Your new home should make you feel welcome the moment you walk in the door, but this isn’t always the case. It’s time to start focusing on putting down roots in your new space to help make your new house a home once the movers have left and the chaos of moving has subsided.
Without a complete remodel or a shopping spree, there are many ways to evoke the cozy, warm feeling that makes a house a home. So, here are 15 simple ideas you can use to make your house feel more like a home.
Make a welcoming entrance.
The mood of your entire home can be set by the front door and entryway. After all, it’s the first thing you and your guests see when they enter your space. Keep your front entrance clear of leaves and debris, and add a welcome mat and a few potted plants to make it more inviting. Adding a bench or a coat rack to your entryway will help keep it tidy and make a good first impression. Painting the front door, on the other hand, can give your house a fresh, new look in just one afternoon. Choose a vibrant, contrasting color that complements your personal style.
Make your home a little more zen.
Making your house into a home begins with making sure you feel at ease the moment you walk into a room. However, there could be specific reasons why you’re having trouble relaxing. If the sight of a cluttered, disorganized room makes you feel stressed, you should start decluttering and getting rid of things that don’t bring you joy.
Using random decor items to fill in empty spaces in your home can make a room feel claustrophobic and create too many contrasts between your wall colors and furnishings. When selecting decor, artwork, or photographs, choose items that have special meaning to you. You can start making your home a more zen space by identifying the areas that are causing you stress.
Home improvements can help you make your living space more comfortable.
Making improvements to the spaces in your home can help you feel more settled. Bathrooms and kitchens are high-traffic areas in a home, so prioritizing home improvements in these areas can ensure that you’re tackling the most important areas.
Installing new appliances can give your kitchen a facelift, but if you’re on a tight budget, replace the one that’s the most outdated or worn-looking. Similarly, replacing an old showerhead with one with better water pressure can instantly increase space and improve your home’s quality of life.
Use plush area rugs to help a house feel more like a home.
An area rug can instantly add warmth and coziness to a room. Area rugs can help to ground furniture and can also add interest to a space if they are artistically designed. Consider the size and arrangement of the room when choosing a rug. To give the space a cohesive look, make sure all of your furniture is on the area rug or at least touching a portion of it.
Decorate bare walls with artwork.
Blank walls can give your home an unfinished feel, preventing it from feeling truly lived in. Displaying your favorite works of art can help to tie a room together and make a house feel like a home. The best part is that it’s a cost-effective way to finish a room. Keep the room’s function, size, and decor style in mind when choosing artwork. Following that, you have complete freedom to select artwork that you adore and will proudly display in your home.
Choose a large-scale piece as a focal point for living rooms and other areas where guests spend the most time, or create a gallery wall with multiple art pieces. Relaxation areas, such as a den or bedroom, benefit from pieces with soothing, cool-toned colors and abstract prints.
With indoor plants, you can bring nature inside.
Indoor plants not only add a splash of color to a room, but they can also bring life to a drab space. Houseplants make us feel more at ease and can even improve the quality of the air in our homes. Plants come in a variety of shapes, colors, and sizes, so whether you live in a home with few windows or one with plenty, you can find ways to incorporate them into your decor.
Stick to low-maintenance plants like lucky bamboo or succulents for home offices or areas with low light. These plants are small enough to fit on a desk or side table, and they do well in the shade. Money trees or fiddle leaf figs are excellent statement plants for larger rooms, such as living or dining rooms. In addition, the right planter can add a decorative element to your home.
Reduce the amount of clutter in your home.
It will be easier to live in your home if you identify the key areas in your space that you will keep clean. When it comes to decluttering, it’s easy to fall victim to the “out of sight, out of mind” mentality, but actively keeping your living space clean will allow you to fully relax in your space without being constantly stressed by the sight of messy areas. Rather than storing items that are no longer in use in designated “junk drawers,” go through your belongings and select items that no longer have sentimental value, are no longer in use, or perform similar functions to items you already own. If the prospect of decluttering your home is too intimidating, consider hiring a professional organizing service to assist you.
Scented candles or diffusers are a nice touch.
A house filled with enticing scents can instantly transform a space into a home. There’s no shortage of ways to make your home smell good with the various candles, diffusers, and scent plug-ins available on the market. Choose your favorite and in minutes, your home will smell like sweet vanilla, sharp citrus, or crisp linens. Essential oils, such as lavender or jasmine, are more natural smelling scents that also have the added benefit of being natural stress relievers.
Layering lighting can transform a house into a home.
Lighting has a big impact on a room’s mood and is an important design element when it comes to making a house feel like a home. If your home feels dark and cramped, change up the lighting by layering and adding light sources to make it feel more warm and inviting. While brighter lighting is required in kitchens and offices, fluorescent overhead lighting in living rooms and dens can make the space appear harsh. Instead, use mellower, warmer lighting from ambient light sources. Ambient lighting sources such as wall sconces, table lamps, and floor lamps can give any room a warm, inviting glow.
Curtains can be used to frame your windows.
Window curtains make excellent room accents. Replacing them is a quick and easy way to update the look of a room and give it a more lived-in feel. Add new window dressings to your windows to instantly warm up your home and show off your style. Beautiful curtains or shades can not only improve the appearance of your home, but they can also be used to decorate blank walls, divide a room into sections, or even create fun little reading nooks in children’s bedrooms.
Display family heirlooms or antiques.
Incorporate sentimental pieces in your decor, such as family mementos or antiques, to personalize your space and make it feel like home. Group related items together as you plan the display locations for your keepsakes to help create a cohesive look in your home design. Wedding photos, important documents, and certificates, for example, can be displayed in a gallery wall, while trophies and souvenirs can be displayed on a shelf together.
When displaying sentimental photos, choose frames that will protect the paper from UV ray damage or fading over time. Consider purchasing shadow boxes or display cases for antiques or other valuable items that will be used as decor. Cases will protect the fragile objects from harm and prevent dust and grime from settling on them.
Repaint your home to make it look new again.
Painting your walls can instantly refresh your space and go a long way toward refreshing a home. It’s also a great way to personalize and personalize your home. If you’re not ready to tackle a full-scale painting project, start with a smaller area of your home, such as a bedroom or a powder room. You can also choose to paint a few accent walls throughout your home to brighten it up and add some color.
Fill your shelves with books to make them unique.
Adding personal touches to your home with a stack of well-loved paperbacks or a decorative coffee table book is a great way to do so. Books are a simple and inexpensive way to add interest to your decor and can be used as statement pieces to tie a room together. A full bookshelf can also instantly make a room feel more welcoming. If you have a large book collection, create a book wall by displaying them in a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf on a blank wall in your home. To add color to your decor, look for books with decorative covers or colorful spines.
Comfy bedding adds warmth.
If you can’t decorate the entire room right away, the right bedding can instantly make your bedroom look decorated and homey. Using neutral-colored bedding in a room with a bold paint color can add texture while also creating depth and interest. If your room’s color scheme is neutral, you can experiment with different colors and patterns in your bedding.
Finally, create a hobby area to turn a house into a home.
Make space for your hobby, whether it’s painting, reading, or even solving puzzles. Having a dedicated space in your home for your hobbies, such as a nook or bonus room, will not only make it easier to do what you enjoy, but it will also allow your personality and interests to shine throughout your home. Not to mention, having your own space allows you to focus on what you enjoy while also making your house feel more like a home.