When I was in college, my best friend and I used to daydream about our future homes. We’d flip through the pages of a magazine like Victoria
and soak in the beauty of inviting spaces. Both of us met our prince charmings in college and married soon after. And so began our journey of homemaking.

To our shock and dismay, we discovered that it doesn’t always look like the pages of a magazine! (We also discovered that a lot of men don’t like wicker furniture – even though it’s all over the pages of Victoria!)

But, from the pen of Emilie Barnes, I quickly learned that home “is as much a state of the heart and spirit as it is a specific place.” It didn’t matter if we lived in a borrowed room, a rented lower-level apartment, or a house of our own. Rick and I purposed to make whatever space we had into home. In those early years of marriage, I did my best to make our home into a welcoming refuge – first for our own family and then for others who would cross our threshold.

In her book, A Spirit of Loveliness (which was published in 1992 but I would still highly recommend), Emilie calls that The Spirit of Welcome.
She says this:

“A welcoming home is a place of refuge, a place where people worn down by the noise and turmoil and hostility of the outside world can find a safe resting place. A welcoming home is a place that you and others enjoy coming home to.”

A safe resting place. I love that vision for my homemaking. I feel like it breathes new life into the tired, old chores of housekeeping.

While it really is true that it just doesn’t matter how big your space is or how much money you spent on your love seat, I do think there are some practical but simple things that can help to cultivate this sort of attitude and atmosphere.

Here are a few things I do to make our home feel warm and welcoming:

• First, think first impressions. I try to keep my entry way tidy. Which actually starts outside where the patio is swept, the door is clean from obvious mud or cobwebs, and a wreath or potted plant offers an invitation to come in. Then, before Rick comes home each day, I usually make sure the entry area is picked up of clutter and the inside light is turned on.
• Second, what’s your house smell like? I think the scent of a home is important. Since I can’t always have yummy things baking in my oven, I have invested in a Wallflower from Bath & Body Works. I like them better than some of the grocery store versions because they smell more authentic. And, I like that they’re always plugged in – I don’t have to get home first to light a burner. (Yes, they are more expensive but I just watch for sales and stock-up semi-annually.) The scent of your home is especially important if you have pets or little ones still in diapers.
• Third, a little wax goes a long way! I often have a candle or two burning in the evenings when everyone is home. It’s a simple gesture that goes a long way toward softening the mood of your home. We found a battery-operated candle that hangs in the corner of our living room where I can’t reach to light a normal candle. It has a built-in timer and it’s nice to come home to when we’ve been out later.
• Fourth, beautiful music calms and nourishes the soul. Two of my favorite artists are David Nevue and Fernando Ortega. When I play those cds, my heart takes a deep breath. Sometimes when Rick, Caleb, and the dog are wrestling in living room, my sweet music is hard to hear. But, a man laughing with boy is its own kind of music, I suppose.
• Fifth, splurge on some fresh flowers now and then.  Or even stick some ivy cuttings in a glass bowl with water. Plants speak life.
• Sixth, always, always, always have the fixings for tea, hot cocoa, and coffee on hand. Even if you don’t drink them. It’s a very worthy sacrifice to cupboard space to be able to offer tea to a weary friend.
• And, finally, try using cloth napkins. I know it might seem like a small, even silly, thing. But, I have been using cloth napkins for all 20 years of our marriage. Sometimes, I make my own. Usually, I just watch for sales or coupons and buy them. (The trick is to try to find ones that don’t need ironed!)  This simple added touch has brought a lot of warmth to our mealtimes.

These are a few of the easy, practical ways I try to create refuge here. You might not take these specific steps. But, hopefully this will get your thoughts churning toward making your own home a safe haven for the people you love. Your home needs to be a reflection of your family and values, not mine.

No matter what you do, just taking the time to think and plan communicates welcome. It lets the people in your life know that you thought ahead and wanted to make room for them.