When I was a kid, my family moved almost constantly. Some of the houses we lived in I considered home, but some of them were just houses no matter how long we stayed. That was the beginning of my lifelong fascination with what makes the difference between a house and a home. 

Since then, I’ve discovered quite a few elements that contribute to a feeling of home. When designing a home, it’s a question of balance and flow. It is a puzzle of how design can enable those living in the space to live the lives they envision. Over the next few articles, I’d like to explore some of these elements of home with you. 

I find that one of the most important elements is light. Both sunlight and artificial lighting. Even the words used to describe light are almost tactile, “cozy and warm” or, “cool and clinical” or even, “romantic candlelight.” 

If you are designing a new home, sunlight should be a major consideration. For example, my husband and I are generally morning people, or at least we aspire to be. When designing our home, I arranged the bedroom and kitchen to be flooded with morning sunshine. The dining room and living area have plentiful glass facing north (toward the sun for my northern hemisphere friends). I also carefully designed the overhang on the roof. It is large enough to block most of the sun in the summer when it is more directly overhead and overpoweringly hot, but still allows the lower angled winter sunshine to warm and cheer the space when it needs it most.  My office, on the other hand, faces away from the sun, providing a nicely diffused, softer light and reducing glare on computer screens and art projects. 

Often when renovating, better use of the sunlight is a major consideration, bringing the sunshine in to warm the interior, both literally and figuratively. 

And whether or not a new home or a major renovation are in your plans, attention to the lighting in your space can go a long way toward making your house feel more like home. A good lamp in your favorite reading corner, task lighting at a favorite workbench, a welcome light outside the door, an uplight in a favorite tree at night, or a few candles by a relaxing bath at the end of the day. All these can go a long way toward drawing energy to the things you would like to give more attention to, and help you set your own mood of home. 

I’ve also found that the concept of home is very much subject to individual preferences. I’d love to hear about what makes a house feel like home to you!