Why Our Spaces Matter
Updated: Mar 4, 2019
I’ve always loved homes, found comfort in them. As a kid, I moved several times and each time found myself quite emotional when it was time to walk away, too attached, never ready to part ways. To many of us, our houses are more than a pile of brick and mortar. They are the backdrops to milestones and mundane moments that shape who we are. My houses held the rooms where my big sisters dressed me up and made me model in front of our old polaroid camera, the hallways where I practiced cartwheels and perfected my handstands, the bedroom where I lay awake wide-eyed hoping my cat would protect me the first time I ever lived alone. These houses, each one, were homes to me. And with each new home came a renewed dedication to make my space my own.
As humans, at our most basic, we need shelter. Maslow taught us that. But our homes are so much more than a way to keep us dry from the rain and a way to keep us safe from the unknown. If all we needed was a roof over our heads, HGTV would not exist. People want their spaces to tell the story of who they are. Our walls and shelves and textiles are a direct reflection of our personalities, of our travels, and of our roots. Our homes are so much more than simply structures. Home is the place where we retreat after a long day. Homes are a way to mark time and remember specific moments in our lives - when we lived in that old house on 37th street. For many of us, our homes are an integral part of our identity - from the neighborhoods we choose to the colors we paint our walls. And that is why we invest our time and money into shaping each room into something truly special.
I used to feel guilty for spending money on my space. “You’re not going to live here forever,” I’d say. “You could be putting this money towards a great vacation.” But when I stopped looking at my home as a place where I simply stored my stuff and instead looked at it as the backdrop to all the little moments that shape my life, it all started to make more sense. I want my space to reflect who I am at every step in my journey. When I celebrate a new job or make a new friend or bring home a new kitty, I know the walls and the furniture and the plants and the paintings that fill the backgrounds of my photos will tell the story of who I am and who I was in that moment. And to me, that’s worth every penny.