THE MAIN EVENT

Recently, after a long drought of social obligations other than with close friends, I had two work events to attend in one week. And I am here to tell you, I am out of practice being out and about. After two pandemic years spent mostly at home, I’ve missed having easy conversations around a restaurant table while catching up with friends or meeting colleagues I’ve only ever seen on Zoom. It’s exciting to be easing back into the OUTand swing of life, but it’s also unfamiliar. I feel a bit socially awkward these days with questions of when to interject, when not to interrupt, who picks up the bill. ABOUT It also seems we have been given new permission to be homebodies and a little antisocial, blissfully so. There’s an undeniable pleasure to domesticity: curling up with a book, watching your favorite streaming show, or puttering around with projects. During the reopening, I’ve discovered how much I love coming back home after an event or a day at work. Now that I’m not in it as much, I realize how much I love and value my home as a sanctuary from the hubbub, the commuting, and the tra c. Walking in the front door feels like a warm hug. Making dinner feels cozy, especially if I put some e ort into it and try something new. A colleague remarked that before the pandemic, she felt like home was a place to drop o things between appointments or a place to sleep between commutes. Now she’s a nester. The pause of the pandemic, particularly during the early lockdown, made us see our houses or apartments in a new light. With more time away again, I feel like I have a deeper relationship to my house, like being away from a loved one then seeing them with fresh and appreciative eyes when we’re reunited. The times still feel chaotic. And everyone’s mental health is more important than ever. The security and comfort of our homes are vital to providing a sense of well-being. That’s the point of Better Homes & Gardens, now in its 100th year—helping readers create the best, most fully realized version of their home life. Sometimes STEPHEN ORR, to appreciate familiar things clearly, we need to Editor in Chief leave and come back in again to really feel at home. instagram @steporr

ON OUR COVER

Over our long history, we have never been known as a celebrity magazine. But once in a while our covers feature famous people like Michelle Obama, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and Marie Kondo—and back in the ’50s and ’60s even Charlton Heston and comedian Victor Borge. This month BHG is proud to share our story on musician Harry Styles—we’re big fans of the joy and originality he brings to his music. It turns out, his new album, Harry’s House, is a result of being grounded at home during the pandemic lockdown and all the creative breakthroughs he discovered—something many of us can identify with. Our subject matter might usually be fabric swatches and paint colors, but we, like Styles, know it’s the heart and soul of a house that make it a home.