Making Your House Your Home

So many times people say that our house is very homey. I've heard this many times every since my first apartment. It took me a long time to realize exactly what they meant by that. And I've come to the conclusion that it just means that our home is welcoming, warm and inviting.

Now every one's idea of warm and inviting is different, depending on your personal style. But for me, I think it means that there are things that remind them that the house is a home. It's not always perfect - there are newspapers on the couch right now waiting for Alan to read them tonight. There is always some project I haven't finished - currently the guest bathroom. But there are always little touches that make things special.

One of the things that I try to do is display some of our family history. I'm not talking about a gallery of family photos, just little touches like this photo of Alan travelling through Europe after university. I also have a photo of the ship on which Alan's parents immigrated to Canada and  a photo of my father as a young child with his father and grandfather - both sitting on side tables in the living room.

I try to make seasonal adjustments to the mantel and other areas in the home like the kitchen table and sideboard. I try not to make it look like a greeting card store. But rather add just enough to say "hey, it's spring". Recently I forced some magnolia branches and they are currently giving us a taste of what is to come.

When guests arrive, I want our home to smell wonderful. I usually attain this goal by baking something. To me,  there is nothing more welcoming than something home cooked. So whether it's a pot of soup, some tea biscuits, a warm stew or an elaborate dessert, I want my guests to leave satisfied by the warm food offered.

from top left: raspberry chocolate torte, turkey meatball soup, yogurt banana bread,
salted caramel chocolate cake, cranberry orange tea biscuits, potatoes in ramekins

And finally it's about creating places to relax indoors and outdoors. Small things like pillows and cushions, small side tables to rest a drink on and quiet spots to reflect. These are the things that make a room inviting to me.

Add a bunch of grocery store tulips like the ones in the photo above for a flash of colour and you're ready to greet anyone.

How do you make your house a home?

I'm linking with:

Show and Tell Fridays at Romantic Home

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Home

Flaunt It Friday at Chic On a Shoestring

Home Sweet Home at Charm of Home