I get such a deep feeling of warmth and satisfaction when someone comes through my door for the first time and uses that word to describe how they feel about my home.  For if someone comes in to my home and says it is haimish, they are not commenting on how it looks but how it feels.  I would have a sense of loss if someone could not feel haimish when in my home, no matter how impressive or unimpressive it might look.

One can have a mansion and feel proud when people come in and say how impressive or gorgeous it looks.  But it is just that, it is simply how it looks.  It is superficial.  A person who has spent exorbitant amounts of money on fixtures and furnishings may feel a sense of pride when walking into their home, but it is a shallow feeling unless their home is also haimish.  In that case, they have achieved the best of both worlds.   

Where you live is not just an apartment, a bungalow, a house or a mansion.  It is your home.  It is where your spirit should be at peace.  Do not feel embarrassed if it doesn’t look fancy or impressive.  Just make it haimish and you can feel good about your home, just as others will feel when they are in it.