5 Touches That Turned This House Into a Home

Upon walking through my front door after six weeks in Phoenix, I had to look at my dog Hudson and exclaim, “Wow! Look at what a wonderful home we have!” It was a joyous revelation to have after being away for so long. I suppose somewhere in the midst of living in this space for the past seven years, I’d made it into a home I love <3

Have you ever moved into a new space and bought a shopping cartload of items to try to make it feel like “home” right off the bat? In my experience, no matter how hard you try, it takes years of living in a space until a house feels truly like a home. Years of putting those small touches up here, down there, over there … until they in some moment suddenly equate to a magical place that’s all your own and unlike any other place in the world.

Here are what some of those small touches have been for me, that have turned this house into our home.

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Wind Chimes

In the house I grew up in, there were wind chimes on the back deck, and in the summer months, you could hear them singing anytime a breeze would drift by. It was a peaceful and downright bucolic sound. I’d always wanted chimes of my own, but didn’t get some until just recently this spring (I went with “Amazing Grace” from Woodstock Chimes). They have been the perfect touch to my patio and have brought me much joy already.

Mood-Setting Lighting

Even though I despised the harsh lighting in my living room for years, it wasn’t until a few months ago that I finally invested in warmer-toned lights that set a calming tone. And what a difference it has made! New lighting has turned my living room into a haven – and it didn’t break the bank because all the lights were found at IKEA 🙂

Art that Speaks to Me

If I’m ever out and about or on vacation and I spot a piece of artwork that speaks to me, if at all feasible, I try to take it home with me, for those moments only come along so often and I don’t want to miss out. I feel lucky to have many pieces of artwork on the walls of every room in my home, for example, this framed Motawi tile in my kitchen.

Professionally Designed Garden

One of the best decisions I ever made was to hire my two friends, a husband-and-wife gardening team, to design and plant a garden in my backdoor space. A gorgeous Japanese maple, lots of Hasta plants, and Begonias in the spring and summer months bring me lots of smiles throughout the year.

String of Lights

One holiday season, I experimented with putting up soft white LED lights around my living room, and I loved them so much, they never came down. They add a perfect soft glow at any time of day or year. And speaking of artwork, Hudson is sitting below a Macrome piece I bought from a fiber artist, Rianne Aarts, in the Netherlands.

In Closing

What do you love about your home, and what would you like to change? I thought it would be fun to share with you, my dear readers, some of the things that helped put the warm finishing touches on my home in case it inspires you to do the same! Let’s all remember that home is where the heart is, and it’s worth taking the time to make it a place you truly cherish and love.