Our homes are where we can retreat from the world. They serve as both a gathering space and a cocoon from society, the backdrop to our lives. It makes sense that our homes then, especially during the winter, can be a prime source of wellness for many people.
Taylor Strickland, who, in addition to posting home-related content on Instagram, being featured on Apartment Therapy, and working on home renovations with her fiance’s business Remade Remodeling, is a lover of all things home – whether that’s styling, designing, or just existing. “I’m a homebody,” she tells me, explaining that home is where she feels she can truly be herself and let her guard down. It’s not about how the space looks on social media, she expresses, but how the space feels that makes it special. In her Apartment Therapy feature, she says “[Home] should be warm and inviting and spark conversation — an outward expression of you.” Rachael Gonzalez, the brain behind Cozy Milwaukee, a blog and popular Instagram account (and the subject of our very first Spotlight Series article!), sees the home as a unique opportunity to share that self-expression and care for one another by inviting each other inside.
Despite both having lovely homes, Rachael and Taylor are adamant that a feeling of home and true coziness comes from pouring time and love into a space, not necessarily money and Pinterest-perfect design plans. “Emulating Pinterest doesn’t tell me anything about you,” Rachael proclaims, “what makes your house expressive is the fact that you think it’s cool.”
Homes are unique to the people that live there, and therefore make wonderful gathering places, but they’re not meant to be event spaces. It is important to host friends and family, to show our love for them by inviting them into our personal space. They are not there however, for us to display our perfectly arranged seating or immaculate china set. Imperfections tell the story of who lives there: from the mismatched mugs in the kitchen cabinet to the goofy photos on the gallery wall or the couch that doesn’t seat quite enough people and always leaves someone cross-legged on the floor. Memories are not made in perfection, but in the ways we mould around life’s inherent awkwardness. Our homes won’t be perfect because we as humans are imperfect. Peeling back the veil enough to let others see us as we are, in the spaces where we live, holds the potential to create a deeper bond than grabbing drinks at a bar or going to a movie ever could.
Besides the structure that houses our belongings, ‘home’ encompasses our neighborhoods and communities. Rachael recalls two separate but resonant memories from their travels that speak to this. While living in Mexico City, they watched every morning as their neighbors swept their sidewalks. They were so moved by the concept, musing “if I sweep my sidewalk and you sweep yours, we will have something beautiful to walk on,” explaining how such a small action contributes to a sense of community and caring for one’s neighbors, while also benefitting from the care of others. During a trip through the Nordic region, they noticed a similar phenomenon, presented in a slightly different context. “[People] don’t curtain their windows…” they explain, “they make sure to put beautiful things in their windows for people who are on the sidewalk [to enjoy],” caring for pedestrians by giving them a glimpse of warmth and comfort as they trudge through the cold and dark Nordic winters.
Both Taylor and Rachael have chosen Milwaukee as their home, and both confided separately that they did so because to them, the city feels cozy. “It feels silly to describe a city that way,” Taylor laughed, “but it really is.” Rachael agrees so wholeheartedly that they named their blog after the coziness they feel here. After living in smaller Wisconsin towns, Taylor appreciates the steady buzz of the city, knowing that neighbors are never far and there’s always something going on, and of course, loves being right next to Lake Michigan. Growing up on the East Coast, Rachael lived in several places, including Chicago and Mexico City, before landing in Milwaukee. The community is what drew them here, and what keeps them here to this day. Inviting and down-to-earth, Rachael felt comfortable in Milwaukee from the very first time they arrived for a weekend visit to see an old friend of their husband’s, long before making the permanent move here.
Whether caring for yourself or for others this winter, take a little time to think about how your own home makes you feel. Creating coziness doesn’t have to be expensive, in fact, it doesn’t have to mean buying anything at all. Surrounding yourself with things you love helps to make a house feel like a home. Maybe you rearrange your kitchen so that the utensils you use most are more easily accessible, swap your sheets out for the flannel set you forgot in the linen closet all summer, or hang a beloved photo that will make you smile each time you walk past it. If you do find that you need to make any purchases, Taylor is a strong proponent of buying secondhand, reasoning that vintage and pre-loved pieces have more of a story than mass-manufactured decor purchased from a big-box store. Rachael’s favorite ways to make a space feel cozy revolve largely around lighting and textures, rather than major renovations – think dim lighting from candles or lamps, soft rugs, and throw blankets. They also urge people not to take their living spaces, or themselves, so seriously. If you happen to need to use Rachael’s bathroom, there will likely be a toy bison waiting to greet you, simply because it makes them (and their guests!) laugh. To them, creating a home is “not about being a decorator or a handyman, but about having pieces of your personality around that will almost certainly start a conversation that will lead to me getting to know you better.”
Although having a visually appealing home is nice, true wellness comes from how we live in our space. “I feel my best when I’m trying to do a home project,” Taylor explains, noting that the creativity required for rearranging or redesigning a space sparks joy. For Rachael, one of the most simple yet impactful ways to make a home and a life feel cozy (especially with many of us working from home) is to create a ritual around signing off for the day: changing into comfy pants, lighting a candle, or pouring a beverage to signal the end of the workday and the beginning of real life.
Post holidays, when the days are still short and the weather in Wisconsin is bleaker than ever, sharing the warmth of our homes with friends and family might be just what we need to deepen connections with others and ourselves. This winter, don’t be afraid to invite people over – for drinks, for dinner, or just to be in one another’s company for a few hours – and when everybody leaves, light a few candles or dim the lights, pour yourself your favorite beverage, and enjoy how it feels to be in a home you love.
