Another blog? Who needs it?

Simple answer – I do! Or maybe I don’t need one, but it sure would be nice. I love lifestyle blogs, especially ones that largely focus on home design and décor, but also include posts about family and personal life. Young House Love was the first blog I followed (and the only one for a long time.) I don’t have the same style they do in regards to home décor, but I love their approach to it. And, I love that the Petersiks have always made home design seem accessible to anyone. They do a TON of DIY, and that’s not really my (nor Seth’s) thing, but it’s inspiring to see the houses they create on a budget and how they focus on designing a space that truly fits their family. I’ve started following a bunch of other blogs along the way, some more high end, some more accessible. I’m beginning to notice a lot of the blogs are starting to make home design seem unattainable – like it has to be your full-time job to make your house look good, you have to spend a ton of money, you have to have a team of bloggers/designers/writers to make a blog people want to read.

One of the goals I have for this blog (correct me if you disagree, Andria!) is to make designing a home seem doable. To anyone. I have two little kids and a half-time job. I don’t want to break the bank making my home look the way I want it to. And honestly, there are other parts of creating a home (or haven, should we say…) for myself, my husband, and my kids that are more important than decor. BUT, I want my house to look good. And I enjoy having it look and feel good to me. If I can do it, so can you. We’ll see if I can do it. Ha!

I also love design, and it’s something I want to learn more about. I want to understand color theory. I want to learn from designers who inspire me so I can make my home a place that is inspiring to me as well. I want to dig into different styles of architecture and design. I’m hoping this blog is a place where I can explore this passion and pass some my learning along to those who are interested.

I’m also a slacker. I’m real good at dreaming things up, planning things out, and taking the first steps. Then I lose interest, move on to starting something else, and then end feel guilty about all the projects I leave unfinished (or that Seth ends up having to finish…love you, Babe!) I’m hoping this blog will provide a source of public shaming for me. Seriously. I’ve run a bunch of half-marathons, but I do them because I can only make myself work out consistently if I have the threat of public embarrassment hanging over my head if I don’t. Accountability is important to me in various areas of my life, so I want to implement a system to help me stay engaged in my creative side.

And finally, we chose the name “Haven Designed” for a reason. Yes, a large focus on this blog will be home design. But it takes a lot more than a pleasing aesthetic to make your house a haven for yourself and your family. We’re hoping this can be a place to discuss all aspects of home life – self-care, faith, wellness, travel, play, and beauty, among others.

We hope you find this to be a place where you can be inspired to think and act in a lot of different areas of life to create your own haven – a space where you and your family can feel safe to become who you really are. And, a place that looks pretty darn amazing while you’re busy becoming.

Hope you join us on this journey!