What makes a house a home?

How would you define your home? What makes it different to other homes? Do you think the concept of what makes a home a home is universal?  To a certain extent, the idea is a culmination of several characteristics that define the society we are living in and our current circumstances.

Here at Connections by Finsa, we made a list of five elements that explain how we can build this space from both an individual and a collective point of view:

 

The peaceful home

There is nothing like having a place to relax at the end of the day, and that’s why mindfulness is becoming an important trend in the interior design of our homes.  Not sure how to do it?  You’ll find a few of our recommendations in this post.

During this time, when everything has come to a complete stop, it’s a good idea to think about how you can get the most out of your home by doing…nothing. The practice of niksen, a trend we have discussed previously on Connections by Finsa, helps us bring that little bit of calm we need to make a place ours. If you’re finding it hard to go from non-stop to nothing, why not start by applying the slow trend to your home?

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 The home as a refuge

Sometimes, feelings like loneliness can come up even if you live with other people.  Without a doubt, our home is also the place that calms us down and meets our needs, something that IKEA included in one of their latest reports about their consumers’ favourite products.

The idea of the home as a refuge was one of the main ideas presented at the 2017 edition of Casa Décor through the “Global Refuge” project, an immersive experience designed by Cenlitrosmetrocadrado.

 

The digital home

The internet – what would we do without it? It defines our homes by converting them into a type of technology hub.  This trend is particularly obvious amongst millennials, but in these time of isolation, let’s not kid ourselves – the internet is an essential element for work, entertainment, and staying in touch with our loved ones.  It’s not about turning your house into a smarthome – something basic like a mobile phone can keep us informed about everything that is happening on the outside (but only if you prefer to experience FOMO instead of JOMO, of course).

 

The introspective home

If digital noise annoys you, you can connect to your home through mindful cleaning. It’s the perfect time to transform your space and make it calmer.  There are lots of ‘cleanfluencers’ and professional organisers other than Marie Kondo that offer advice for maintaining a balanced home.

This introspection that we sometimes seek goes hand in hand with sustainability and the fixer movement: reusing and repairing objects instead of buying new ones.  Don’t worry if you’re not able to fix them – kintsugi teaches us to embrace the philosophy of imperfection as something beautiful.

 

The home and its neighbourhood

The collaborative economy and proximity bring us to the final defining feature of a home, which is its neighbourhood – without it, your house wouldn’t be your home.  Since the coronavirus crisis began, neighbourhood activist movements, or localvists, have re-emerged. Remember you can get to know your neighbours while social distancing by using these apps.

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What are the elements that make your house a home? Which one do you think is most important? Let us know on social media using #ConnectionsByFinsa.