How To Turn Your House Into a Home
Though the terms “house” and “home” may conjure a similar image in people’s minds, these two words convey different ideas. While “house” refers to the structure that you live in, “home” is more of an abstract concept that relates to the comfort, atmosphere and feelings you experience when inside your dwelling.
One of the best ways to turn your house, condo, apartment or dorm into a home is to decorate your rooms with decor that suits your tastes and elevates your mood. Whether you’re furnishing a large layout or a small space, the following tips can help you create the welcoming vibe you need to feel at home.
1. Personalize Your Space
Adding personal touches to your space is a great way to turn it into a home. There are many different ways you can personalize your space including:
- Choosing a Decor Style: Whether you’re a fan of the boho-chic aesthetic or a simple minimalist look, incorporating design elements that suit your tastes lets you showcase your sense of style.
- Framing Photographs: Display pictures of your family and friends on bookcases, walls and side tables can remind you of the loving relationships you have in your life, making it easier to feel happy while in your home.
- Add Interesting Accents: Other items like posters of your favorite bands, eye-catching artwork and collages depicting various travel locations and events you’ve experienced add visual appeal and excitement to your design.
Many people restrict these personal touches to secluded areas like bedrooms and dens. However, you can apply these unique accents to your living room, kitchen, or home office design to fill your entire home with warmth and individuality.
2. Choose Comfort
Even if you have an idea of what you want your layout to look like, try to avoid sacrificing warm, homey touches to achieve a certain aesthetic. Use the following tips to prioritize comfort in your home:
- Evoke Feelings of Nostalgia: Fill your home with smells, colors and textures that help you feel relaxed. Also, incorporate heirlooms that remind you of the home you grew up in.
- Pick Comfortable Furniture: Choose soft, cushy living room seating that lets you snuggle in and get cozy while hanging out at home.
- Designate a Space for Entertaining: Your dining room or seating area can serve as a spot to enjoy food and conversation with visiting loved ones. Use these areas to hang out and make new memories with your family and friends.
Your home must be a refuge and a place where you can relax and find comfort when you are stressed. If you are living in a small, temporary space like a dorm, a soft chair, a scented candle and a soft blanket can go a long way towards creating a comforting atmosphere.
3. Consider the Color Scheme
While it may seem like a small part of your overall design, your decorative color choices can affect your mood. Brighter tones bring a lively, dynamic energy to the space, while soft neutrals and pastels have a more calming effect. Keep these details in mind when choosing the right hues for an accent wall, curtains, bedding and even kitchen appliances.
4. Be Mindful of Lighting
Harsh overhead lights, while useful in some situations, may be too powerful for a comfortable, homey atmosphere. Warm lamps, candles, and other more subtle forms of lighting can create an inviting atmosphere. You can also light rooms with natural light. If this is your goal, you should choose sheer curtains to allow you privacy while also letting in sunlight.
5. Use Wall Space
Undecorated walls can be a blank canvas for expressing yourself and personalizing your space. Practical home decor pieces like bookshelves and cabinets help you fill in empty space and show off your favorite books and trinkets. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can hang up abstract posters and paintings in the living room or create a mural against one of your bedroom walls.
Tiled backsplash and decorative mirrors are perfect for sprucing up your hallway, foyer, kitchen and bathroom walls. For a more practical touch, mount some hanging shelves on the walls to store and display decorative accents, small houseplants and other essential items.
6. Celebrate Your Hobbies and Lifestyle
Continue personalizing your home with items that showcase your favorite hobbies and interests. If you’re a music lover, mount your instruments on the walls and set up a spot to display your sheet music and vinyl collection. When choosing boys and girls bedroom furniture for your kids, select pieces in their favorite colors and styles to help them make the space their own.
7. Add Little Touches
Once you’ve chosen your color scheme, picked out tiles and furniture, and hung your curtains, it is time to add little touches including:
- Houseplants: Whether you add silk florals or fresh blooms to your layout, lush greenery helps your home feel open and inviting.
- Accent Rugs: Roll out a fluffy, textured area rug to bring a splash of color and additional softness to your living room, dining area or bedroom.
- Unique Trinkets: Family heirlooms and decorative figurines give your home a lived-in look, show off your one-of-a-kind style and can make excellent conversation starters for guests.
Whatever little touches you decide to add, make sure that they are adding to your space, rather than creating unnecessary clutter.
8. Establish a Flexible Design
Your style preferences and interests are likely to evolve over time, so you’ll need to keep updating your design in order to maintain the comfortable, homey vibe you’re going for. Whether it involves giving your rooms a fresh coat of paint or switching out the decor as the seasons change, try to periodically refresh your interior design so you can continue living in a home that you love.
