By  Guest Blogger, Rebecca Gates

Having been a wife for nearly twenty years one might assume that by now I would have my house dialed in and looking as though a professional had placed perfectly every piece of furniture and nic nac. It was definitely my goal to have our house looking like a home by the time we celebrated our first anniversary. Unfortunately, I married a rare gem who has opinions about such things as bedding. We slept with nothing but sheets and throw blankets for the first six months of marriage because my husband didn’t like anything I picked out. It wasn’t until his mom presented us with the beautiful comforter, she saw me eyeing that he finally gave in.

As much as I once thought it would be amazing to walk into any showroom and simply say, “I’ll take it all” I’ve grown to realize that making a house a home is much more satisfying than making a house a showpiece and they are completely different things. If someone has enough money they can meet their goal for perfection in as long as it takes for a designer to have her personal touches delivered. The problem with that is designers thrive on trends which change quickly, but if you pick colors and meaningful pieces over trends your home can maintain a sense of timelessness and it can offer your guests the opportunity to connect with who your family is versus some professional who doesn’t even live there.

Sometimes I just want to be done. No more blank spaces on the walls, or that’ll-do-for-now pieces, but I have found greater joy in picking out items that come with a story to tell. I have a globe that reminds me of the places I’ve been and the places I hope to soon go. I display pictures in intricate frames that evoke memories of our happiest moments to gether so far, and any thing else I can find that represents an experience while on vacation together. I fill our home with things that carry meaning more than just to fill a space. Think about what represents your family as you seek to fill the empty spaces of your home. This takes significantly more time, but adds the warmth that can’t be experienced from a showroom.

In my livingroom I display words like “family”, “love” and “relax.” Then I accent them with my favorite colors. Without being too flashy and running the risk of reigniting my husband’s opinions, I also throw in a few metallics to remind my family to shine where they are. Metallics add a sense of majestic elegance but can become flashy when over done.

If you’re crafty it’s really fun to find items that can be refinished or created from scratch. Nothing is impossible with the internet and a little bravery. My best visits with my mom have been when we build some thing together. My favorite piece is the oversized, tufted headboard we built for my master bedroom. It’s are reminder every night of the time my mom and I spent to get her and my picky husband is proud that I was able to make such a customized piece.

Making a house a home is a life long process. It evolves just as our family does with new memories and experiences. There are seasons when everything must be childproofed, followed by seasons where the house feels abit quiet and lonely only to be once again enjoyed by small children in shorter doses. Our goal isn’t perfection. Our goal is to make a home for our family to enjoy no matter what season our family is in, It’s not a one and done kind of thing. It’s a joy filled process of sharing a place where we can connect.

How have you made your house a home through the seasons your family have experienced?