. The whole book is about grounding yourself in your home and using your space to anchor aspects of yourself and your life you want to enhance.
This line comes towards the end and it’s really stayed with me:
“Only now do I fully understand that homes are for shaping the self, not presenting a self to the world.”
When so many of us consume and share on social media, it can start to feel like our homes are something we create for the benefit of others. But really, a home is for its inhabitants, not for projecting an image.
This chaotic week I thought it’d be nice to share some vignettes and solutions in my home that make me feel peaceful. Maybe you have some favorite spots to reflect on, or perhaps you can take this as an opportunity to spending an hour creating a spot of beauty or function to bring you daily joy.
As my kids grow larger, so do their clothes. My house lacks a real coat closet or even space for a freestanding coat rack, so I’ve had to get creative. I recently discovered a tiny overhang where I could drill in hooks without damaging the visible surface of the cabinets. Perfect for little girl coats!
Hooks are also my savior for backpack storage. These Command adhesive hooks are strong enough to hold backpacks, even with lunchboxes inside.
I donated all our ugly plastic hangers (left) to my kids' school for their clothing swap event, and we now have more cohesive hangers in our main closet (right). It's a delight to behold every time I'm in there.
I bought the peacock tufted ottoman (left) on FB marketplace for $30 and had it reupholstered to mimic one I liked from Interior Define. The whole endeavor saved me about $400 off the retail price (though I paid a lot in time and schlepping). It was so satisfying to transform something existing rather than buy new, and support local businesses in the process (in this case John's Upholstery on N Lombard for the PDX locals).
My shower niche can give serial killer vibes in how organized it is at times, but I’m feeling good about the balance right now — my husband and I use different soaps and hair products these days (not ideal) but this area stays pretty attractive and uncluttered even so. I’m someone to whom labels feel like shouting, so I appreciate the muted volume of what we have here, while still allowing my vision-challenged husband to identify what’s inside.
If you have a little spot that brings you joy, please share it! Sadly we can’t do photos in the comments (yet) but I trust your descriptive abilities to bring it to life.
In the corner of our kitchen, on top of our bread box, I store my young son’s needles and alcohol wipes for a daily injectable medicine. He’s on year six of a shot every day, with probably another 8-9 years to go. I knew if I was going to have to have all these medical supplies I could at least make the station pleasant to look at. The sharps box hides in a cabinet, but I have beautiful glass jars with a raised floral pattern, jade green lids, and brass hardware that I store the pads in one and the needles in the other. They’re very beautiful to look at, and you can’t see what’s inside. It makes a hard reality a little softer: using some of my most beautiful possessions to hold something unavoidable and otherwise clinical. As he gets older, I’ll encourage him to do the same for himself.
My house came with severely outdated appliances. Yesterday my new fridge (ONLY a fridge) and separate upright freezer were delivered. Both of them are very easy to keep organized and to see things in. I haven't done a lot of cooking in this house and now that I've put my food into these new homes, I'm realizing at least part of that was how much I hated the 30+ year old fridge.
A very specific corner of my home I love:
In the corner of our kitchen, on top of our bread box, I store my young son’s needles and alcohol wipes for a daily injectable medicine. He’s on year six of a shot every day, with probably another 8-9 years to go. I knew if I was going to have to have all these medical supplies I could at least make the station pleasant to look at. The sharps box hides in a cabinet, but I have beautiful glass jars with a raised floral pattern, jade green lids, and brass hardware that I store the pads in one and the needles in the other. They’re very beautiful to look at, and you can’t see what’s inside. It makes a hard reality a little softer: using some of my most beautiful possessions to hold something unavoidable and otherwise clinical. As he gets older, I’ll encourage him to do the same for himself.
My house came with severely outdated appliances. Yesterday my new fridge (ONLY a fridge) and separate upright freezer were delivered. Both of them are very easy to keep organized and to see things in. I haven't done a lot of cooking in this house and now that I've put my food into these new homes, I'm realizing at least part of that was how much I hated the 30+ year old fridge.