Your Home Brand

Dear Homekeeper,

I’m addressing the inner you: the homekeeper.  I recognize your roles extend beyond the housekeeper or a domestic engineer, whether living solo or with a family.   I trust you are mastering those skills along with the other responsibilities of meeting financial, educational, physical, and spiritual aspects for yourself and possibly others.  It’s daunting if you think about all you do.   The theme here goes beyond those things.  It’s about creating a sense of home that reflects your unique lifestyle brand for you and yours.    

 “Homekeeper” is my dub word for the deeper meaning behind this concept. It goes further than maintaining a house.  It is curating the atmosphere in the house that transcends daily routine, creating a sense of home, memories,  and identity.  Homekeeping is an attitude extending to ambiance, or vibe beyond the brick, beam, and mortar.  It reflects your life and can leave a lasting impression. 

I operate a boutique bed & breakfast from my home, going on now for 10 years. I’d say one in 7 of my guests expresses an interest, note the decor, takes photos of the subtler aspects of my decorating or breakfast, ask for recipes. I find it complimentary and reinforcing as I create my environment. I believe a home has an energy and that’s what probably is influencing their curiosity and interest more than anything I specifically do. I do believe in hospitality (and fortunately enjoy it), customer service, and paying attention to the needs of my guests. I learn alot from them and their reactions or response to things. Awareness is the hardest part to maintain in my outlook, it has to be intentionally cultivated. I write a column on “homekeeping” for a weekly paper and if you read a little between the lines it can be observed how I cultivate and create my B&B niche without me blatantly promoting my business. If you see B&B mentioned it is only on this venue not in the column. My aim is to share what I have learned hopefully help others create the best place they can to live their life.

After a busy day (in and outside the home) I look forward to accomplishing my goals and coming home. BTW, society places a housekeeper’s wage (minus the nursing, teaching, psychology, refereeing, educating, caregiving, and spiritual guide aspects, in addition to working outside the home,  running errands, carpooling, taxiing, medical appointments, balancing the calendar dates, grocery shopping, activity planner) at $22 an hour!

Home is a sanctuary.  It can be a favorite spot in a house decorated with tender loving care.  I cull out small spots and spaces for relaxation and pleasure for myself and others. It can be as simple as a collection of tchotchkes,  family pictures, creating vignette displays of collectibles,  and memorabilia, providing an inviting favorite chair to relax in with a drink or book or just a place to sit and converse, all presented in a simply stated way.  It may come across as eclectic decorating. It is an uncluttered lived-in look though. Incorporating your personality into your decor will probably be a conversation starter when others come over with the understated reflection of values and specialness showcased.  It could be preparing food to serve others while fostering fellowship.  It’s also embracing the idea of self-hospitality, which includes hospitality to family or friends, which is a respite against the dailies. It will be surprising what a subtle difference adding a small detail will make to your home and the attitude of those who visit or inhabit it.

I am not a professionally trained interior decorator, chef, perfect person, or parent, much less an extraordinary neat freak.  I do though make it a study to improve in those areas as I’m sure you do too. 

I am however chronologically gifted. I’ve lived in 19 homes in my life thus far, raised four children, and pursued passions and careers, in and outside, the home environment.  It’s no less than a positive statement from me to say entering a home or personal workspace reflects the inhabitants.

 The future content in articles will be about curating and sharing ideas for decorating, cooking, organizing, and nurturing that can be added to home environments.  I keep budgets in mind.  Often after inventorying what I have on hand around my home,  repurposing or recycling items,  reinventing them a bit, refreshing a look, even removing items for a while from the premises then reintroducing them in my decor keeps me on my budget and I see the item with fresh eyes.

Until next time, warmest regards. Cathenry.ch@gmail.com

 P.S. A house is made of bolts and beams, a home of love and dreams.