What Makes A Home Charming

In the age of Pinterest and Instagram, I've seen more inspiring homes than my mind could ever sort through.  I often find myself overwhelmed when trying to settle on a particular direction when designing our very builder basic suburban home.  We've lived in our house for 6 years now and I've pieced together each room through never-ending thrift store and craigslist searches, yet I still feel it lacks the finishing layer.  This final layer has led me down many inspirational rabbit holes via Pinterest, trying to find what "style" I really want for our house.

I started to wonder if I've searched so many Pinterest boards, skimmed so many shelter magazines, scrolled so many aspirational Instagram feeds, that I've just fallen out of love with interior design.  And somehow in our breakup, I've stumbled into the arms of homemaking.  Yep, I've fallen in love with design's less put together but equally charming sibling.  And I tell you, its a much more effortless relationship.

As much as I love a well-designed room, I think the best homes are the ones with thoughtful uses of handpicked items, whether from a big box store or obscure flea markets.  Homes that find beautiful ways to embrace its everyday living are truly my favorite; where neither form nor function is sacrificed.  But perhaps the biggest lesson I've learned from embracing making a home versus styling one, is that imperfection is beautiful.  It's more than beautiful.  It gives life to a space!  Whether it's aged walls or sagging sofa cushions, imperfections tell the stories of the people who live there; the people who the home is made for.  And when thoughtful design combines with beautiful flaws, a truly charming home can emerge.