What makes a house a home?

Published on
February 16, 2020
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We’ve all heard the phrase, “home is where the heart is.” So, what are the ingredients that truly make a house a home?

Many of us have flipped through home design magazines ripping out and saving pictures, and have looked through Pinterest for hours pinning the most perfect interior and exterior designs that we want to incorporate into our homes someday (and many of the projects we don’t ever get to). But when we really think about what makes a house a home, it’s not the perfectly designed furniture, plush pillows, and area rugs that perfectly coordinate.

A survey of 1,000 UK homeowners by Anglican Home Improvements revealed what the British think makes a house a home. The top 5 ingredients are:

1. Happiness
2. Love
3. Security and safety
4. The sound of laughter
5. Meals with family and friends

LEARN MORE:HOW DO YOU DESIGN A HOME FOR LATER LIVING?

So, what is ‘home’…?

Home is where you can freely and completely be yourself.
Home is laughter in the kitchen and being with those you love the most.
Home is your favourite vanilla candle flickering on the coffee table next to the pile of books and magazines.
Home is the smell of freshly baked cookies waiting to come out of the oven.
Home is holding one another on the couch as you cry over a broken heart.
Home is taking your shoes off by the front door and throwing your coat and hat onto the hook on the wall.
Home is curling up on the couch and drifting into sleep for an afternoon nap.
Home is making a mess in the kitchen trying to make a new recipe.
Home is welcoming new faces or seeing old faces for a dinner party.
Home is sitting in the garden soaking up the sunshine on a summer’s day.
Home is holding a hot cup of tea curled up on the couch watching your favourite movie.
Home is pulling yourself out of bed with sleepy eyes to begin a day and slipping into cool sheets at night.
Home is where your people are and close to the places and things you love the most.

So, what is home to you? Does it really matter whether it’s a house, a dorm room, or a flat in the centre of town? According to Brits, it doesn’t. Home is where you can have happiness, love, be secure and safe, laugh, and eat meals with those you love the most.

And if you’re in a period of transition wondering if that new home can ever really be a home, the answer can be ‘yes’ because home is truly wherever your heart is.