What Makes a House a Home with Anita
Home is a place of refuge, somewhere that gives us a feeling of security and comfort, where you feel warm and cosy. As individuals, we all have our own idea of what makes a house a home and the different feelings we associate with it.
Anita, a home design lover, has shared with us her secret ingredient to a warm and happy home. This is based on the Danish lifestyle "Hygge", meaning simple and uncluttered with a leaning toward minimalism and a deep sense of cosiness and warmth.
Anita lives in a snug bungalow with her family, where she spends most of her time painting and thinking about her next interior design.
What does "home" mean to you?
For me, “home” means safety and security. Somewhere you can close the door and be yourself and feel free from the outside noise and interruptions. It means family, love and comfort.
What aspects of a home make you feel warm and welcomed?
The aspect of a home that makes me feel warm and welcome is the story of the people living there. It can be anything from a new building to a period property - but as long as it has some personality and homely touches, something that is unique to them or something you didn’t expect to see, that is what makes it feel welcoming to me.
Have you restyle your home since covid and quarantine, to make it more cosy and comfortable?
Having a cosy home has always been important to me. Being Scandinavian means that the “hygge” saying is kind of built-in in me. We have lived in quite a few houses over the last 10 years and I have decorated every single one. We bought our little home 4 years ago and we have a lot of decorating but really stepped it up over lockdown. It was more important than ever to create a warm and welcoming space and we spent a lot of time painting all the cold white walls in warmer naturals.
Which room do you spend more time in and why is that?
The room I spend the most time in is probably the living room. Because we live in a two bedroom bungalow and the girls are sharing a room this room becomes a playroom in the day and a grown up sanctuary at night.
What are your favourite aspects about that room?
I love the dark and moody look of the living room which makes it feel very cosy and I love the fact that we have created a multifunctional room so that all toys can be hidden away in the evening and it becomes a more tranquil space. Another favourite feature is our built in window seat with views over the valley. I love sitting here with a cup of coffee.
How and where do you wind down after a long day?
The bedroom is where I wind down after a long day. This is where I get in my comfy clothes and do my evening skincare ready for the night.
What is your bedtime routine?
My bedtime routine is: getting the ducks in for the night, letting the cat out and then crawl into my Cuddledown bedding. Some people like to read before bedtime but I usually bore my husband, rambling on about my next interior idea or what to paint next until it’s way too late and it’s time to sleep, haha!
Follow Anita @we_are_the_russells