Creating a Sense of "Home"

House (noun) :

1. a building in which people live; residence for human beings.

Home (noun) :

1. a house, apartment, or other shelter that is the usual residence of a person, family, or household.

2. the place in which one's domestic affections are centered.

If there's one thing I've learned to accept as a new homeowner, it's that I can't create my dream house in just a few days. Homemaking, like most things in life, is a process. I just have to deal with the fact that my house will go through several different "versions" of itself before it becomes my dream home. You know what? That's okay! I tend to think of houses like people - we all change a little over time, and we're never truly finished.

Sometimes, I have to remind myself to take a step back and appreciate that this is MY house. (It's mine, all mine! Muahaha! ...Ahem.) After almost a decade of living in temporary housing during college and law school, I've never really had the chance to build a space that feels like home. So what if I still have no idea what I want to do about these buy-me-beige walls? I'll figure it out eventually. 

Right now, I'm treating my house like a new friend. I want to know all of her charming quirks and inevitable flaws. I'm spending a lot of time around the house, both indoors and out, and developing a feel for what works for me and what doesn't. For example, I LOVE to fling open the French doors that lead to my screened in balcony and let in fresh air and sunlight each morning. I would love it even more if the balcony extended out to a larger seating area that would be better for entertaining.

I'd love to go from this:

Please excuse the wood pile! We are gradually removing dead or severely damaged trees.

to something like this:

Source: Better Homes & Gardens

Once I've identified an area that I could love better, I feel more empowered to start brainstorming ideas to make it my own. For some spaces, that might mean just a couple of little changes. For others, such as revamping the backyard, I might need to get a contractor involved. Whatever the case, breaking down each project into smaller, easier-to-tackle chunks keeps me from feeling completely overwhelmed.