Aleteia logoAleteia logoAleteia
Friday 29 March |
Aleteia logo
Lifestyle
separateurCreated with Sketch.

What does your home say about you?

shutterstock_390786556.jpg

Shutterstock / WathanyuSowong

Cecilia Pigg - published on 08/16/22

From the pictures on the wall to the way I speak to my guests, here's what I learned when I took stock of my house.

I use a five year journal, where each day I answer one question in a few sentences, and every year on that same day I answer the same question again. Then, over time, I can go back and look at what answers I gave from one year to the next.

Yesterday’s question made me put the book down and think for a long time. The question was a fill-in-the-blank that read, “I cultivate an atmosphere of ________ at home.”

Hmmm … What kind of atmosphere do I cultivate in my home? Do I even try to create and nurture a certain atmosphere?

Decoration is part of this. How I arrange the furniture is part of this. But my attitude, and the way I communicate, is also part of the atmosphere of my home. I decided to take stock of how I welcomed people and what message my home sends to people.   

Atmosphere

First off, I imagined what atmosphere I want to create in my home. In other words, what do I want people to feel when they came to my house? Then I considered other angles. When someone comes to my house will they see who I am? Does how I decorate reveal what is important to me?

I decided I wanted people to feel welcome, calm, and comfortable when they enter our space. So, I looked at how my house was set up. When anyone first walks into our home, they are greeted by a large entryway. Usually, I use that entryway to store things. This is helpful to me, but it gets cluttered up very easily. Clutter doesn’t instill a peaceful or calm feeling, so I decided it was time to declutter the entryway, and consider a different way to store the things I usually keep there. Having less stuff there helps me feel calmer, and that would allow me to pass that calm onto my guests.

Next, I looked at the main spaces where people sit and visit when they are here–the living room, dining room, and kitchen. The chairs and couch seemed to be laid out in a way that was conducive to conversation. I noticed a few little things that I made notes of to try to improve in the future — like maybe adding a small bench for people to put drinks on during a conversation, placing some blankets nearby in the winter months, and adding some kind of seating in the kitchen when someone is visiting while I cook.

Decoration

After considering how I want people to feel, and whether the logistics of furniture and clutter help or hinder that atmosphere, I turned my attention to decoration.

Do my decorations around the house add to the atmosphere I want to create? What do they say about who I am and what is important to me?

I first assessed how many decorations I have – how many paintings, pictures, wall hangings, etc. Was it too cluttered or poorly arranged, leaving a sense of overwhelm instead of peace? Or was it too bare, making it feel impersonal and empty? I think my walls verge into the poorly arranged category, and so noted some things to rearrange. Each piece of art has a story, from the many religious images we have, to the art pieces created by my husband or purchased on travels. I noticed that I didn’t have many pictures of my family, and so figured that would be a good thing to add. Overall, though, I felt that the decorations around the space adequately show what is important to me and my family, and add insight into who we are. 

Disposition of the heart

Finally, I turned inward. I know that some of my biggest struggles with hospitality is my own lack of spontaneity and my struggle with small talk. I also realized that if I exude hospitality and peace, my presence is a more powerful atmosphere than anything I could create with my decorations and furniture flow.

What stresses and insecurities can I eliminate to help myself be the peaceful, welcoming atmosphere I want? What good questions can I ask to let the conversation go deeper, where my guest can feel more known and loved, rather than staying on the surface?

I put together a list of baby steps to improve the atmosphere of my heart, and thus, of our house. And instead of a short answer for my five year journal in this slot in 2022, I think I’ll just write in the link to this post. We’ll see what next year brings!

Tags:
Home
Support Aleteia!

Enjoying your time on Aleteia?

Articles like these are sponsored free for every Catholic through the support of generous readers just like you.

Thanks to their partnership in our mission, we reach more than 20 million unique users per month!

Help us continue to bring the Gospel to people everywhere through uplifting and transformative Catholic news, stories, spirituality, and more.

Support Aleteia with a gift today!

jour1_V2.gif
Top 10
See More
Newsletter
Get Aleteia delivered to your inbox. Subscribe here.