How To Make A House A Home
Turning a house into a home isn’t as easy as looking at Pinterest and copying it to your property. The examples you see are useful, but often created by trained interior design experts, which can make it tricky to copy. Instead, you should do plenty of research and find inspiration for changes which suit your lifestyle and match up to the spaces you have in your home. For example, there are different changes that you can make to a small room (like adding a mirror to make it look bigger) than you can to a bigger room, where hanging large pieces of art can make it feel more homely.
A useful tip to have in the back of your mind, which can help you make your house a home, is to not make things too perfect, like showroom-perfect. This so-called perfect look often does the opposite when people try to copy it. Instead, think about lighting, the colours you use, how you decorate wall space, and the type of furniture you have. If you’re starting from the ground up, exploring different home layouts can help you visualise ways to make your house a home. The best selection we found is the house designers.
To help point you in the right direction, we have put together a guide on how to make a house a home. Keep reading to discover simple tips and tricks which can transform your home into a cosy retreat that you are proud to spend your time in.
Play around with the lighting
A good starting point is the lighting in your home. Lighting can have a big impact on how each room feels. Too bright and it feels like a hospital, too low and you struggle to see. Consider purchasing a few lamps of different sizes, as these can be used to create different balances of light. Buying smart bulbs will help you control the different colours each lamp produces, and smart lights are cheaper to run than normal bulbs - plus you can control them with your voice or through an app on your phone. If you have the budget and time, when updating your lighting options, try not to forget about your garden, as lighting can make a big difference to that space as well. Solar panel lighting is used a lot outside as it means you don’t have to keep replacing the batteries, plus they are cheaper to run.
Bring life in with plants
We are big fans of house plants. They are brilliant at adding colour to a room, filling up any empty spaces and making a room feel more cosy and inviting. There are so many different types of plants which you can buy which will make your house a home, from plants which drape down wall fixings, to plants which have a stand and sit in your living room. The tip is to buy plants which are easy to keep alive; this way, you don’t have to spend loads of time watering and looking after them. The best thing to do is visit your local gardening centre and see which plants they have on offer.
Display meaningful items
A home should feel like it’s your home as soon as a guest walks in. If this doesn’t feel the case, then there is a good chance your home doesn’t currently have any personality, but this is easy to change. To add a touch of you, consider having photographs printed out of key moments of your life. Add some travel souvenirs from your latest trips as well as mementoes that hold sentimental value - such as any trophies which you may have one from previous sports tournaments.
Use scent to make your home feel more homely
Scent is very powerful and can be used to make your home feel like it’s your home. Just like when you walk past someone, and they are wearing a perfume which you know them for, you can do the same for your home. By using candles, diffusers, and essential oils, you can create a signature scent for your home that you instantly recognise when you walk in. This scent can replicate who you are, whether that's fresh citrus or florals for calmness or notes of vanilla and amber for a warming feel. A lot of people will use Christmas candles around the festive period to make their home feel more Christmassy. Candles also help make you feel warm, instead of having to use your radiators.
Make your home work for your routine
A home should make your life easier and work around your routine. Think about how you use each space and see if there are any adaptations to each space that you can make to make it more practical and usable (the more usable, the more of a home it will feel). Add clever storage solutions, arrange the furniture so it works better for you and create practical workflows that suit your life. For example, making sure you never leave anything in the sink, as this can make the kitchen feel messy.
Accessorise your rooms to add comfort
A lot of comfort can be created through the items you use in your home and how you accessorise them. You can use soft throws to add colour, cushions to add another dynamic to your sofa, and rugs to add warmth to your flooring. Mirrors are great at making a space look brighter and bigger, and artwork allows you to express yourself. A lot of accessories are affordable, which is nice as it means you don’t have to spend a huge amount, and you can rotate them through the year, constantly updating the feel of a room.
By making some changes to your home, we are sure you can make it feel more homely. Some changes will cost more, others are affordable and quick wins, which can instantly make a difference.
What changes are you planning on making in the next couple of weeks? What do you think is the biggest change you can make to make a house a home? What tips are you able to share that you think we should be adding to our guide? Let us know in the comment box below. We look forward to hearing from you.