For the last decade we have we have been “cocooning” as Faith Popcorn predicted. We have come home again and we are now doing in our homes what we used to do outside. We are working, exercising, playing, entertaining, unwinding, relaxing and re-energizing in our homes. We have come to require, if not demand, that our homes be comfortable. And herein, lies the “latest trend”, the comfortable home.

A comfortable home is a science as well as an art. It is the result of having rooms that function well and also feel cozy. Rooms need to be designed with a clear understanding of their use. Seating arrangements need to be conducive to conversation. The furniture we sit in needs to work ergonomically to support or bodies. We need to plan rooms that function comfortably to make living easier. We need big easy chairs to nestle into at the end of a long day and surroundings that just plain feel good.

Comfort means different things to each of us. Teri Seidman and Sherry Suib Cohen in Decorating For Comfort say that there are “two things we must know about comfort: Comfort is compatible with beauty, style and elegance. Reject the myth that says comfortable means sloppy....The elements of comfort include functional, emotional and visual ease.”

In describing comfortable style, Katharine Kaye McMillian and Patricia Hart McMillian in their book House Comfortable say, “The styles of comfort are two: country and contemporary eclectic...Country style is characterized by honest furnishings, natural materials, earth tone color schemes, plenty of texture and everyday objects used as accessories... It is warm, welcoming, and natural...Contemporary eclectic is the polar opposite of country style. It is characterized by casual overstuffed furniture, few but important accessories, furniture only where you need it and neutralized color schemes...Contemporary eclectic is self-conscious and tends towards lots of free space and clean lines.”

Comfort has an enduring quality. It is timeless and the value it brings into our lives is difficult to measure. As a strong proponent of the more intangible aspects of what our homes mean to us, I am pleased that bringing comfort into our homes is a trend that is here to stay.