Making a house a home is harder than it sounds.
Perhaps you just moved into your first apartment and feel it is too plain or uninviting. Or maybe you just bought your dream house but feel more like a visitor than a homeowner in luxury real estate. Whatever the case, you could use some help feeling cozier and homier in your space.
Creating a homey space might look different from person to person, but there are a few tips that can encompass several styles.
1. Get comfy with rugs and carpets.
Brightening your floor with a rug or a carpet that feels nice and soft as you step on it gives more texture and adds comfort.
Rugs are great for the following areas:
- Hallways: Runners or long rugs can make a hallway feel homier.
- Bedrooms: A large carpet can encourage more relaxation in a bedroom.
- Living room: A soft and fluffy rug that ties in with your sofa and seating can do wonders for your living room.
- Kitchen: Placing a patterned rug in your kitchen can create a comfy and homey atmosphere.
- Bathroom: Non-slip rugs or bathmats are great for bathrooms.
- Any room! Honestly, a rug or two can suit any space.
Carpets are also great for warming up a room. A neutral color like brown or a textile carpet can be a nice addition to a space.
You can also mix different styles by layering rugs and carpets.
2. Add some softness
A living space with beautiful walls, amazing interior design, and decoration may still feel stiff without some softness.
Adding more pillows, cushions, linens, and throws can make your home cozier and homier. Match the pillows of your home furniture with coordinated cases. You can also incorporate neutral drapery on shelves and tables.
Blankets and quilts can cozy up a couch and make it feel more inviting. The goal is to make the area feel comforting and relaxing.
Curtains are also a great way to add more softness and texture to a space. In the colder months, switch your curtains for heavier and thicker ones for warmth.
3. Grow plants indoors
Bare rooms can transform with potted plants, adding life and bringing nature into your home. With plants in various sizes, shapes, and colors, you won’t run out of choices. Make the most of your space by adding lush and lively plants.
- Experiment with pots, planters, and hangings for your plants. For example, you can plant a small palm tree in a woven basket. If you lack floor space, hang a few ivies from the ceiling.
- Check that your plant placement aligns with the lighting in that area. South-facing windows are usually the brightest, so plants that need a lot of suns can go here.
- If you are new to growing plants indoors, try some succulents or low-maintenance plants like aloe vera.
4. Stress less with flowers and fake greenery
We get it. Real plants can be too much work sometimes, especially indoors.
Perhaps you have a young child that gets curious about dirt. Maybe you spend way too much time in your outdoor garden. Possibly you have already tried plants, and they just would not cooperate.
If you would rather not add real plants, you could try fresh flowers, dried flowers, or artificial plants. None of these need as much maintenance as potted plants. They all have advantages and disadvantages, so choosing between them is about what best suits your home.
Fresh flowers are beautiful, introduce floral scents, and last longer than you think. They do need a little maintenance by changing the water and trimming the stems, but the results are well worth your efforts.
Meanwhile, dried flowers can last up to a year and bring many of the scents and beauty of fresh flowers. Dried flowers can create a more rustic or natural look, so they go well with wood or vintage décor.
Artificial plants can be a great alternative to real plants, too. Good-quality plants of this type can be almost indistinguishable from real ones.
5. Warm up your lighting
Lighting is an important part of a homey atmosphere.
Try thinking of the last cozy place you have been to. Whether you thought of a café or someone’s house, you probably pictured an area with ambient music and warmer lighting.
Warm lighting refers to light that is closer to orange than blue. The extremely orange side is usually associated with vintage designs. While you can go orange if you want, even a few shades warmer can make a difference.
By incorporating warm lights into your spaces, you can change their atmosphere to something cozier and more comfortable.
Here are some ways to get warmer lighting:
● The simplest way is to replace your lightbulbs with warmer ones.
● You can also add warm lights like candles and lamps to areas that need them. Layering light this way makes for a more interesting feel.
● If you want variety for different situations, consider getting smart bulbs that you can control the color of. That way, you would not have to change lightbulbs to switch from white light to warm light.
● Decorate with interesting lights. String lights and nice lanterns can add a beautiful touch to a room.
● Mirrors reflect light in interesting ways. Mirrors and lighting are great interior design hacks that can help make your place seem bigger and brighter.
6. Get some artwork
Look around and imagine a few bare walls with a nice framed painting or a canvas photograph. Artwork helps make a space feel more lived in and adds personality to your home. Use adhesive hooks or command strips instead for condo-living folks who can’t poke holes in walls.
When choosing artwork, ask yourself the following questions:
- Is it a good size for the space? You can try a painting as a focal point in a room or a large hanging textile to add texture to a piece of furniture.
- Do its colors play well with its surroundings? Your chosen artwork does not need the same colors as your décor, but putting together pieces that are complementary or match the style of the space can give a more cohesive effect.
- Will it look good by itself or next to other artworks? You can combine a few rows of small pieces or surround a large painting with smaller ones. Curate them to make the space feel dynamic and distinctively yours.
There are also alternatives to buying artwork.
- Do you have textiles or crafts you can use? Don’t limit yourself to paintings and prints. You may have beautiful sculptures, yarn crafts, or paper decorations that are hidden away. Consider displaying these artworks.
- Have you stashed away printed photographs or polaroid pictures? Hang your favorite memories up or put them together on a corkboard.
- Display your children’s artwork! You may already have a few on the refrigerator, but think about framing or hanging one or two of them. This can be fun for them too, and you can choose new ones to put up every year.
- If you’re on a budget, you can always find free printable pieces online and print them yourself!
7. Tidy up
Nothing can make a messy space feel homier than tidying up.
Observe closely the spaces that do not feel quite right. You might find something that needs tidying or relocating. Perhaps your shelves are not arranged nicely. Maybe that prized table would be better in a bigger space.
Finding a place for everything in your home may take some time, but it can be an excellent technique to achieve a tidy home.
Organize your homes with the following tips.
- Arrange books by size or color.
- Arrange clothes by style (casual, work, sleep, party, etc.).
- Group items together and store them in boxes or organizers that stack. Old containers like shoe boxes and jars can be repurposed as organizers.
- If you like to hoard, you probably have a lot of things you do not necessarily like but just do not want to let go of. Donate, give away, or throw them away to make space for what matters more to you.
- Discard first and organize after you have removed the things you do not need. This method allows you to more clearly see where to start.
- Make tidying a habit and involve other family members.
Make your house a home.
Turning your space into one that feels comfortable and homey takes time and effort, but it is worth it!
You can add comfort with rugs and carpets, then make it cozy with pillows, blankets, and other similar soft objects. Add life and vibrancy by growing plants indoors, decorating with flowers, or styling realistic-looking plants.
Incorporate warmer lights and display artwork to bring out more personality. Of course, tidying up and neatly organizing your things make a big difference.
At the end of the day, these tips can make a huge difference in cozying up your space and let you feel truly at home.
