The Happy Home

Joy is not difficult or expensive. It’s not exclusive or elusive. It’s everywhere, and there’s plenty to go around.

When I was a kid, my bedroom was in a constant state of flux. I used to have a habit of closing the door, telling my mom not to come in until lunchtime, and completely rearranging the room, furniture and all. My little ten-year-old muscles would push the desk across the room, place the dresser under a different window, pull down all of my posters and make new art, and arrange little vignettes of my favorite toys on the windowsill. And when it was just so, I would call in my mom and invite her to sit down and look at it all. To enjoy the new experience.
 
I remember her being generous with attentive comments (Ah! And why did you choose to put that there? How interesting. This area with your beanbag feels very cozy.) and ever patient as she would inevitably come in the next time to find another new arrangement. But I wasn’t rearranging things to impress her or anyone else. I loved the act of changing my room because it was a way that I could make my space feel completely new and unique. I had power over my little realm, and I could wield that power to make my room feel like me. It was an act of creativity, of expression, of empowerment, of self-care. And it felt good. It made me happy.
 
Now, as an adult who has lived in fourteen different homes, things aren’t that much different. I still find constant joy in creating a home that feels good. I have long believed that there is loveliness and joy in the world, accessible to us all, just waiting to be discovered or created. There’s nowhere more important to create that joy than in our homes—where we eat, sleep, raise our babies, nurture our relationships, and more. As the world shifts and we are utilizing our homes for work, play, and everything in between, I do my best to maximize the joy, beauty, and functionality of my home through projects and ideas that are not just beautiful but also useful and easy to create. I may not be a plucky ten-year-old anymore, rearranging furniture, but that instinct to create a happy nest is still within me. And these days when I invite people into my home, I’m met with questions like: “How did you make that?!” “How do you make it feel so cozy in here?” “Can you come over and tell me what to do in my house?”
 
The answer to that last one is tricky, and not just because designing someone else’s home actually sounds like my worst nightmare. The truth is, I wouldn’t ever presume to tell someone else how to decorate or organize their home because our spaces are such a unique reflection of our individuality. I would, however, help a friend explore and discover the things that she truly loved and valued and figure out how to infuse her home with those discoveries. And that’s what this book is all about.
 
It feels important to say that this isn’t a DIY book, nor is it a book about home decor or design. At its heart, this book will show you that you have the power in your own two hands, no matter your skill set, to create a home in which you absolutely thrive. Parts of it are a celebration of making and creativity, and how those things connect us to our homes and ourselves. Making something that you can use and enjoy in your home can be a great source of joy and pride; there is a magic in making that enhances a home and the people in it. Other parts of this book are an exploration of yourself and your relationship to your home, which is a partnership that’s often overlooked. I hope the ideas and prompts help you find a clear understanding of the things that matter to you and to the people who live in your space. And by the end, you’ll be armed with simple tricks and ideas to create the home you’ve always imagined for yourself.
 
Each chapter is designed to help you create and lean into a different feeling within your home. It doesn’t matter whether your home is a dorm room, a 350-square-foot apartment in a big city, or a sprawling farmhouse on a ranch—every space (and the rooms within it) holds a wide spectrum of feelings, from peaceful to empowering to uplifting and more. As you make your way through the chapters, take notice of the parts that resonate with you and your home. You’ll start to feel the stories that you want to tell in your space coming to the surface, ready to be told.
 
To be clear, this isn’t about running out to buy the newest home decor item that’s gracing the shelves at everybody’s favorite big-box store. It’s not about having the latest and greatest trend splashed on your walls, and it certainly isn’t about following a prescribed path to happiness in your home.
 
Nope. None of that. Creating a home that feels joyful is about deeper work. It’s about knowing yourself: what moves you, what comforts you, what uplifts you, and where you want to land at the end of a long day. It’s about knowing your home: how it supports you, how it challenges you, and where it needs you to love it. And it’s about putting in time together—you, your family, your friends, and your space. Then you’ll truly start to understand the ins and outs of why your home feels the way it does.
 
I believe that joy is found in the little moments surrounding us every day. This book has the power to guide you toward those moments of joy in your home and spin them into something beautiful. I also know that happiness is not only a state of mind but also a state of action. I hope these ideas help move you into that state of action, as you create your very own happy home.