When my husband and I lived in Oklahoma City, I made some extra income by cleaning a local Airbnb nearby. It was a newly updated "tiny" house, equipped with a pull-down Murphy bed, white marble countertops, and trendy modern furniture. The windows near the front door and the side of the house let in generous light that made the wood floors sparkle after a good mopping. Cleaning after Airbnb guests was not exactly my dream job, and I certainly broke a sweat trying to clean within the given time, but I grew to value my hours spent in that little space. Of course, it was always easier to clean in a new place, without my toddler constantly sabotaging my efforts, but it was more than that. This space was beautiful. It was designed to cultivate joy and rest, and though my work was hard, I felt grateful to labor in the presence of beauty and natural light. I began to ask myself if I had valued those same priorities when I designed our home - the home I spent far more hours cooking, cleaning, and parenting in.
For so many parents, our homes are our work environments - We don't have a break-room down the hall where we can escape to for a sip of java. We don't leave our place of work at 5pm to return to our homes - We use the exact same space for our work, rest, and everything in between. Why, I wondered, had I never considered that this home was to cultivate energy and creativity for my work as a stay-at-home parent too? When I picked out furniture and decor, my first thought often centered around pure functionality, instead of whether or not a piece would uplift me or make me smile throughout the day.
Hospitality had always been such a value of mine, and yet I'd never thought to be hospitable to myself as I served my family within our home. When I thought of the houses I loved the most, they seemed to beautifully reflect the family inside - they weren't merely functional, and they weren't perfect. Perhaps creating an environment that I would like to work in would also create a space that my family and friends could enjoy too.
My family is now living in a small apartment in New York City, while my husband completes his PhD. Even within the limits of a tiny space, I made design choices that brought me joy this time around. I chose colorful throw pillows and a bright yellow throw blanket to drape over our bedspread. I chose furniture that was more sleek and modern, even though it was a bit more expensive, and when we moved in and noticed that our laminate was buckling, I let our landlord know immediately, because those little things matter to me - the person that's in this apartment the most.
I work remotely now for Flooring Direct Temecula, but it's been so inspiring to see pictures of our customers' unique home designs. They remind me that beauty matters, no matter who you are, or what kind of design aesthetic you have. They remind me that beautiful homes can even make the difficult tasks of parenting and housekeeping, just a little bit more joyful.