Musings

How does your home shape you?I've been giving a lot of thought lately to how our home shapes the way we live.

I live in a 1920's house with distinct rooms; living room, dining room, kitchen and nook. The "old world charm" factor is certainly there, but how does it fit my lifestyle? How does a layout like this affect the way I live?

For example: We have some friends who are buying a new home with no formal living or dining room. Instead, the house has the open kitchen with a dining area and great room. This allows for more connected family time, and recognizes the fact that they do little to no formal entertaining anyways.

Would it be easier to live like this? Another friend has a deck right off her kitchen. Her husband is out on the grill all year 'round, because access is so easy. My kitchen is in the middle of the house, so I need to go down to the back of the house to crank up the grill. I can assure you that once the weather turns, our BBQ is closed for the season!

Needs change, too. The features you look for in your first home may be vastly different than what you desire as you age or as you raise children. Some homes are more easily adapted to change than others. How is your home suiting your needs at this point in your life?

Do you ever pause from the daily routine to review your lifestyle? Often small changes can have huge payback - creating a mail sorting system, for example. By constantly making small changes and improvements, you will find that over time you've adapted the house to your lifestyle rather than needed to change yourself.