There’s a big difference between living in a house and living in a home.
A house is a physical shelter that protects you from the elements. Sure, you come back to it when you need to, but it’s a place that you don’t have any lingering attachments to other than as a place to sleep in.
A home, on the other hand, has a warmer connotation to it. It’s a feeling associated with a place. It’s a whole bunch of memories weaved into the walls of a house.
If you want your house to feel more like a home, then you need to make more of an effort in its upkeep. With that said, below are some simple changes you can make that is sure to make your house feel like an actual home for you.
Keep your home clean
A clean home is always a nice place to come back to, and it may be a small reason your house just isn’t clicking as home yet for you.
If you haven’t been as consistent in cleaning it as you should and you’ve covered the home with all sorts of mess and clutter, then you should try and rectify that.
If you have a cleaner house, it makes it that much easier to settle into it and see yourself reflected in it better.
Create an inviting entrance
A home should feel like a big sigh of relief upon entry. That’s why you should make more of an effort into sprucing up the entranceway of your house.
The impression that your house gives you before you enter it can shift your whole mood for the better.
You can try adding more light in your entranceway. A gloomy entrance can make you feel gloomy as well. The right plants by the doorway is also a nice touch.
Change the window treatments
If you’re conscious about your privacy, then blinds and curtains are understandable.
However, some types of house blinds can make a home feel cold and sterile. Aside from that, there are not much style changes you can make with blinds.
Instead, invest in some attractive curtains that fit with the aesthetics of your home, and it can brighten up your home in more ways than you would have thought.
Leave out family photos
They say that home is where the heart is so you should make sure that your loved ones are in your home, one way or another.
This is the reason you should put up photos of your loved ones around the home and display them in attractive frames.
Commemorate memorable family moments and hang them up in frames. Pictures of pets are also an option and an adorable one too. It will make your home that much more personal.
Pick an aroma you love
A lot of us tend to associate scents with a memory.
How many times have you caught a whiff of something that seems to tickle a memory out of you?
With that said, you should make your house more of a home by picking out scents that you love and adorning your house with these scents.
Scented candles are always a nice touch. Essential oils with your favorite scents in a diffuser is also an option.
Bring plants into your home
One reason a place may feel lifeless is that there is actually no life in them, like plants.
Plants are always a nice touch in any place because not only does it look attractive, fresh, and full of life, but it also helps improve the quality of indoor air.
There are plenty of low-maintenance plants that you can try out if you can’t trust your green thumb at all. Also, you can do your research on which types of plants you want to keep around in your home and learn how to care for them properly.
Decorate your walls with art
Don’t leave your walls bare because these may make your house feel that much more empty, which is why you can’t view it as a home.
Decorate it with all sorts of art pieces.
If a wall is in front of a window, then install a decorative mirror on it so that natural light reflects around the room and makes the space much bigger than it is.
Place pillows and throws on your furniture
Plain furniture will show that you haven’t really made an effort into making your home as lived in and warm as it can be.
Make sure that you have some pillows and throws that match with the furniture. Nothing says comfort and a home more than pillows after all.
Some people even put on throw blankets for their sofa, which is a nice way of warming up your living room. It makes it more attractive to stay in and cuddle upon.
Light up some scented candles
Candles aren’t just unused displays on your coffee table. Don’t forget to light them up.
There are scented candles, too, which can bring out all sorts of smells. Find the one that you like the most and occasionally light one up in certain areas of the room to make it that much more inviting to stay in.
Wrap up
Just because you have a new home doesn’t mean that you need to wait years upon years to make it a true home for you. With these simple changes, your house is sure to become a home for you in no time.
About the Author – Jacky Xu is the Chief Operating Officer for MaidSailors.com, a provider of cleaning services in NYC. Maid Sailors take pride in providing unparalleled cleaning services at affordable prices. Maid Sailors help transform your house into a home.
