HOUSE AND HOME: ARE THEY REALLY SYNONYMS? 8 tips to harmonize your house and make it a real home
- Adriely Salvador
- Jul 9, 2024
- 7 min read
Updated: Nov 26, 2024
Have you ever stopped to think about what makes you really feel "at home"? Do you feel welcomed and comfortable when you arrive home after an exhausting day at work? Is a building that has its spaces filled with basic furniture and utilities really enough to make us feel sheltered, cozy and recharged? Or have you suddenly never stopped to think about it or don't think it's so important? If this is your case, this article is for you!
Maybe you've never stopped to think about how you should really feel inside your home, right? Maybe you are a more extroverted person, who never spends much time at home and prefers to always be doing something outside, who enjoys spending his free time in the company of friends, at special events, bars and parties. No? Or suddenly you are even that more introverted person, who prefers to spend their free time at home, but who has never stopped to observe their home in a more sensitive way and realize that, suddenly, creating a vibe that awakens greater pleasure and satisfaction of spending this time at home could be very interesting to improve your quality of life.
The fact is that not only are these two profiles very common, but there are also several nuances.
Many people even stop to observe and realize that their home is more, let's say, minimalist, in terms of elements, but they still prefer to keep it that way, whether for reasons of taste, comfort, finances, maintenance, etc. Others never really realized it and would even consider a very special customization in their home. Others have always wanted to create a very special environment, but are prevented by some limitations. No matter the circumstances, what really matters is that, regardless of the resident's profile, a house will always benefit from elements that make it a true home. "But what do you mean, house and home aren't the same thing?" Well, in my humble and endorsed opinion as an architect and passionate about everything that gives a house that peaceful, "grandma's house" vibe, definitely not!
A house can be newly built, large, luxurious, well lit, etc., but it does not necessarily convey the true warmth that many elements have the immense power to convey. "Ah, Adriely, but I don't like wood, I prefer glass, aluminum and plaster!" Okay, my intention here is not to dictate rules or say that a more traditional style is better than a more contemporary one, because taste is personal and we are free to make the choices that make us happy. Here we aim to awaken a more sensitive look at elements that are not necessarily, in the view of many, "out of fashion", "archaic", "tacky", etc., and to be aware that combining styles, elements, colors can actually work out very well, in addition to bringing you a true sense of Home.
But then, what is home? Home is more than just a building that we call home. Home is an environment filled with a welcoming, comforting and re-energizing atmosphere which has the power to awaken good sensations, contemplations, reflections, care, increase our quality of life and instigate more harmony among the residents of a house.
And how do you create and maintain this energy in a home? As I mentioned previously, through elements, these elements being almost always of natural origin. Elements that are a gift from nature and even have healing properties, of which we often have no idea.
Anyone who has never had a sad day, or even experienced or is experiencing a depressive phase, and has not felt emotionally better when being in the presence of plants and being able to contemplate a garden, hear the noise of a stream or water fountain or feel the grass and earth on bare feet? If not, here’s a tip! Nature has incredible powers, which often only depend on how open we are to experiencing its power to be in its presence whenever possible.
So, let's now check out tips on which elements we can bring into our home and how to apply them!
WOOD
Wood is, as we know, a very valuable element for a fine and elegant aesthetic when properly applied to a project, but we don't necessarily need expensive applications to have a welcoming environment. Small pieces of wood are often enough to make an environment more pleasant to be in.
A small vintage or retro table in the corner and a small vase with anthurium and a scarf covered with jute thread, for example, already makes a room more cozy than if there was nothing there.
What about a stylish entrance door with just varnish or even a stronger color? So much charm and personality!!
NATURAL FIBERS
We have varied options of natural fibers to give the beloved air of coziness in our environments, and they are applicable in any of them. Some of them are:
Jute
Jute threads and fabrics are cheap and very versatile materials. They can be used to cover vases and cachepots, decorative baskets, supports for hanging plants, rugs, placemats, lamps and whatever else your creativity suggests! It's beautiful!
Wicker and Rattan
I don't even need to talk much about good old wicker, right? Timeless, classic, but also super stylish! The application can range from utility and decorative objects to furniture details such as armchairs, chairs, headboards, etc.
Rattan is a material similar to wicker, also called straw or Indian straw, which is mainly used in furniture. Very beautiful!
FABRICS
Textures play a big role when it comes to generating sensations. Cotton and velvety fabrics, for example, provide a lot of comfort and warmth in upholstery, beds and even on walls, which, depending on the colors or prints present on them, bring a lot of personality and warmth. It is only good to pay attention to the climate in your location, as depending on the level of humidity and natural light or lack thereof in the environment, it may be an option that requires greater maintenance or even brings some problems such as the appearance of mold and/or dust mites.
STONES
Stones? Oh yeah! And how wonderful they are! When in its raw state, its rusticity and elegance bring a lot of welcome, when well chosen and applied. We just need to pay attention when choosing size, texture and tones so that the proposal we want to materialize is successful. Light and dark tones, for example, have the power to open and close environments more, so it's worth paying attention to the details.
CERAMICS
From bricks on walls, plant beds, potted plants on patios, balconies and gardens to the exposed roof of a house, ceramics are a hit! It doesn't just need to be applied in the traditional orange color to provide rusticity and warmth in the vases, for example, but options in more neutral and textured colors also bring us a lot of results! I love it!
CRYSTALS AND SEMI-PRECIOUS STONES
Yes! Crystals! Whether you are a young mystic or not (I am, although not that young hahaha), I will never deny the power of these beauties in an environment, in addition to the beauty they provide through their unique textures, colors and transparencies!
Crystals and semi-precious stones are widely used by professionals in holistic therapies, free spiritualists and people who are adept at esotericism, but you don't need to be a believer or a therapist to benefit from what they offer, as they will be acting on the energetic vibration of your environment anyway, balancing and filtering energies, as well as beautifying your space.
There are hundreds of options for these minerals and you can choose them according to their size (for environments, ideally they should be sized from 10cm onwards, as this way they can act at a spatial level), color and property. In another article I will talk only about crystals, to introduce you to how to choose, apply, clean, energize, organize, etc. They are amazing!
AIR AND NATURAL LIGHT
I also don’t need to explain much about the importance of these two in our daily lives. In addition to being essential for our physical and emotional health, natural light balances our circadian cycle and, of course, leaves any environment richly illuminated! Try to allow as much air and natural light as possible to enter through your frames. Use glass, if possible, to maintain lighting when these are closed.
PLANTS
And lastly... THEM! My idolized little plants! If you are also a plant nut like me, you will agree that these girls are essential when it comes to beauty, hospitality, peace and health. In addition to purifying the air, greenery provides us with endless possibilities for a perfect ambiance in conjunction with your vases, pots and flower beds. From the smallest dimensions inside the house to trees in the backyard, flowering or not, herbaceous or not, they are sure to be successful in decorating a home. And, of course, we need to be aware of the particularities of each one, which will enable their use or not in certain environments if they are darker, lighter or with direct sunlight, frequency of watering, size, pruning, etc., and so on. We would have a topic for another article!
Oh, and we can't forget an extra fundamental tip that precedes in importance the application of any element mentioned here: cleaning and organization! It doesn't matter how modest and small your house is, but it is your home, your temple! Good energy is never created and flows in a dirty and messy environment, which will never provide you with good feelings and peace of mind.
The mess at home is a reflection of the mess in our being. If you are suddenly at a difficult time in your life, in mourning or have some emotional/mental disorder, I invite you to join in cleaning and organizing your physical space as a therapeutic activity. If it helps? It's already a good start. Taking care of your physical space is also self-care and is still a change from the inside out. Little by little we can improve. It's a great first step.
But if your case is just a lack of time, then it becomes much simpler, because, yes, whether you accept it or not, we always have time for what is a priority, so... prioritize yourself! ;)
Well, we're done here! I'm sure that by applying each of these tips to the details and environments of your home, you will already see and feel a great transformation in the energy of your home and what it communicates. Remember, our home is our reflection! And taking care of her, she takes care of us. A lot!
Until the next article!
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