I’ve been pretty committed to my kitchen lately. There’s a lot of work to do there and even more if I’m really in the zone. I’ve got my new freeze dryer and I’m pretty GIDDY about it. Talk about freshening things up??!! It’s added a whole new element to my home dairy specifically, and I am going for broke putting up as much milk, crème frâiche, cream and eggs as I can before the natural lull in production later this year. It’s taking a TON of my time right now and that’s OK. It’s given me time to think, ponder and mentally create. This extra time in the kitchen has me thinking about something we’ve talked about on the podcast before; freshening things up… keeping our spaces inspiring and why that’s important.

I’m not talking about getting out the nuclear cleaning products and going to town (though sometimes a girl just has to ditch the natural products and get her bleach fix!). Instead, I’m talking about homemaking, being in it for the long haul, and staying motivated in your space. Because you know, I’m all about “the spaces.”

There’s a monotony to homemaking. Two things can be true at the same time. The monotony can be a comfort; comforting because the homemaker knows what is expected of her. There aren’t too many wrenches thrown into the job description. It’s long, very long, and ever-expanding. But it’s not a roller coaster and it tends to stay rather predictable. We get up, we get started, we do our thing and rock it all day long and if you’re like me – you light a candle on the counter at the end of the day to signify a job well done. I find this routine comforting. I’m not battling traffic trying to determine which way to get to work. I’m not having to cultivate a new account with someone I don’t like. Or sitting in a staff meeting with my eyes glazed over in boredom as a guest speaker comes in for the day.

Not much is new in my job description. It’s routine and that’s comforting to me.

It’s also monotonous. Day in, day out. As the French say:

“Métro,

Boulot,

Dodo.”

Breakfast, milking, kitchen clean-up, phonics, LEGOs in the couch cushions. Dry shampoo and then more dry shampoo again. Sibling battles. Sass. Pop the bread in the oven (if you remembered to start it yesterday) and so on and so forth. To be sure – the days are long, comforting, and monotonous. And God-willing, I have a long life ahead of me full of just these kinds of days. I’ll take ’em. But if there are YEARS more of homemaking ahead then we must make an effort to LOVE where we work.

And now, this is where I bring it back to “your space.”

All about that space, ’bout that space…

The homemaker needs to stay inspired in her space. Am I dogmatic about this? Well, yes. Simply because I can not imagine it to not be true. If you’re a mother, a single woman, a grandmother… and you’re looking down the road and contemplating YEARS in your four walls, caring for the space and the people within – even if that’s just you – Well, you should enjoy your surroundings, darn it.

Elevate.

All about that space?

All about that elevation.

What can you do to elevate your space? I bet you have rooms you walk through a hundred times a day. Walls you’ll stare at for YEARS. Countertops you’ll wipe down countless times and beds you will dress over and over and over again. If you’ve got a (NOBLE) job to do for the next few years or even decades… you’re punching in every day and giving it your best… shouldn’t you love where you work? Shouldn’t it be kept fresh and enjoyable? Dare I say, elevated –simply to keep you enjoying those comforting moments and riding out the monotony? Why not consider today what you can do to elevate your space?

-Fresh flowers on the bathroom counter?

-Light a beautiful candle in the kitchen?

-Pop new, springy tea towels on the stove?

-Toss your pillows a little differently on your bed?

-Pull up the shades, wash the window and let the spring sun in?

-Nestle a chair and basket of books up close to a picture window?

-Hang that piece of art you’ve been meaning to for so long?

-Replace the burned-out lampshades?

-Rearrange your bedroom?

-Move the rug to a new angle?

Take a look at your space today and ask yourself what you can do to elevate it, to switch it up a bit. Stay in love with your space by keeping it fresh.

I hope you found this food for thought. Of course, give a listen to Homemaker Chic Podcast, where we are all about supporting the homemaker in her ‘daily grind’ and…

If you’d like to read a bit more I’ll be sharing specific things I’ve done around my own house to keep it fresh, elevated, and a home I want to be in every day.

Society members can read that by clicking here.

I appreciate you. I know your time is valuable and it means so much to me that you’d spend a bit of it here.

PS: Is it “all about that space” for you too? My Old World Design Society might be a good place for you to hang out. We’ve got a private design forum, one design class a month, you can read the full version of these blog posts, AND if you want you can choose the accompanying print or digital magazine FULL of beauty to keep you inspired if your space. Why not give it a try for the month of April and see what you think. A Society membership starts at $5 or is FREE with a magazine purchase. Print or digital. I’d love to have you join us.