We Asked: What Makes a House a Home? Read the Inspiring Answers (2024)

"Anything personal that anyone coming into your house wouldn't be able to see on the outside—that's what makes a house a home. For example, at my home you can find a handwritten note from Dolly [Parton], my dog Thunder's bed and toys, and even a Slurpee machine. Special personalized items make it a home."

Kristin Chenoweth is a Tony Award–winning actor known for originating the role of Glinda in Wicked. She has two books out in 2022, including the children's book What Will I Do with My Love Today? and the collection My Moment: 106 Women on Fighting for Themselves.

“A great source of sun light in any house gives energy… and a great bar!

Loni Love is a comedian, television host, actress, author, and co-host of The Real.

"A perfect balance of love, patience, togetherness and less screen time."

Garcelle Beauvais is an actress, model, and co-host of The Real.

"A combination of physical and emotional comfort. I’ve moved many times in my life, and I find that otherwise mundane details make a difference: a slouchy place to sit. Beloved, old books. Photos and notes pinned to the fridge. A good baking tin and a large soup pot. Also, a sense of neighborhood. I like knowing that I’m in a place where I can get out and walk and run into people I like."

Charmaine Wilkerson is the author of the novel Black Cake, which will be adapted into a Hulu miniseries produced by Oprah.

"Home is a place that tells your story—the story of where you came from, how you move through the day, and what your family values. I recently partnered with Grove Co. to launch the Art of Ceremony, inspired by rituals and practices from my daily life. The collection is about transforming the simplest moments in your home, from washing your hands to lighting incense, into rituals of self-reflection with products that help you live sustainably and beautifully."

Jeremiah Brent is an interior designer. He hosts the HGTV show Nate & Jeremiah Home Project with his husband, Nate Berkus.

"The absolute necessity for me to make a house a home is my family: my baby girl, my life partner, and my stepdaughter. When we are all together, that says home to me!

"Aesthetically, I love tons of fresh flowers—lilies, sunflowers, roses, hydrangeas, eucalyptus. Fluffy pillows in all different patterns and colors. Beautiful, simple artwork. Fingerprints on every window with toys scattered about and laundry everywhere. And music playing."

Jessica Szohr is an actor known for her time on Gossip Girl. Her new podcast, XOXO, is an insider's look into the original show.

"A home is a place of warmth and family, and a place filled with memories—the good, the bad and everything in between. The smell, the walls, the rooms, the energy all help give us some sort of peace. After a stressful day of writing or being on set, that feeling I get when I enter my house that reminds me everything is going to be okay is what makes it a home."

Janine Sherman Barrois is the creator and showrunner of OWN's scripted series The Kings of Napa. Read our interview with her here.

"One thing I realized during the five-week cross-country trip we took trying to decide what state we wanted to move to was that anywhere we were was home as long as we were together. You could be in the finest house in the world in the cutest town, but if it isn't filled with people (or dogs!) you love, it wouldn’t be home."

Abby Jimenez is the author of romance novels, including The Friend Zone and Part of Your World.

"My home is where I express myself, and it allows me to thrive and grow and be my authentic self. Making a house a home has a lot to do with how I feel in my space. I surround myself with people that I love and make me feel safe. I have my pets for comfort, the crystals that help me feel energized, and my plants that make me feel inspired."

Alessia Resta is the creator behind Apartment Botanist. She lives in New York with 175 plants. Her book Plants Are My Favorite People comes out later this year.

"It may seem strange, but in my opinion a happy home has very little to do with design and everything to do with happiness. We find ourselves most comfortable and happy in our homes when they're functioning to help us live our lives intentionally and with purpose. Sometimes, it's a really great kitchen layout that is organized and helps us prep healthy meals for ourselves and our family, and sometimes it's as simple as a framed photo near the front door that reminds us of what is important. No matter how big or small, when we give ourselves permission and have the confidence to tell our house story, that's when our house becomes a home."

Jasmine Roth is the host of HGTV's Hidden Potential and the author of the book House Story: Insider Secrets to the Perfect Home Renovation.

"In our casa, there’s a decorative plaque that reads 'Home is where our story begins.' It’s also where our story is told in countless small ways that make our house a home. The 'I *heart* you!' love note on a pink Post-it taped to the microwave, the list of familia favorite karaoke songs jotted on a piece of paper with a microphone by the TV for impromptu karaoke sessions, the masking tape outline of a dead body on an well-worn rug left over from a b-day murder mystery party (talk about a conversation starter), the hodgepodge of pics snapped through the decades wallpapering the front of the fridge. It’s the memories of laughter and tears, disagreements and hugs that are sprinkled around a space that’s a harbor, a touchstone, a beacon...a home for generations of loved ones."

Priscilla Oliveras is a bestselling author who writes contemporary romance with a Latinx flavor. Her next novel, West Side Love Story, will be published in 2021.

"I love fresh cut flowers in a home. Long-stemmed white lilies make it feel fresh and elegant. Candles also make a place feel homey, as well as my diffuser. I always have either of them going. Anything that makes a space feel warm and welcoming. Good food, perhaps pasta (one of my favorite dishes), wine or champagne, and a gathering of my big family and friends always makes it feel like home. And music. We can never forget music. It always sets the tone—whether meditative and classical or old-school R&B and hip-hop."

Karen LeBlanc is an actor. She plays Vanessa in the OWN drama The Kings of Napa, which premiered in 2022.

"I see a house as a place to find shelter, to exist within. But I see a home as an opportunity to be unapologetically yourself. A little refuge full of only who and what you choose—objects that bring you a sense of calm or inspiration or joy, people you love, whether they live there or just come by to visit—a place where you belong."

Nina LaCour is the bestselling and Michael L. Printz Award–winning author of five critically acclaimed young adult novels, and the forthcoming book Yerba Buena.

"What makes a house a home is that it shares your story. It's a form of creative expression that showcases your personal style, travels, and what inspires you through form, color, and texture. Every home is unique, and it's important to bring parts of your life and objects you absolutely treasure into your home. Fill your home with books you cherish, art you love, photographs from the past, or plants that you've nurtured and admired with every new leaf that grows."

Cindy Ngo is the founder of the interior design brand Ink + Porcelain.

"What makes a house a home is the feeling of comfort and care. And while many people believe this feeling is achieved through mastery of design or perfection of domestic skills, I have found that the real feeling of home begins when we stop seeing home care as an exercise in meeting magazine cover aesthetic standards and instead embrace a functional view of our home that frees us to create a space that serves us. You don't exist to serve your space; your space exists to serve you."

KC Davis is licensed professional therapist, TikTok creator, speaker, and author of the forthcoming book How to Keep House While Drowning.

"A house is shelter, but home carries an emotional connection and a sense of safety, privacy, and belonging. For some, home is where you throw off the bra, pants, and shoes, and collapse with a happy groan. For others, home is where simplicity and structure can be found. Bottom line, your house is home if it is recuperative, not draining."

Christina Lauren is the pen name for the New York Times bestselling writing duo Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings, who most recently authored The Soulmate Equation.

"A house is just a generic structure—a home is alive, intentional, and deeply personal. Our homes tell a story and reflect who we are and what we care about—our values, passions, and personal tastes. Our homes are also where history, connection, and community are built. It is where we host friends, share a good meal, engage in meaningful conversations, and celebrate family rituals and traditions. When your home is thoughtfully curated and organized, it can propel you toward living the exact life you want to lead."

Shira Gill is a professional home organizer and the author of Minimalista.

"Softness. For me, home is all about the place you lose the bra, pull on the comfy pants, and curl up on a pile of throw pillows. It’s where you tuck your feet under you and laugh with someone you love without worrying about good posture or making the right impression. Home is where you are the most comfortable version of yourself."

Lucy Score is a bestselling author of contemporary rom-coms.

"I may be out of the ordinary here, but what makes a house a home to me is a little bit of mess. I like a lived-in, eclectic look for my living space, because it matches the little bit of chaos in my writer’s brain. Over the last few years, our house has had to be our workplaces, our classrooms—mine even had to transform into a campsite for my daughter’s virtual guides camp (yes, we did pitch a tent in the middle of the living room). It’s been more important than ever for a home to be as welcoming as possible for the whole family, since we’ve had to spend so much time here. I love having a comfortable chair with a plush throw in every room so I can pull my computer onto my lap and bang out a few chapters. And cats—this house wouldn’t be a home without our cats."

Farah Heron is the author of rom-coms like Accidentally Engaged and Kamila Knows Best.