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    The Perfect House

    Oct 8, 2018 · Leave a Comment

    I think most people these days want a perfect house. 

    With so many renovation shows, home magazines, and Pinterest-worthy living rooms surrounding us, a perfect home becomes an easy idol.

    I find myself falling into this trap more often than I would like to admit. Thinking, “all I really want is bright white walls,” or “if only I could upgrade the coffee table,” or “once we live in a house with a screened-in porch I’ll be satisfied.”

    Focusing on the aesthetics of and the stuff in our homes is an easy thing to do.

    I stumbled upon this quote from JRR Tolkien the other day, and it so perfectly sums up what I want my house to be:

    That house was a perfect house, whether you like food or sleep or story-telling or singing, or just sitting and thinking best, or a pleasant mixture of them all. Merely to be there was a cure for weariness, fear, and sadness.

    Do I still want a beautiful home? Yes. Because I think the home is a place worthy of the time and energy it takes to make beautiful.

    But not to the point to breed discontent, because more than a home's form is its function. 

    I want my house to be a cure for weariness, fear, and sadness. A place to do the things we love to do, to host others, and mostly a place to be together.

    And that - more than white paint and subway tile - is what really makes it perfect.

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    Mandy Jackson

    hi, i'm mandy.

    A regular Midwest homebody. Here, I share recipes we love, and how we're thoughtfully renovating our 100-year-old American foursquare.

    Learn more about me.

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