History of a word
The word fireplace comes from the Latin focus, meaning “fire”. But not just any fire: the one that was carefully nurtured in the heart of the home, the one around which people gathered to cook, heat and watch over one another.
In ancient times, fire was sacred. Hestia in Greece and Vesta in Rome were the goddesses of the hearth. Their role? To watch over this inner flame that should never be extinguished.
The home was more than just a place: it represented life, continuity and the invisible link between members of the same family.
House or home?
In everyday language, we say that we’re coming “home”, but rarely that we’re coming “to the hearth”, and yet the word “hearth” carries with it a special warmth.
A house can be beautiful, big, well decorated… but it’s not always a home. A home is a house inhabited by something greater: presence, love, memory.
Popular expressions make no mistake: “returning home” evokes a return to basics. “Home is where the heart is”, goes an English maxim. A roof is not enough, you need a soul.
The home across cultures
Each culture has its own way of expressing this inner fire:
- In Japan: the irori, a fireplace built into the floor, organised domestic life.
- In Scandinavia: the stove or wood fire symbolises human warmth in the heart of the long winters.
- In the Mediterranean: it’s often the open kitchen, the place for confidences and secret recipes, that plays this role.
Whatever its form, a fireplace is never a simple object. It’s a living space, full of emotion.
My own home
When I moved in with my daughter Anna, I didn’t just want a pretty room for her. I wanted to create a place where she would feel enveloped, reassured and free to be herself. A space that felt like us.
I’ve learnt to pay attention to those details that I used to neglect: curtains that soften the light, cushions that beckon you to cuddle, linen that smells good and makes you want to touch it.
And then there’s Mamimosa’s advice: “Wash the sheets before you use them, Jo, that’s how you teach the fabric to become soft…”.
Little by little, we built our home, our warm interior. Not with a hammer, but through shared moments.
Creating a home today
Today, creating a home is not necessarily about starting a family. It’s about finding what anchors us, what warms us, what connects us.
At Anna et Moi, we believe that simple things can also help:
- a comfortable bed,
- a tablecloth that brings people together around the table,
- a plaid always at hand.
Because at its heart, a home is a place where you can put down your tiredness, your joys, your everyday life. A place you don’t need to explain. It’s just like us.
3 simple ideas for heating your home
✨ So ften the light: beautiful curtains transform a cold room into a welcoming cocoon.
✨ Invite tactile comfort: multiply cushions and plaids to make you want to settle in.
✨ Pay attention to sensory details: linen that smells good, a scented candle, a tablecloth ready for shared meals.
It’s often these small, discreet but precious things that turn a house into a real home.
Conclusion: a discreet but powerful word
A home is more than a roof over your head. It’s a presence, a memory, a shared warmth. A discreet but powerful word that touches the intimate.
And what do you put behind the word home?
A fire, a voice, a fragrance, silence? A room full of life or a quiet corner to yourself?
Because we believe that a home is built every day, with simple gestures and a lot of love.
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