Even the nicest, most well-built house needs a little love to make it truly a home.
Sometimes a house needs a little touch to make it a home. That means upping the comfort and adding some taste that represents who you and your family are. While we all have different tastes, the following five suggestions are easy ways to make your house homey.
Wall Art
Walls have come a long way. Think back 30 years to the varieties of wall paper that were so popular. Nowadays, and especially if you use a custom home builder, you can have whatever walls in each room you desire. And what better way to help fill your walls, and subsequently your home, than with artwork. Think about a painting or print you’ve seen somewhere that gives you a warm feeling every time you look at it. Try to replicate that feeling.
It doesn’t have to be paintings only. Framed photographs, wild game mounts, and instruments like guitars, just to give a few examples, will also work. These things provide substance and contrast to otherwise flat areas that will quickly help make your house feel homey.
Plants & Flowers
Flora inside the home radiates life. Most of us know the benefits of plants and trees for humans from grade school science. What they didn’t teach us back then was the mental benefits of decorating your house with actual living color. This plays into the aforementioned art as well. Having plants and trees in the house is so easy. Places like Home Depot and Lowes have so many varieties on not just the plant itself; they also offer a variety of ways to set or hang plants throughout the home. With a little sunlight and water, you can bring some of the garden inside year-round.
Candles
For scent and lighting. As humans, the sense of smell heavily affects our moods. Scented candles can provide warmth without the heat. Remember how it was walking into grandma’s house as she baked cookies? Or the time you walked through a cedar thicket on a fall morning? A candle can help take you to that comforting place.
There’s also the romantic element to a candle. We’re not necessarily talking about bear rug in front of a fire with a bottle of red wine romantic, but that’s always a plus. Most of us spend the day beneath LED lights and the need to reduce glare for the sake of our eyes and minds is paramount. Sitting in a quiet room surrounded by candles is very meditative.
Couch
Let’s face it. Many of us spend a lot of time in the great room or rec room. Whichever has the biggest TV. You might as well chill out in comfort. Some of the sectional sofas on the market today are extremely comfortable and roomy. The whole family can pile on without actually being piled on top of each other.
Rugs
Having a little softness underfoot is helpful. Hardwood floors are in and carpet has mostly been relegated to bedrooms. A rug can help both center up a room and provide some warmth. The reason many bedrooms are carpeted is because getting out of bed onto a cold floor in the morning is terrible. That same rule should apply for any room you like to relax in. Walking with some softness underfoot can quickly help a house go from cold and open to warm and homey.
Even if you’re a minimalist, these tips can still help you make your house into a home. You certainly don’t want to over do any one thing that can cause clutter and anxiety. So start slow. Work your way to an acceptable level of home decor for all the family to enjoy.
