I’m sure you hear the voices and see the “things” in your house as I do in mine… Before you think I’ve gone off my rocker, let me explain…
As you walk through your home, you may hear “voices” in your house calling to you for repair, replacement, or (especially) remodeling! If you live in an older home, as we do, these voices may clamor for attention. Even if you live in a fairly new house, I’m sure there are still those things you need or want to do.
Sometimes, these voices can drown out the other aspects of our homes that we love and appreciate.
Back in 2018, this was how the living room looked. Compared to now, things have changed quite a bit. At that point, all the furniture was either given to us or we got it for free, and we were so grateful to have it! All I remember from those days is how much we enjoyed the cozy warmth of the fireplace in the winter and the glorious light that streams in from the big picture window all year round.
Have you heard of the term “house blind?” I heard this term recently, and it perfectly coins how we can become used to how things look in our homes. In my case, it was a sad (rather ugly) brown couch and a very dated teal love seat printed with faded pink seashells. It can also be a back door that is badly chipped and in desperate need of a lick of fresh paint, or the broken blind in the hall bath… You get the picture.
But I also think there is another version of being house blind. We can all too easily focus on what is “wrong” with our homes or on what we’d like to change and forget why we fell in love with our homes and chose them in the first place. Remember the first time you walked through your prospective home?
Matt & I reminisce about that first tour… We walked through the empty house, imagining where our furniture would go. We talked about how much we liked the fireplace, the lovely picture window looking over the backyard, and the special features like the round stained glass window in the hall bath. This would become our first home, and it felt like an unreachable dream since we were living in a 660 square foot apartment. This house felt huge and rather grand for us! We rented from the homeowners for the first four years, and then we were able to buy the house.
Here we are as first-time homeowners. How very exciting this was! As we signed the mountain of papers, we held our breath ~ it seemed too good to be true. Come October this year, we will have owned our house for six years, and how much has changed!
It’s important to focus on the things we loved most in the beginning and the things we’ve come to love over time.
Here is how the living room looked at the beginning of this year. Since this photograph was taken, we have acquired a lovely English rolled arm sofa and a new bamboo table and lamp. I have come to love the slow evolution that is part of creating a home and look forward to what wonderful changes lie ahead! What are things you loved about your home when you first came to live there? What things have you come to love over time? I’d love to hear parts of your journey.
Until next time,
Take care,
Rachel
