i thought
the former tagline of ikea was totally fitting for this blog post.
home is the most important place in the world. home can be anywhere. it can be
where you can feel completely at ease. at peace. where you can relax. where
your loved ones are. 

for me,
home is two places. one home is my little family’s home in illinois. it’s the
house that my husband and i bought and it had everything i wanted in my dream
home. it’s the home that we brought our son home to. it’s the house that we
have put so much of our blood, sweat, tears, weekends, painting skills,
decorating skills and outdoor skills into. my second home is where i grew up in
indiana. (my mom and stepdad still live in the home i grew up in, so to go back
to indiana really is “going home.”) that’s the home where i can go
and get away.

i
recently received a really great book for my birthday….nate berkus’ “the things that matter.” i love nate berkus, his style, his demeanor and was
so amped about getting this new book. i was three pages into the start and was
hooked. he tells a beautiful story of his childhood, what shaped his love of
design (i especially love his story about moving to paris, and in order to
survive there, he sold all of his classic ralph lauren clothing and lived on
plain pasta. that’s commitment.) anyway, the book is a gorgeous collection of
features showcasing all important items that people have in their homes that
mean something to them. these are things that are more than things. they have a
meaning behind them…they were inherited or were purchased on exotic trips or
have a meaning behind them. let’s just say i was practically in tears reading
the book because not only do i feel that a house needs to have these kinds of
things to bring it to life, but it’s a core hope i had as i started re-nest
studio…to be able to make pieces for others’ homes that mean something to
them. it’s what i strive for in every piece i design.

so, mr.
nate berkus inspired me to go on a mission. a mission around my house to really
think about the things that we have that tell our story. the things that matter
in our home. yes, we have a lot of stuff (that tends to happen when you 1. live
in a bigger place, and 2. have a child), but what’s the stuff that makes our
place our home? let me take you on a little tour….

1. our
gallery wall. yes, i’ve posted about this before. lots. but this is one of my
favorite spots in our home. not only because i used to pour through the pottery barn catalog
and insist that one day “i’ll have one of those gallery walls” but
because i look at it and there are all sorts of stories behind the pictures we
have up there. noah’s six-month photo shoot. our first family photoshoot. my
pregnancy photos (with noah). a picture i happened to take of my sister on
hilton head island in 2006 which made me feel like i had some sort of
photography skills. the special dates wall art (that i made for
mr. re-nest for our eight-year wedding anniversary). it didn’t come together
all at once. it grew organically as more photos were taken but i just think
it’s a beautiful representation of where are as a family.

2. glass
vase filled with seashells from hawaii. we’ve been fortunate enough to get to
hawaii twice in our lives….once for our honeymoon, and once for my
sister-in-law and brother-in-law’s wedding. each time, mr. re-nest and i did a
little shell excursion and brought back some of our unique favorites. all from
one of our favorite places.

3. eames
molded plywood chair. this was a total splurge. but what’s meaningful about it
is this: mr. re-nest loves mid-century modern furniture. it took me a while to
come around, but for the longest time mr. re-nest would scour craigs list for
eames pieces….just for a chance to get a reproduction. father’s day 2010 came
around and i wanted to get him a piece (a real one) since he has such an
appreciation for the design and aesthetic. a favor was called in, and for
father’s day, mr. re-nest got his real eames. 

4.
multiple ceramic owls. again, i’m pretty sure i’ve mentioned my love of
owls…all thanks to my mimi who loved them. so i have started to gather them.
having these around the house gives me a sense that she is with me, and i feel
like i’m carrying on a tradition that would make her happy.

5.
slipper chair from my grandparents’ house. i grew up with memories of sitting
in these chairs in my grandparents’ house. they were low to the ground, and
overall, seemed, well, kid-sized. when it was time for my mimi to move on from
her home, these were given to my sister and me. what i love so much about the
chair is that when i sit in it, it still feels like it did when i was a
girl. 

there are
countless other things in our home that make it our haven, but these are just a
few. what do you have in your home that makes it your home? 

here’s to
home being the most important place in your world,

ashley