Reflecting on 2024
And a gift for free subscribers
Thank you for being here. It’s remarkable how long 2024 felt. I like to take the time between Christmas and New Year to soak in all that happened and make way for a fresh beginning.
Reading the most liked and read essays in 2024 was akin to taking a little journey back in time. There are years where it feels like we’re going nowhere and years where everything changes. No matter what kind of a year you had, I hope you find your time here comforting and valuable and feel a little less alone.
Here are the top ten posts from House Call, available with a little free 7-day trial, a gift to you this new year.
Why Don’t We Feel Comfortable Having People Over?
The powerful gift of letting yourself be seen.
“Something happens as those early adult years fade into adulthood, and a clean and tidy home becomes a status symbol for having your life together. Mess becomes a sign of failure—not an indicator of the variety of life stages, brain chemistry, and preferences a person may have. In fact, I believe that our inability to hold space for mess cuts out huge parts of our identity that, with a little bit of attention and acceptance, could bring us home to the truth of ourselves in a way that changes our future trajectory.”The Biggest Mistakes I’ve Made in my Homes
On designing a home for the person you are, not who you hope to become.
“It feels good just to throw my wet towel on the floor and not notice it until I step over it six hours later. I’m old enough to accept who I am, and breaking these habits would take a lot more effort than it does to design my life to minimize the impact of them.”What We Give Up to “Be Good”
Unpacking the dark underbelly of “goodness” and what it felt like to reclaim my identity and break up with the need to appease others.
“ I want to drink fully from my cup and wipe my mouth with my sleeve and howl at the moon and stand in the rain and look at the ones who gawk and gape and smile, knowing I've chosen life, I've chosen me—all of me.”5 Things I Learned From Nancy Meyers Films That Make a Home Feel Cozy
Why this universally loved interior design style is about a feeling, not a trend.
“What I love about home decor inspiration (AND Jude Law) is we can look at the subject and think, How does this inform MY life? What do I want to pull from this to influence my real home (or relationship)? Jude Law’s looks would be great, but you know what’s a real turn-on? An emotionally intelligent partner. The same thing goes for home decor inspiration.”How to Decide Where to Spend Money on Your Home
You don’t have to keep up.
“It is responsible to make our choices in life based on practical realities (facts and data) and not our feelings. For some, feelings are often given too much weight in the decision process, but we cannot ignore the importance of intuition and wanting. When it comes to our homes, our decisions should include both. Recognize when you overlook the quality of life piece.”How to Be Ok With Being Misunderstood
On freedom, peace, and braving a life outside approval.
“Worrying about being misunderstood is a form of fear. We’re afraid of judgment from others—something we’re acutely familiar with because we’re guilty of judging, too. The more we judge ourselves, the more we judge other people. That’s a painful realization—to confront how hard you’ve been on yourself.”6 Lessons I’ve Learned From Minimalists That Are Helping Me Become an Intentional Maximalist
On why minimalism a way of living, not an aesthetic.
“We often look at the opposite of where we’re at in life and forget that we’re standing in a place that’s pretty true to who we are in our nature. It is in my nature to collect, so why am I fighting it?”What Designing for Myself Feels Like
How to learn to know what you like.
“I think when we bet on ourselves and take risks from a place of clarity, it’s a formula for success. Not for winning the most popular choice among your peers (an illusion to be sure) but rather winning the opportunity to expand your own confidence and step into that next level of creative expression. And that’s a win in my book no matter what.”3 Things I'd Like to See Change in the Community of Home Decorators
Opportunities for connection, authenticity, and expression.
“As my drive slowed and my ability to keep up with the content machine waned, I realized my true role—what I hope to be for anyone who will listen—is a mirror for what happens when real life mingles with the ever-evolving expression of home.”
10 Guiding Principles for Hope
Why hope is an inside job.
“Thousands of versions of me are living in the minds of people I will never meet. None of them, not one of them, will ever really know me. The same applies to you. We are never fully known by anyone but ourselves. The trouble starts when we start negotiating who we are for who we think we need to be.”
