Home is described as the sweetest place on earth, the place we hang our hats and our hearts, and the place that is like no other.  As a Christian homemaker, it’s my desire that my home would radiate the love of Christ; that others would feel His presence when they enter our doors.   Would that not be the ultimate of being an inviting home?  That happens when the people that live here know the Lord and fellowship daily with Him. We, the dwellers of this place, must be filled with His Spirit so that others can know His love, His peace and His joy.  We can open our doors and use our home to share that kind of love – what a privilege!

There are also ways that we can make our homes inviting, cozy, warm, restful and peaceful right now in these summer months.  We often only think of cozy-ing up our home during the cool months when the hearth is lit and the aroma of comfort foods are wafting in the air.  But summertime offers lots of ways to make our residence a cozy and inviting place.

Here are a few suggestions:

1. Open the doors, curtains and shades to let the light in!  While there is beautiful sunshine outside, invite it inside!  Pull up the shades in the morning and leave them up.  The warmth of the sunshine will brighten every corner all day long.
2. Rearrange the furniture so you can make the most of the sunlight and outdoor views.  I have a small table in my bedroom that I put near the fireplace in the winter.  When summer rolls around, I bring it close to the window so I can sit there and sip my morning coffee and have my Bible reading beside the view of the backyard.  I can see the sun hitting the hillside, watch the birds, and enjoy the beauty of the outdoors early in the day.
   I also recently turned the couch to face the living room windows for the same reason.  Think about how you might be able to enjoy the outside view from inside and arrange your furniture accordingly.
3. Make livable space on your porch, deck  or backyard.  Patio lights, fire pit, candles, outdoor rugs, chairs, table and umbrella can create a whole other room for your family to enjoy while it’s warm.  There’s nothing like sitting outside after dark and star gazing while a fire is burning.  (Oh, and right now is a great time to buy outdoor furniture and accessories!  There are some great sales are going on!!)
   If you entertain outside, you don’t have to make sure the house is dusted!  Who doesn’t love to sit out at a fire pit, talk in hushed tones and roast marshmallows?!
4. Burn floral or fruit fragrance candles. Beautiful scents are important when you walk inside, and so are the soft lights of flickering candles.  Put one on your entryway table to burn when your family is planned to come home, or when guests are arriving.
5. Keep the entryway spotless.  Step outside your front door and LOOK at it.  Most people drive in the garage and never see what guests see at their front door.  Make sure the rug is fresh, the porch is swept, and the glass door is free from dirt and fingerprints.  Put a perky, colorful plant near the front entryway.  Hang a fresh wreath on the door.  Get a new garden flag (again, you might find these on sale right now!).
   The inside entry should be welcoming, too.  A soft light, good fragrance and a pretty, eye-catching flower arrangement, wall-hanging or picture that draws people in are good elements in the foyer.  I love Yankee Candle Plug-ins.  They last a LONG time and smell so good when you walk in the front door.
6. Lighten up the linens.  Use light colors on the beds and table, if you can.  Remove any heavy throws from couches, chairs or beds, replacing with lightweight quilts in lighter colors.  I keep a white quilt on my outdoor swing for the cool nights when we’re outside.  It doesn’t look like a wool blanket would, but is inviting and comforting without being too hot.
7. This is a good time of year to freshen the house with paint.  Add a light color that will be calming.  Paint the room you use the most.  Get a friend to help and the work will be done in half the time, and you’ll have a ton of fun while doing it!

Cozy up your home for summertime and then invite some people over to enjoy it with you!  The warm months won’t last forever, so enjoy these elements of coziness at home before it’s time to light the fireplace inside!

Next week I’m going to be showing you some recent updates I’ve made in my home.  I hope you’ll check back and see what I’ve done!

Now tell me, what makes your summer home inviting to others?

Stay refreshed at home,