They say first impressions are most important. That may be true in many cases but when it comes to your house; I believe that last impressions will be most impacting.
Ever walk into a house and feel like you’ve entered something out of a magazine? You may be impressed by the furnishings and decor. But by the time you left, you had no interest in ever coming back.
Or have you ever entered a home where it looks a bit out of order and messy, yet at the end of your visit you can’t wait to come back? What you will find is that our homes aren’t defined by what is inside. Rather, they are defined by the atmosphere.
I say all of this because although I personally believe in doing my best to keep my home in order, it can’t be my only focus. My goal shouldn’t be to just make a good first impression, so that when someone walks in they can marvel at the state of my home or the furnishings within.
Instead, my goal should be that their last impressions are of the way I treated them and how they felt being inside my home. All of the other “stuff” is just a component of my home.
What impressions do you want to leave with your guests? What about your family? Is their impression that they can never make a mess because you will lose it? That they can’t feel comfortable sitting on the couch because you will complain about how the pillows are now messed up?
We make a definite impression on those who live within our home. The state of our home is only a tiny speck on their experiences of living with us.
I don’t know about you but I want to care less about first impressions and leave positive last impressions. How does this affect the way you view your home?
Related Articles:
Thinking Positive Thoughts about Housekeeping
What’s More Important than a Clean, Organized & Clutter-Free Home?
Photo by dbking in Flickr