Where The Heart Is…

Words & Photography
by Melia Malmquist



After a couple years of moving around and living in temporary spaces and even hotels, I think the sense of belonging and the ability to value the place I call home has grown stronger in me.

When thinking about what makes a home a home, for me, I think it is the place where I feel completely at peace and deeply rooted.

Ever since I can remember, having a place of my own has been important to me, and is probably, to some extent, a cultural trait from growing up in Sweden. The home is truly the centre point of a Scandinavian life. Like most Swedes, I quite like to spend a lot of time at home. Not that I don’t enjoy being out and about, but it just makes it that much better when I get to come home.

When thinking about what makes a home a home, for me, I think it is the place where I feel completely at peace and deeply rooted. As long as the setting I’m in feels right, and I am with the people I love, "home" could be just about anywhere. What makes your home a home to you? What is the one thing you can’t live without?

Sometimes the space might be all yours, and, therefore, you can set all the rules and even accommodate your childhood dreams, like having dessert first or ignoring the dishes for days.

There are so many sides to that small (or large) box with four walls, where we place all our loved belongings, and design the space to our own personal tastes. Sometimes the space might be all yours, and, therefore, you can set all the rules and even accommodate your childhood dreams, like having dessert first or ignoring the dishes for days. Or perhaps you are living with someone who makes you aware of all the quirky habits you have (or that he/she has). You probably make small changes, hopefully for the better, to find harmony within your twosome.

Whatever your situation, I’m sure you have a thing or two that reminds you of the fact that this is your small corner in the world.