Reflections on August, the future
It’s that time of year again—the crickets are singing their usual song, letting us know that summer, which we’ve savored (or endured) these long, hot, humid months, is starting to settle into something a little cooler. Of course, in Baltimore, we’ll be in the summer swing of things, weather-wise, probably until late September! But for all of you out there, whatever your clime of residence may be, there’s no denying that every now and then there’s a whisper of autumn on the wind. Just a subtle turn in the character of the air. A little premonition of what’s to come.
This time of year I often find myself reevaluating, a little, the basics in my life. How have I been spending my days? What’s in my closet, and what have I not worn at all this summer that maybe can be rehomed at the thrift or as a donation? What do I want to do with these precious remaining days of summer vacation (though of course, that era of academic calendars has long passed)? An ending affords us a beautiful opportunity to take stock of where we are, how we live, and what we might want to change. These seasonal turnings are a kind of new year in and of themselves. Much like we might do a little reflecting as that calendar flips to the next year, we can practice that reflection—on a gentler scale—with the changing of the seasons.
All of that is to say, of course, that the impending close of summer is, itself, an opportunity. An opportunity to take a look around us and say: what’s working? What isn’t? What can I change?
Our home is the staging ground for all this reflection—on its backdrop the contours of our days are painted, and because of this deep relationship, our home indelibly shapes the way that we live. As we reflect on this summer not-quite passed, we can take this opportunity to also reflect on our home. Is it keeping up with our day to day needs? Is it a good reflection of our tastes, styles, and sensibilities? Does your home really feel like you?
The answers to these questions might not always be yes! And that’s okay. Gaps are places for growth, for change in the right direction. That’s where we come in. At Woodside Home, our mission is to make your home as you as a home can be. That means listening—listening to your needs, your lifestyle and habits, your aesthetic likes and dislikes—and collating all that information to help you develop a home design plan that not only works for your daily life, but also speaks to you, helps shape your home as your space of true comfort, stability, and ease. I take a lot of joy in this process. I love getting to know my clients, and I love working together collaboratively to develop and refine the perfect home design. That journey is one I find deeply rewarding—and I can promise there’s no more satisfying feeling than seeing it all come together!
If you’re looking around—taking stock—and realizing, yeah, I think my home could do and be more, now is the time to reach out! We want our home to be ship-shape in time for the most demanding part of the year: the holiday season. Here is where we really put our home to the test. Hosting relatives, parties, friends—relying on our home to both welcome others and permit us a place to rest. There’s enough stress as it is, amidst, of course, the joy of the season—your home shouldn’t be a source of that stress. It should be a source of restoration.
Now is the time, then, to start working on that design! I always recommend clients get their orders finalized as soon as possible before the holidays, to ensure adequate shipping time, and problem-solving time should there be unavoidable delays.
The first step is easy: send me an email! We’ll set up a time to chat, and the journey can begin.
Summer may be on the way out, but it’s not over yet—and I plan to enjoy it to the last. Your email will undoubtedly find me on my back porch, a glass of iced tea in hand. I can’t wait to get started on your home design with you!