House Revivals: Goals for Our Home in 2011

A couple of Days ago Nester, over at Nesting Place asked this question: Do you have goals for your home? Of course, going into a huge renovation on our recently purchased beach house, I thought, oh boy, do I!

CNS Photo From www.carolynbates.com via The Washington Post

Do you know my husband adores the color blue? It's never been a favorite of mine,

so I haven't really used it too much. Now I'm thinking that was just a bit selfish.

I want my husband to enjoy being home. Isn't this blue porch ceiling dreamy?

Wouldn't you love to take a nap on this porch?

And then I heard that quiet voice. You know the one -- that annoying little voice that challenges you to go a little deeper? Suddenly, I wasn't thinking about flooring and colors and textiles. At least not the way you might think. I began to think about my husband and my children who will visit and the many friends we hope to host. And the question became: How can I create a home that welcomes, honors and serves the people who will grace our doorstep?

The beach house has this wonderful wrap around porch --

what if we painted the ceiling of this porch blue like the sky? So my

husband could come out here and relax, listening to the

surf under a peaceful blue canopy? How is it that I am loving blue?

Maybe it's just that I needed an attitude adjustment!

The floors on the main level of the house are natural flagstone. Nothing I can do about that -- it would be much too expensive to replace.

Stone floors are beautiful, but they can be cold, and hard on the feet,

back, knees, legs, and hips; and on the the little heads of wee visitors

who may be toddling around!

Maybe we can warm and soften this space up with huge area rugs with extra thick padding underneath. Maybe something cheerful and lighthearted, so our visitors can feel a reprieve from the stresses of their everyday lives.

Kodari Bricks 99700 Pink Purple Hand Knotted Wool Rugs by Brink

I love that the colors on this plush wool rug mimic the colors

we find on the shells and sand and amongst the dune grass at the beach.

We want our guests to be comfortable -- so that they will come for return visits. Have you ever been to visit a friend, and discovered that the guest bed mattress is an old hand me down, with lumps and broken springs?

Photographer Lisa Romerein Coastal Living 2010 Ultimate Bach House

Now, I am always grateful to anyone who opens their home to my family -- even if all they can offer is the living room floor, and a few less than perfect nights will no doubt build character, but wouldn't it be nice to offer them a space with a light to read by, a little table for their glasses, and some really wonderful bedding?

Amanda Webster Design

Who wouldn't want to sink into this mattress after a day of beach combing,

then wake up to the morning sun reflecting off the surf?

When I was a little girl, my mother would help me prepare the beds for our guests. She explained the importance of using a really good mattress pad (saves years of wear and tear on your mattress, and is so much more comfy to sleep on, as a good mattress pad "breathes"). She taught me to make a perfect hospital corner, how to pull the top sheet high enough to fold over the edge of the quilt (this, she would say, prevents your lovely quilts from fraying, and keeps them clean). Of course, the top sheet was always put on "upside-down", so that her guests could appreciate the pretty patterns when the covers were folded back. Fresh pillowcases and then a good fluffing of the pillows to finish up, and the bed was ready for our honored guests. I think a goal for my house is that its guests feel just as pampered and welcomed as my mother's guests did all those years ago.

KitchenBath Ideas a BHG Network Site

Wouldn't it be lovely to invite your guests and family into a sunny cheerful kitchen while we work?

I know my kitchen isn't much right now, but it has great bones, and great light, and views of the bay to the east and the ocean to the west.

With a nice center island and some stools, I could invite my friends and family into the kitchen for a cup or tea or a glass of wine -- or to lend a hand.

I think this is doable. I think I can achieve these goals for my home. I think I can create a home that welcomes, honors and serves the people who will grace our doorstep. What do you think?