Oversized Armchairs.

We all have those days. Exploring Pinterest, designing our future homes in our heads and picking out the perfect dining room table or the best color palette for the guest bathroom. I've had a lot of those future furniture fantasies swirling around in my brain recently.One of the most "Lucy" things I've ever said to someone was about furniture. I was talking about armchairs. You know, the oversized and super comfy ones? I told my friend that I want my house to have the kind of chairs that "look like they were supposed to be a couch but just got cut in half." Here was my reasoning. I imagined everyone that entered my home having to sit in chairs that were too big for them, making it impossible to sit all "prim and proper." Their feet wouldn't be able to touch the ground, so they'd have to curl up and get comfortable. "It would just make it feel homey," I said.That's the big goal. I want to create a space that feels homey. However, I can't just rely on armchairs to do that job for me. So what makes a house a home? Home is, by definition, the place where one lives permanently. But it's obviously so much deeper than that. It's a safe place, a constant place. Home is somewhere that you can just be.To create that atmosphere, there needs to be an attitude of comforting contentment. You have to break down the burden of perfection. The people that pass through your home, friends and strangers alike, should not feel like they are required to stand up straight and speak without stuttering. Be content with imperfection. Forcing elegance on others, and on yourself, gets dangerous real quick. Once you have that tension in the air, it's hard (maybe even impossible) to develop any kind of authenticity.These oversized armchairs of my dreams will be a reminder that home does not equal perfection. Home is supposed to be homey. An untidy living room should not be an excuse to stop inviting people in. If your living room doesn't look "lived in," is it really a living room? Let your life be messy. Let your blankets be unfolded. Let people into your life regardless of how pretty and polished it isn't, because to me, hospitality welcomes others into real life. Sure, it's nice to have the table set and the picture-perfect desserts ready to eat, but it's certainly not necessary.Oversized armchairs are not necessary either, but what they stand for can be a helpful reminder. Instead of forcing elegance on the people who come into your home, allow them to curl up and get comfortable. Invite them to wrap themselves up in an already unfolded blanket. Give them the freedom to kick off their shoes and stay for a while.There's a song that fits this theme of hospitality really well called "That's What Makes This House A Home" by Holley Maher. It's such a sweet, cheerful song, and I couldn't recommend it more. The lyrics, and really the whole vibe of the song, get me pumped about hospitality and cozy friendships and oversized armchairs."Shoes kicked off and records on, stayin' up late and friendly faces... The screen door is crooked and it needs replacing. The garden is always a bit overgrown, but we built our love on a strong foundation... It's loving you and this life we're shaping, that's what makes this house a home."words by Lucy Boyland and photo by Cate WillisSaveSave