Introspections The houses I’ve lived in—and there have been many— meant everything to me. They’ve alternated between a calm oasis I refused to leave in the midst of chaos to party palaces where I couldn’t get anyone to exit on time. Growing up, my diplomatic family met everyone through our homes in Africa. For eighteen years, we threw weekly dinners with every nationality seated at the table; our biannual parties for hundreds lasted all night. As an adult, my houses have been my most valuable assets. I used them to design the life I wanted at different times. My taste developed by organizing interiors and gardens. I used our rooms to add value, conjure joy, and help create more meaningful lives. I want every cubic inch to give its all. When my children were small, I craved adult conversation so much that my dining rooms vibrated with weekly dinner parties and salons, a throwback to what was familiar from my childhood. Then the room piped down to a quiet space for writing books and supervising homework, all evidence easily removed when the area reverted to its intended purpose. One kitchen made a few dollars when I became a baker, churning
The Academy leads students to grow in confidence, knowing there is not one way but thousands of ways to own your personal style. What is yours? out loaves of bread and ignoring the legalities of a commercial enterprise operating in a private kitchen. During my marriage, I did a lot of entertaining, and any room could be switched to party mode at a moment’s notice—even dressing rooms. But my houses also supported me emotionally when one son was diagnosed with cancer and then two others deployed to the war in Afghanistan. My home necessarily turned into my private sanctuary. There was no mistaking mine for anyone else’s. My African history, my parent’s social traditions, and my children’s activities found their way into the aesthetic of how we lived. I organized my homes so that each person could thrive and grow from a secure base. The essential purpose of a house is not financial; it’s about how we use the house to build a life we want to live.
The Academy leads students to grow in confidence, knowing there is not one way but thousands of ways to own your personal style. What is yours?
Suzanne Pollak, a mentor and lecturer in the fields of home, hearth, and hospitality, is the founder and dean of the Charleston Academy of Domestic Pursuits. She is the coauthor of Entertaining for Dummies, The Pat Conroy Cookbook, and The Charleston Academy of Domestic Pursuits: A Handbook of Etiquette with Recipes. Born into a diplomatic family, Pollak was raised in Africa, where her parents hosted multiple parties every week. Her South Carolina homes have been featured in the Wall Street Journal “Mansion” section and Town & Country magazine.
