A Reflection on the Meaning of Home

I had this post ready since early January, but when the fires in CA hit I was frozen. Having lived in LA for most of my 20s and having many friends still there, I was overcome with worry for those were being evacuated and grief for all those who lost their homes so abruptly. Reflecting on what home means felt even more important, yet I didn’t feel comfortable sharing while so many others were experiencing such trauma and devastation.

As much as I love interior design and beautiful things - the tile, the fabrics, the lighting - what I love most is cultivating the life that is lived within the walls of HOME. Home is the structure in which we live our lives. It’s the way the sunlight comes through windows in the morning. It’s the smell of coffee brewing or a favorite soup simmering on the stove. It’s the sound of music and laughter and footsteps. It’s the creak of a familiar floorboard. The squirrels that jump from the roof for our entertainment.

It’s the comfort of sinking into a much-loved sofa, of being taken care of when we’re lonely or sick. It’s the space where lessons are learned, where our capacity for grace grows, and where mistakes can turn into beautiful opportunities. It’s the Lenten roses that bloom in the middle of winter, giving us hope for spring. It’s where we nurture our loved ones, and where we feel nurtured. It’s our favorite tree providing perfect shade as we bask beneath it. It’s the place we start and end our days.

I love working from home, enjoying home, celebrating at home, finding stillness at home - just being at home. I even have a Pinterest board titled HOME IS FOR LIVING which features photos not just of beautiful spaces but of people IN them - a reminder to myself that while styled pictures of designed houses are fun, it’s the living of the life at home where my heart truly lives.

This home I designed for my family is the setting in which our life happens. And the living is filled with messy, blurry, and beautiful moments that will be the memories of our lives together.

In an attempt to resist the idea that homes have to look perfect to “post”, I wanted to share some my favorite photos of our HOME - not just the polished moments, but the real ones that tell our story. I’ve been collecting these photos over the past year - not the ones I took for clients or portfolio pieces, but the ones I snapped when something about hour home caught my eye: the way the light filtered through the kitchen window, how our family uses each room, the subtle changes each season brings to our spaces. Together, they tell the story of how we really live here.