Close your eyes for a sec and imagine the houses you’ve visited where you felt immediately at home when you crossed the threshold. Not because it was a mega-impressively designed home or had more rooms than you’ve ever seen strung together.
But because it gave you a true and honest feel for the people who live there. Maybe their style wasn’t remotely like yours but you could relax because it felt so authentically comfortable.
I have a dear pal whose home is very different than my own: she has perhaps the world’s largest collection of day of the dead figures. Instead of a kitchen seating area, she has a giant birdcage with at least one spicy (and vocal!) character in it at all times.
Photos of her travels smother the fridge that’s mostly empty inside since she doesn’t cook. Her freezer however is stuffed with gin, vodka and a rotating selection of iced martini glasses.
The reason her friends love to visit is that her home is unapologetically hers. It tells her story. It provides a cocoon when she needs it, a comfy velvet sofa for dishing up confidences over icy martinis, and pleasure in the carefully chosen reminders she keeps nearby. As her guest, you sink into her world and are comforted by it.
When you give yourself unapologetic permission to curate your own space—so that it brings YOU joy—don’t be surprised if everyone who steps inside feels it too.
