When you walk through the front door of your home, how do you feel? Do you get a sense of safety and security because you are back in the place that you are supposed to feel more comfortable? If the answer is no, then you need to ask yourself why this is. This place is your home, it’s the place where you eat, sleep, and spend your free time. You live with your family, the people that you love the most, so why aren’t you happy with it? What could be different?
Making a house feel like a home is no easy challenge. There are many different parts that need to fit together in order to achieve some kind of positive result, but it’s worth every second of the effort that you need to put in to get there. If you’re not sure about what kind of changes you should be making, then it’s a good thing we’ve got some ideas for you! Keep reading if you would like to know what they are.
What Aesthetic Do You Want?
To start, we want you to think about what kind of aesthetic you want for your home. It’s important to note that not everyone wants something specific, and not everyone wants something identifiable throughout the entire house. Some people want to have each room represent something different, and others like to have the space matching. At the end of the day this choice is going to come down to you, so you’ve got to think carefully about this.
A couple of examples would be perhaps going for a monochrome theme, even if just in the kitchen? This is a sleek, contemporary look that allows your home to look beautiful, and doesn’t leave you feeling as though you are stuck in the 1900’s. Or, you might want to use things like adhesive wood panels to decorate the walls and give off more of a wholesome, homey vibe. Again, this is completely up to you and your personal preferences, we’re just throwing out some ideas for you to consider.
Do You Love Your Kitchen?
When you walk into your kitchen, how do you feel? The thing is, the kitchen is supposed to be the heart of the home, so you want it to look beautiful. Some families eat meals in their kitchen if the space is big enough to fit a table, some people just have social time in the kitchen when they are cooking for example, and so much more. If you want your house to feel like a home, then you certainly need to make sure that your kitchen is a place that you love.
You can find inspiration online for different styles of kitchen, different accessories that you can add to make it look better, and so on. We know that cooking is not for everyone, but you will spend so much time in here regardless as you have to cook to feed yourself, so you might as well ensure that it looks the part!
Sometimes people opt to rip out their entire kitchen and have a new one fitted as they feel like they get a clean slate this way. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with this, and if you have the money then it’s a fantastic idea. If not, then there are a few budget friendly options that you can try until you have the money to do this.
Is Your Bedroom Comfortable?
Do you get a good night of sleep in your home? Do you feel safe and secure? Does it feel cozy when you get into bed at night? Do you feel happy when you walk around your space? We know that technically the entire home is your space, but if you live with other people then your bedroom is going to be your only true space, which means that more than any other room in the house, it’s got to be just right.
It depends on what kind of vibe you want as to how you should decorate your bedroom, and what kind of storage options you should go for. If you like the cluttered look then maybe you want to have shelves instead of storage units that close, just so that you can display some of your items. Or, if you like to have your space looking neat, organized and not a thing out of place, then you need to work out the best way to store it all, especially if it’s a small space.
The bed and the amount of light coming in definitely need to be two of your main considerations. If your bed isn’t comfortable, or you have had it for years, then it’s time for a new one. Think about the bed that you always picture in your fantasies of your home, and try to find something as close as possible.
Are Your Photos Displayed?
How have you decided to display your photos through your home? These could be photos of your friends and family, it could be photos of your adventures, or it could be anything that you want them to be, but they have got to be displayed properly. There are certain little tips and tricks that you can use to get creative with this, and it will leave your home looking amazing. Where some people just choose to stick to the traditional frames on the mantelpiece, we’re sure that you want to elevate your home past that.
We have read a few times now that people are saying that you shouldn’t put personal items on the walls, but how else are you supposed to create the kind of environment that you want to live in? You want to be surrounded by your happiest memories and the ones that you love, getting that happy, warm glow about you when you look back on your life. This is what personal pictures give you, so don’t just settle for vague art, make your family your own art.
Do You Prefer Minimalism Or Clutter?
When you are choosing how you want your home to look and appear, you need to decide whether you want to go for a more cluttered approach, or a minimalist style. It is true to say that most people will opt for the minimalist option because it looks clean, clear, and makes the space look larger than it is. It’s more common these days to find minimalist style homes, especially if you are someone who likes to follow trends and wants to try out what is in style at any given moment. However, it is possible to argue that a cluttered look gives the home a more…homey vibe.
There’s something about your items being around and everything not looking perfect that just speaks to some people. There is such a thing as too tidy for those who have a more chaotic approach to life, which is why clutter can sometimes be soothing. If you are going to go with the cluttered look though, you just need to ensure that it’s still safe and that you are not covering your home in hazards.
What Color Represents You?
In order to make your home feel more like you, you’re going to need to think about what color represents you. It could be a multitude of colors, it might just be one, but this is what you should be painting on your walls. Or, if you are a little more chaotic, exotic, or whatever, then wallpaper with patterns might be the way that you decide to go.
When choosing colors, make sure that you get samples of each of the ones that you like. Sometimes the paint looks different on the wall than it does in the tin, so it’s always important to check. A lot of colors dry differently when they are wet, so leave them for a little while before trying to make a choice.
There are some companies who will make custom colors for you if you require them to. They can mix colors and create something entirely new, and for those of you who like something unique, this might just be the best option. You can speak to a professional who can give you guidance about what they think would be a good mixture depending on the information you give them about what you want, or you can just try and work it out on your own! One is definitely easier than the other though.
Your home should be a reflection of you by the time that you are completely finished with it, so that’s the goal that you want to keep in mind. Turning a house from any ordinary house on the street into your home is no easy feat, and it can take quite a while to complete this properly. The important thing is that you are willing to do whatever it takes to achieve this goal, even if that means waiting a little while as you gather more money, or adding new parts to the plan as and when you see fit. We wish you the very best of luck with this adventure, and hope that it ends up the way that you want it to.
Meg is an author at Cinnamon Hollow. She writes on a variety of topics sharing tips and ideas for daily life.