a new friend, a college acceptance —all are occasions worthy of celebration, and there's no better place to bust out the confetti than at home. Over time, the happy memories will layer into the walls of your home.
21. Use things you've been given from other people —or thrift. "Some heirlooms come from family and some come in a dusty cardboard box on the bottom shelf of the Salvation Army thrift store," says Christie. Either way, they add history, life, and individuality to a space. For newcomers to thrifting, Christie's favorite things to buy secondhand are lamps, wooden furniture, rugs, dishes, silverware, vases, and candlesticks.
22. Choose beauty over practicality. While it takes a little more effort, choosing the more beautiful storage option over the more practical one adds depth and charm to a home —and to your days within it! Try decanting dish soap or olive oil into glass bottles, flour or sugar into glass canisters, or tea bags into a little dish.
23. Open your windows to the day. Whether your home is flooded with natural light or stays shaded throughout the day, opening and closing curtains and blinds can be a welcome daily ritual —a way to connect with and care for your home at the opening and close of the day.

"A healing home isn't only necessary for days when we are sick," writes Christie. "It is a daily necessity—a daily grace—for people who are seeking to love the world and their neighbors well. Loving others will call us out into difficult places and relationships and endeavors, but when we find our hearts a little worse for wear, home—with its scents and flavors and familiar comforts—can heal like little else."

What makes your house feel like a home? We'd love to hear!