The look of love...

photo: Country Home magazine

I was browsing through the latest issue of Canadian House and Home magazine, and one home, in particular appealed to me. I was very happy to see a gorgeous home that exuded a feeling of true down-to earth, old-fashioned house pride. I got the feeling that the homeowners truly loved their home, and made the most of each and every corner, without necessarily choosing the best of the best, or what was recommended by a designer.

I think we are very hard on our homes. We nitpick and make to-do lists, and come up with ways to improve it... and yet never seem to be truly satisfied. Can you imagine if we treated our spouses this way? Sure, we make jokes about our messy/slow/stubborn/spendthrift/corny/snoring husbands (and no, I'm not describing my husband), but we overlook those traits because we know we ourselves aren't perfect, and we expect them to love us! Our poor houses, though, they suffer from our critical eyes and biting criticism nearly every day.

I say, we should let up on our homes a bit, and stand back and make a mental list of what we love about them. Perhaps it's the front stoop where we watch our children ride their bikes, or the pretty mailbox we finally splurged on. It can be the kitchen table where we eat good food, laugh at each other's jokes, or help our children with their homework. Perhaps your favourite house trait is the fact that your hot water tank allows you to fill a nice deep tub each night, or maybe it's the view of your backyard as you stand at the kitchen sink. You don't have to have granite counters to bake a favourite pie in your kitchen; nor do you have to have a huge master bedroom to enjoy a good lie-in on a weekend morning. Even your drafty, old windows can be beautiful if the view out of them is pleasant, and who needs a big yard if you live on a quiet street?

I love that line from the song, "If you can't be... with the one you love, honey...love the one you're with". I think it should apply to our homes every now and then. Turn over that to-do list, and sit in your favourite room and be thankful for the walls around you. Surround yourself with items that mean something to you - your children's art, a handmade blanket, your favourite collections, the people you love. I'm not saying you should surrender your home improvement goals, but simply take a break from wishful thinking. After all, if we tried to change our spouses as much as we try to change our homes, we'd never notice their good points, would we? And all of a sudden, we might not look as rosy, either...

before...after...
all photos: Country Home