In 2022, it is time to revisit the 31 days to making a house a home series. I first put together this series in 2014 following a huge couple of years of change. I moved to the United States of America from Australia in late April 2014 and into a brand new house with my sweet husband, RM. It’s been quite the learning curve for both of us. Our first home was blank slate of a house — our first together, and first as homeowners — and we’ve been bumbling our way along together. Since then we have lived in 4 other homes, none as the homeowner. In 2022, we will set out upon a new adventure as the homeowner once more!
It is said that out of necessity is born creativity.
One of my enduring questions is to ask what home means and to see our house as being transformed into our home little by little. It is exciting and daunting all at the same time. This will push me, my creativity, and our small house project budget.
Community
I’ve always believed that the best way to learn is to learn in community, which brings me to an important point: This series is less about going from room to room — there are plenty of great blogs, websites, and books that deal with room by room decorating and projects — and more about the philosophical purpose of each space in your home, and how we might think about what makes a space where you live and sleep, a home. We will ask questions, think about what makes home a space for rest, relaxation and nourishment. We will seek to understand what is important for each of us and how we make spaces into places that matter to us. It’ll be one part creativity, one part theology, one part philosophy, one part literary, one part artistic, and one part intuition.
The German poet, Hermann Hesse, once wrote:
“One never reaches home,’ she said. ‘But where paths that have an affinity for each other intersect, the whole world looks like home, for a time.”
While, I agree that home can be a seasonal matter, it doesn’t change the need to make where you are at into home. As a military family, we often think about how our belongings and lifestyle will weather another place and another time. We think about how furniture will fare in the hands of movers, and what emotional investment we might be making.
Indeed, we have already moved since this series commenced. We went from a small cottage type home, to a townhouse on two levels. We have moved another 3 times since I completed this series the first time.
Making places is not for the faint of heart, but our hearts can take it! Joy is to be shared – all that we have is multiplied when it can be shared with those we care. I know that I have much to learn and this journey is a beginning… Maybe you are thinking about these things too – let’s learn together.
31 Days
So here is where we are heading:
Day 1. House v. Home (October 2014)
Day 2: You gotta know what you want to get what you want (October 2014)
Day 3. Say “welcome” at the door (October 2014)
Day 4. Warming the House: A liturgy for home (October 2014)
Day 5. Life is Messy (October 2014)
Day 6: What’s in a name? (October 2014)
Day 7. Merging Stuff & Styles (October 2014)
Day 8: “Be at home where you are” (February 2015)
Day 9: Textiles and Warmth (February 2015)
Day 10: State of the Union (February 2015)
Day 11: Trash to Treasure (February 2015)
Day 12: Minimalism isn’t a dirty word (June 2021)
Day 13: Some homes are for a season (February 2015)
Day 14: Setting a tone: Gratitude and thankfulness (January 2017)
Day 15: Beautiful Environment: the power of smell, sound, light
Day 16: Traditions
Day 17: Setting the Table
Day 18: Listerical about Lists
Day 19: Art on the Walls (and everywhere else)
Day 20: Exploring the neighborhood
Day 21: Everyday Rituals
Day 22: Planning a Housewarming
Day 23: A refuge, a sanctuary
Day 24: Preparing the way!
Day 25: Roadtrips & Reading Aloud
Day 26: Celebrating seasons
Day 27: Sharing the good stuff.
Day 28: Holiday Traditions
Day 29: Creating inviting Guest rooms
Day 30: Somewhere to curl up
Day 31: Refinishing & Making New
The links will be updated as we go along so you can catch up if you happen upon this part way through the series!
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Listening. Observing. Participating. Writing. Photographing. Reflecting.
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Anna Blanch Rabe is an Australian-born writer and polymath. Quotidian Home focuses on home and place making, while Not a Pedestrian Life explores the adventure of life.
On your site, your twitter links connect to @goannatree, which is written in something other than English….likely not you?
thanks for letting me know!
Anna, I’m so excited about this. I have been trying to get my home together for so many years. I like this approach; I think it will be so helpful!
Suzanne, thanks for your comment! Glad to have you here. I look forward to hearing what you think about the other posts and hopefully they are encouraging and helpful for you.
We’re renters, so I’m always thinking of ways to feel at home and rooted, even when we don’t own our place. I’m looking forward to reading more about your home!
Em, thanks for your comment! Glad to have you here. I look forward to hearing what you think about the other posts.