3 Ways to Find Your Happy Place at Home

I recently came across a report on home happiness. Apparently there is an entire institute dedicated to happiness (The Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen). Who knew? So, how do you make your home a happy one??

Obviously I have a huge desire to make my home look and function in a way that is unique for me, my family and our lifestyle. This desire has led me to my interior design career. And if you have read any of my past blogs you will know that I am big on digging deep to figure out how you want to live and find your happy place at home.

And now I feel validated!

“What Makes a Happy Home” in the Good Home Report 2019 says that our homes account for 15% of our overall happiness and 73% of people who are happy at home are also happy in life.

...and while my blog will not do the research justice (please have a proper read here) it means that it is OK to want to spend time and money to make your home, well, a happy place. In fact, it might be that happiness is literally knocking on your front door. Will you let it in? (ok that was bad, but you get the point!)

Here’s a quote summarizing the report:

“The research shows that if you’re happy with your home, then you’re far more likely to be happy in life. The most important factors are not where you live, how big your house is, or whether you rent or own. What matters most is having a home that gives you a feeling of safety, comfort, identity and pride. Essentially what matters is putting your stamp on your home, whether that be changing one room, as my grandmother did, or doing up an entire house.”

I think this report on home happiness is giving us quantifiable permission (that’s a thing!) to improve our living situation. It’s permission to explore who we are and how we want our home to feel in the name of happiness.

How do you find your happy place at home?

I want to focus on ‘putting your stamp’ on your home. But how do you get started on something like this? Especially when we are bombarded with trendy images and similar looking interiors. Do I actually like dark walls or I am just seeing them all the time? I can’t answer that for you but I can give you 3 steps to help you get started on honing in to find your happy place at home…and you guys know I love 3!!

1. Make some lists (no interior design experience necessary).

Do not even think about the interior of your home while you do this. Here are 3 list ideas to start with.

Anything that makes you laugh.
Things that make you feel warm and cosy inside (these could even be colors)
Special memories or hobbies unique to you

I recently celebrated 15 years of marriage and apparently one gives crystal for such an anniversary. My husband bought a pretty ridiculously-looking dolphin crystal tchotchke for me. Should I hide this in the cupboard? Well, maybe. But I am not going to - This is and always will be displayed in my home because it makes me feel happy that I can have a good laugh about a bad gift, that we have been married for so long and that my kids were there to see that gift giving doesn’t have to be stressful or perfect. This memory will stay in our home long after the perfect sofa and bespoke curtains are gone. What memories do you have to display?

2. Choose one project to start now (start small).

It could be as simple as getting some photos framed (maybe from a favorite holiday?) and hung on the wall or revamping a special room in your home. Here’s what I am working on in my own home. A long hallway. To start, I sat down with my family and we made a list all our favorite things and places (refer to step 1). We decided the best way to celebrate this is to line our hallway with photos and art reflecting our travels. It gives the hallway design a bit of purpose while we put our personal stamp on it. And I am having a blast looking for things that represent us as a family.

3. Celebrate your interior achievement (give yourself a deadline).

Once you commit to a project invite your friends and/or family over to see it. Set this ‘party date’ as your project deadline so you have something to work towards. Back to the home happiness report, the research also shows that having a home you feel proud to have your friends and family back to is a huge contributor to home happiness. Pride in your interior achievement. And guess what? Once you finish this project using these steps, you can repeat throughout your home until you’ve reached peak home happiness!

I will leave you with this quote and hopefully the desire to go add some happiness in your home! If I can help you figure out what is going to make you feel at home, book a 1-on-1 design call with me. This design call lasts around 30 minutes and you will be speaking with me, personally. I'll help you identify what is already working in your home and give you ideas on how to improve.

“The home space is a treasure trove of information about who we are, who we want to be, and what makes us happy.”

-Lindsay Graham (Psychologist, Research Specialist, The Psychology of Space at The Centre for the Built Environment, University of California, Berkeley, USA)