FROM THE EDITOR
Having recently celebrated something of a ‘milestone’ birthday, it naturally got me thinking about what’s changed in my life since my last big birthday celebration 10 years ago (apart from the extra wrinkles and grey hairs, obviously). Chatting to my husband, it became clear that many of the memories that stand out for both of us are closely linked to the two houses we’ve been lucky enough to live in during the last decade.
From the excitement of announcing our engagement at a family barbecue party at our London house, and the happiness – or should that be sheer terror – we felt at bringing home our first child from the hospital, to the highs and lows we experienced when we completely renovated our current home having relocated to the Midlands, and now the contentment at having created a welcoming space for our two children to grow up in, they’re key moments in our lives that are irrevocably entwined with the places we’ve called home.
While it’s entirely natural for all of us to want our homes to be the best that they can be, and there’s no denying the thrill you feel when you finally snap up the on-trend sofa you’ve had your eye on for months, the excitement of completing a room makeover or the pride you have when showing off your fabulous new open-plan kitchen extension to family and friends, our homes can, and should, be so much more than that. As one good friend recently described to me: ‘Home is where I can truly relax and be me’.
As I look forward to the next 10 years, I’m not sure what lies in store for our home. Perhaps we will complete the kitchen extension we’d love to have, or maybe we’ll sell up and move to take on another renovation project (I can hear my husband screaming ‘Never!’ at the top of his voice already), but whatever we end up doing, I know there are lots more happy memories just waiting to be made in our home, wherever that may be.
So whether you are living in an amazing extended semi in the suburbs, in a modern city apartment that you’re renting, or even a room at your parents’ house where you’re staying while you save up for your own place, the new-look Real Homes is for you. I hope it inspires you to sit back, take stock and think about what your home means to you. It really is more amazing than you might think...