Connection Through Quality Togetherness
Recognizing that the most cherished aspect of any home are the quality of moments shared within it, our approach to creating home is rooted in embellishing opportunities for connection.
Healthy relationships in your home require quality time together. And your home should create opportunities for communication + interactions to occur. But for them to also naturally flourish.
From the power of a well-placed cozy seating area to invite intimate conversations, a communal kitchen island that becomes a hub for family storytelling, or a serene outdoor space that encourages quiet reflection and connection with nature, opportunities for connection should abound in your home.
It’s in these moments that you can engage in meaningful conversations, share experiences with one another, and learn from each other. We say, home should be a catalyst for connection. So, it’s not about the grandeur or extravagance; it’s about fostering an environment where presence and engagement are part of the home’s very essence + seamlessly woven into the fabric of daily life.
Home should be the foundation for the healthy relationships in our lives. It’s where we engage in meaningful dialogue + bond as a family.
The Art Of Respectful Recognition In Healthy Relationships
One of the most profound methods that Sherri + I operate our relationship off of came from a book by Kim Scott, called Radical Candor. In it, Scott says, “A good rule of thumb for feedback is praise in public, criticize in private” and while we’ve simplified this phrase to: “praise in public, critique in private” the core remains.
Context is everything here — But in most people, criticism elevates a defense mechanism where it can be difficult to acknowledge a mistake + actually learn from it. Learning is the key here — so Sherri + I critique one another in private — when the setting is appropriate and each of us feels ready to receive, hear + grow through the criticism.
But always, we stand in praise of one another in public. The energy and the effort that Sherri + I contribute to our relationship, to make our home + our life Elegant Simplicity® is honored by one another when we praise the other in the presence of others. In those moments when we praise, we’re considerate to recognize their voice, their feelings, their desires and their needs even if our own feelings are slightly different.
And a lot of this has to do with trust.
Trust Is Built In Healthy Relationships
Blind trust from the beginning shouldn’t exist in relationships. In our opinion, trust is built through consistent actions and truthful communication in your home.
When family’s trust each other, there’s a sense of security that encourages openness and honesty. Spouses are willing to continue to grow into the best versions of themselves as individuals and children are encouraged to develop their own identities all of this without judgment from anyone close to them.
Trust isn’t just about believing or not believing what someone says — trust in a healthy relationship is fostered in your home by commitment to doing the little things like taking care of each other, by respecting the spaces you’ve created and by a willingness to be vulnerable and to share with one another openly.
There are several ways that we’ve discovered over the years to develop trust in the home.
Routines With Responsibility
Some people call these chores but chores are often given as a punishment. Routines with responsibility are an acknowledgement that everyone shares a role in taking care of the home physically. And trust is built over time when we do what we say we’re going to do.
Random Acts Of Kindness
It is hard to find anything more beautiful than the smile our son Brooks sees in return from Sherri, when he surprises her with fresh flowers, holds the door for her, does one of her routines around the home or simply says, “mom, I looooooooove you.” Random acts of kindness although, kind at their core, build emphatic trust that vulnerability is acceptable.
Space For Meaningful Interaction
Yes, we’ve talked a lot about how important having space to bond is for healthy relationships. And all of those reasons still apply but trust is another reason. One of our previous clients needed space designed for family happy hours. And no, this isn’t your adult space but rather a moment their family gathers as a team, huddles and discusses the week. What things went right, what went wrong + how do we improve them in the future.
