Illustrating Every Home We've Lived In...

Sometimes I like to share about the art I’ve been designing and why I’m making it.

Since moving back into my childhood home with my parents, I’ve been considering what the word “home” means to me. I’ve moved around a lot the past 10 years. I’ve felt as if I belong and feel safe on the west coast, east coast, and all the place in the middle.

And while I have found a sense of home in each of these places, I have found most of what I cherished most or made me feel “at home” is the people surrounding me in those places. Do you feel similarly? Or is it more about the place you lived and the places you went in your city?

Since it’s the beginning of 2021, I’ve been putting together a list of personal projects I want to complete before the year ends….

While the physical homes, apartments, and spaces we’ve lived in haven’t felt crazy special to me, something I think would be really fun to do is make small illustrations of every place Brett and I have ever lived (which would be funny, because we lived in two dorms when we first got married, so I would get to illustrate some dorms!). Since we’ve lived SO many places, it might take awhile to design each one, but I really think it could be fun. Even if I didn’t love the outside of every place we live, I might draw my favorite room of each place. I haven’t really decided. But I think it sounds like a fun project that could remind us of all our most cherished relational memories in those places.

Having your home illustrated is nothing new. In fact, I’ve seen a lot of home illustrations on instagram, etsy, and through my own designer friends that I absolutely love. But I loved it so much I wanted to try my hand at it— and so far, I’ve loved illustrating homes for others.

One of my favorite things I created this year, was for a friend. She wanted her mom’s favorite room illustrated and her dad’s favorite spot to spend time with his grandchildren illustrated— with each illustrations he wanted to include words that describe the moments they share (as a family) in those spaces. It was a beautiful gift and it felt so special to design that for her. 

I’m still growing as an artist, but every day I get to draw a house for someone, I’m reminded of how special personalized art is and how beautiful it is I get to make it— Me… the girl who barely had an art class and still isn’t sure she’s adding shading in all the right nooks and crannies. I’m grateful for my gift and for this job!

You can purchase your own illustrated home here.