Feeling Energized at Home

It is easy to feel energized in September. Maybe it’s prompted by the cooling trend in the weather or the year after year jangling of a new school year - even if we are not actually in school this particular year.

New projects started…the garden harvested….the house and car ready for winter…house guests invited and welcomed…all good ways to channel that energy and enjoy September.

I’ve never quite synced with the notion of ‘spring cleaning’ because the burst of energy toward homemaking has always caught me in the early fall instead. In the past week I’ve cleaned out under bathroom sinks and the linen closet. Spending an hour or two a day on cleaning out storage areas of the house and cleaning those areas that only get cleaned about once a year seems very appealing right now.

And then there are the gardening pots on the deck. The sweet potatoes will be the last things I will harvest (picture on right) - just before 1st frost; the plant has at least one very large sweat potato that has pushed its way above the soil twice (I’ve added soil to cover it!). All the other herbs are going to be started along the drying process this week. I also have a bucket of day lily bulbs that were too crowded in their bed; now I need to replant them in new flowerbeds.

And I have 3 sets of house guests scheduled to arrive at various times over the next couple of months!

September is definitely a high energy month for me. Is it for you too?

Making a House into a Home - Part 3

Today’s topic is home improvements that just about anyone can make.

Adding shelves to rooms where more storage is needed is very easy with the systems of strips, supports, and shelves available at most hardware stores. Wall space over furniture or even higher can add a lot of storage just where it is needed. Consider decorative boxes or bins for smaller items. Bedrooms/offices, garages, and even kitchens can benefit from this type of improvement.

Fresh paint always makes a room seem clean and bright. Choose colors you like but don’t go overboard. Sometimes having a white room with color on only one wall is more effective than having the whole room that color. Or consider using fabric on one wall.

What about the yard? Do you have plants that mean a lot to you? I moved miniature daffodil and day lily bulbs with me. They had originally been purchased and planted by my mother-in-law; I’ve enjoyed them in their original and current locations (dug up and separated and enlarging the bed every few years) for over 25 years now! One of my grandmothers always thought of planting fruit trees when she moved somewhere new.

Making a house into a home is a continuing activity. It doesn’t have to be done immediately but the sooner you start taking the small steps to meld where you live into the space you feel at home…the better.

Making a House into a Home - Part 2

Today’s topic is walls, windows, and floors.

Walls can be covered by lots of small pictures, left mostly blank and bright, showcase a color that highlights the rooms purpose or furnishings, or be a giant canvas. Whatever is on them is a statement. Some people like lots of family pictures - some like posters - paintings - macramé. Things you like to look at should be on the walls. Even large swaths of fabric can be used to make a statement. My family went through a time when we liked having flags for each season outdoors but I not prefer to keep them inside and hang them from a stair banister instead (I got tired of worn our raggedy flags after one season of outdoor use).

Window treatments are for privacy and visual appeal. They can also help improve energy efficiency. Privacy and energy efficiency are for security and comfort….one of the primary requirements for the feeling of ‘home’ but the aesthetics are needed too. My favorite window treatment is one in my office - sheers with patch pockets for keepsakes over blinds to close when the sun shines in too brightly.

Of course - floors should feel clean and add to the overall comfort of the room. Are the welcome mats at the entrances to your house in good shape? These provide a useful function (wiping feet) and are the impression a person gets just before entering your home.

Tomorrow I’ll post about permanent improvements to a house that make is more of a home.

Making a House into a Home - Part 1

What is the difference between a house and a home? A house is an empty shell. A home: 

• Reflects the uniqueness of the people that life there
• Meets their needs
• Makes them feel comfortable and secure 

The objective of this blog post - and the two others in the days to come - is to provide some starting points for  thinking about refinements you might want to make to wherever you are living. I know that my home benefits from periodic tweaks because my needs and wants change; the beginning of summer is a great time to do a little reflection and take action to enhance those good feelings you want your home to evoke.

First let’s consider rooms - the floor plan of the house. Consider that static. What does not have to be held constant is how the rooms are actually used. Getting the most from every room may involve some non-traditional usage.

A dining room does not have to be used as a dining room if you never use it for that purpose. It could become a home office. 

• Use an S hook to raise the light fixture
• Decide what furniture will provide storage you will need in the office (since there is not a closet) 

It’s an easy conversion.

 Using a bedroom for a home office is even easier. Add some attached shelves or assemble some standalone metal shelves inside the closet and the office in the room itself can be very streamlined.

 A room intended to be a formal living room may not be needed for that purpose. In fact, any room you don’t use every day should be considered for additional use(s). What about the living room as a music room?

The contents of the built-ins in the rooms - particularly in the kitchen - should be arranged for the way you do things in the room. Spices you use at the stovetop should be near the stove top. Glasses and dishes should be convenient to where you retrieve them when you eat and to put away when you unload the dishwasher. Mixing bowls and containers for left overs should be put away in the cabinets near the place you would use need them. The top shelves that you will need a step stool to reach should  be used for items not needed very frequently.

What about drawer liners or shelf paper? That is one of the first things I do to turn a new-to-me house into my home: thoroughly clean the kitchen cabinets and then put down fresh shelf paper. There is a similar idea for bathroom cabinets.

Sunday I’ll post about walls, windows, and floors.

Quote of the Day - 03/02/2012

Houses have personality.  Have you never seen a dignified house looking disdainfully, critically down upon its frivolous bungalow neighbors?  Or an old weather-beaten one trying to appear debonair in new shingles like a withered old woman in a wig? - Bess Streeter Aldrich in The Rim of the Prairie (Bison Book)

~~~~~

Does the house or building where you live have personality?

My house has a dark hip roof and very dark green (almost charcoal) trim with lighter siding and brick. It looks more formal than its neighbors. It is different from the back where the deck, a full story off the ground, softens the overall contrast.

Is it possible to change the personality of a house? The architecture can be pretty overwhelming. Changing the trim color or just the color of the front door could make a difference.

I like the subtle personality differences of the houses in our neighborhood. It’s good that no extremes have emerged!