"Begin with the end in mind", suggests Stephen Covey in his best-selling The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. It's about having a clear vision of your desired direction as a frame of reference for evaluating everything else, and then, from there, beginning each day, task, or project with that vision in mind. And then it got me thinking, everyone is in "re-evaluate" mode. From re-evaluating the excess in our life to re-evaluating what we want from life. After a year like 2020, it's no wonder people are re-evaluating and craving change, adventure, connection, and a more organic and simpler way of life. But how do we get "there", the life we desire to live? And then I realized, the answer is right under our noses... the life we desire can be first created in our homes, or what I like to call, home+life.
Creating the desired home+life invites us to consider the quality, simplicity and care we cultivate in our homes. It's one thing to go on Pinterest or Instagram, and save inspiration pictures of what we want our dream home or wardrobe to be like, but it's another to design the life we want to live by making the right kind of purchases and investments toward our home. Looking into these 3 areas of investment will help you create your ultimate desired home+life, and may even save you time, money and energy all with a little bit of reflecting and planning, so let's dive in!
Quality
What first comes to mind when you think about quality? Expensive? Durable? Handmade? Whatever you define as quality will most likely be filling up your closet, your cupboards, and any living space in your home. Since quality means something different to everyone, one way to look for quality is to think about originality, uniqueness, and timelessness. That way, whatever we purchase, however expensive or durable or authentic, we can look for pieces that mean something to us, that are special, timeless and original. One style I absolutely love due to its quality is the Minimal style. Though a very simple style, it would appear that each piece see is simple and unique, and doesn't need much to make a statement. Which brings us to our next topic...
Simplicity
Everyone desires a life of simplicity in some way or form, especially at home. Organization, a clutter-free space, and low maintenance all come to mind when I think of simple. But I would add that simplicity is less about having less and more about practicality. It not only comes down to what we have, but how it helps us or inspires us. Everything else can fall by the wayside. This is why I love the Scandinavian and Nordic culture, because they always find a way to make design beautiful and yet so practical at the same time, even a ceramic coffee creamer, where the lid functions as a sugar holder: as you pour, the sugar stays in place as it leans forward. So the key to a life of simplicity is practicality and finding things for your home that make your life that much more enjoyable. In the end, it will help you feel more connected to your home, because it's what makes life easier, simpler, and overall, better.
Care
Create with care. This is probably my favorite point in this whole blog, why? Because it what ties quality and simplicity together with a ribbon and a bow. Putting care into your home+life is about creating purpose with thoughtfulness and intentionality in the day-to-day life, pointing to a simpler life of better quality. One way to bring care into your home+life is by setting up intentional spaces to create opportunities of connection with yourself and loved ones. For some, this goes without saying, as family rooms and dining rooms naturally act as a gathering place to connect. But going beyond that, what you bring into or create in your home can either inspire or flatten your home+life. For instance, Create a motivating workout room that you actually want to work out in (and same with buying workout clothes). Invest in yourself by buying a journal you love, and create a space where you will actually want to snuggle up and write in; or create a self-care station in each room with a tray, your favorite lotion, candle, and a maybe a small note to remind yourself to keep going. Set up your home to naturally encourage and inspire you. One secret to a better home+life is putting care into the details of your home, and I promise your home will love you back.
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