7 Ways to Make Your House a Home
Adding a warm and cozy feel to your home doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive. A little attention to detail, and a lot of heart will go a long way to making your family and friends feel right at home. It all begins with a little imagination.
Where is your favorite place in the world to spend time? If you could go and have dinner anywhere in the world and spend the evening, where would it be? Let these questions be your inspiration. What little things can you add to your home to resemble that favorite place space?
1. Start with Color
Start by choosing 3 to 4 colors from that vision and incorporating those into the space. Choose the most neutral color for the walls and then let the secondary colors be the accents. I like to use cool colors for walls in small spaces as they tend to make a room look larger. If it is a larger room with lots of light, you can get a little more intense with color or just add an accent wall. Seasonal colors come and go, so feel free to put some accent furniture & decorating pieces away for one season and rotate them back in the following season.
2. Texture Brings Warmth
You can add layers of texture to a room by adding rugs, pillows, blankets, accessories, window treatments, different furniture finishes and wall finishes. In fact, adding pieces to your home over time is desirable and can make your home feel more genuine. Don’t hurry! Sit back and imagine different items in the space and take inspiration from Pinterest of course! According to Melissa@theinspiredroom -“A good dose of texture is the key ingredient that finishes off a space. A room is best designed so your eyes are able to dance around the room, delighted by a variation of elements that work together beautifully.”
I could not agree more!
3. Brighten the Space
Adding the proper lighting will definitively create a cozy atmosphere, especially in the cold winter months. Make sure to have “warm” light bulbs whenever possible and have several lamps to balance a room. Any light that you can implement with a dimmer will automatically create atmosphere. Under-cabinet lighting in the kitchen also creates a cozy glow and subtle night lights for the evening time. In the living room make sure to light 3 of the 4 corners and check out Real Simple magazine for more lighting specifics.
4. Family Memories
Photographs of family and family events tastefully displayed are a wonderful way to showcase the most important people in your life. Make sure to update the picture frames so that they contribute to the modernized feel. Be cautious not to overdo picture displays and create a shrine.
5. The Heart of the Home
Even if you don’t like to cook, the kitchen tends to be the heart of every home. Have your favorite family cookbooks displayed. Texture and atmosphere here can be enhanced with some potted herbs on the window sill, fresh fruit in a bowl, placemats on the kitchen table and colorful fresh flowers. You might also want to consider making your kitchen always ready for guests by having a wine display with glasses.
6. All senses count
What odors are dominant to anyone entering your home? You can put a positive spin on your answer by choosing a favorite fragrance and coordinating plug-ins and candles throughout your home. Also, as seasons change, fragrances should change as well. It’s a fact that scents of the seasons help you and your guests to connect to memories of the past as well as events of the present. The overall effect is a home that feels comfortable and welcoming.
7. The First Impression
The front door and the entryway give the first impression of your home. Placing planters with seasonal flowers, a wreath on the door and, where porch or floor space is available, some seating with outdoor cushions and pillows will make that first impression warm and welcoming. Again, this atmosphere should also be adapted to seasonal changes.
Turning your house into a home is an incredibly personal outcome for you and your family. Once the feeling of “home” is established, family members feel a sense of sanctuary and tradition that will be passed down through the generations. Each family member will often take a piece of that and begin to create their own sense of style for their individual spaces in this home and for their future homes as well.
Along with my real-estate services, I also have a passion for home styling and interior design. The key to creating a home is about your living space reflecting who you are. I would love to help you reflect more of you in your space. Contact me today to see how we can work together to make your house a home.
Getting ready to sell your first home? Contact me today and let’s chat about some more first time home seller tips to get your house on the market and sold.
