Winter plus a pandemic equals the guarantee that we’ll be spending a lot of time in our homes for the next while. If your home isn’t feeling as comfy and welcoming as you’d like, now is a great time to make some changes! Now more than ever, it’s important to have a home you love.
Don’t underestimate the influence decor and colours can have on the look and feel of your home. Go through each room of your house and see where you’d like to make some updates! We also published a blog not long ago about high value home projects you can tackle this winter. You can find some extra tips on that here.
Keep it cozy
There’s nothing better than the feeling of comfort in your home. To achieve a cozy atmosphere in your house, take advantage of items that help make a space feel relaxed. Since it’s so freezing and dull outside, winter is a perfect time to turn your home into a cozy wonderland.
One of the best extras to have in your home is a collection of throw blankets. These are practical, and they add a nice touch to any room when they’re not in use. Similarly, some decorative pillows will also do the trick. You can create a pretty comfy environment in your home just by adding some throws (both blankets and pillows!) to the mix.
If you’re looking to go one step further, you can consider an addition like a fireplace. These certainly add an element of warmth to your house, not to mention how good they can look in a living room!
Showcase your style
Have you ever walked into someone else’s house and thought it was beautiful, but not your style? That’s fine when it’s a friend or a relative’s home, but you don’t want that feeling in your own house! After all, to have a home you love, it should reflect your tastes.
Consider what your “style” is. Are you modern, classic, or minimalistic? Maybe you’re into neutrals, or perhaps you love an explosion of colour. Whatever your tastes might be, bring them into your home. You can showcase your style with your furniture choices, colour schemes, materials, or decorations. There’s also thousands of online quizzes and websites that provide you with fun style inspiration.
Use unique accessories
There’s nothing wrong with buying accessories at a big chain store. On the other hand, it’s fun to show off your unique taste sometimes. There’s something exciting about having decorations you know no one else will have! With that in mind, think about ways to accessorize with unique pieces. For example, you can create a gallery collection of photos – either family and friends, or pictures you took yourself. There are many ways to arrange and organize these pictures to make a stunning layout you can display on a table or wall.
Another idea you can try is browsing for unique art pieces or accessories. Markets would typically be great for this, but this can also be an online process during the lockdown. Smaller, local businesses often carry super original items unlike those you might find at big chain stores. If there’s an art or decor store around you, that might be an excellent place to start.
Invest in plants
Are you a pro botanist, or can you barely keep a cactus alive? Either way, there’s a plant to match your abilities! The bright green of plants makes a home feel fresh and lively. Don’t worry… you don’t need to have a giant orchid collection or start a greenhouse. Adding a sprinkle of plants throughout your home will make it feel fun and bright.
If you have ample, open space, consider a larger potted plant. If your space is limited, a lovely little table plant will look great. Floral plants add a nice burst of colour but succulents are easier to keep alive – decorate within your comfort zone!
Add in some scents
Scent is often a forgotten sense, but it can be a super important part of creating the right atmosphere in your home. Different scents bring to mind different feelings, and people often match the scents in their home to the season. Caramel and apple are popular for fall, peppermint and gingerbread in the winter, florals in the spring, etc. The choice is yours – it’s your space, after all!
The right scent helps people feel relaxed and at home, not to mention how amazing they smell. Candles, air fresheners, and diffusers are some of the most common ways to add a pleasant scent to a space!
Create a relaxation area
While you want to love your home, not every single space will be a place for you to relax. You probably don’t associate your kitchen or office with chilling out, for example. With that in mind, you should designate a specific space to be a spot purely for relaxation. Choose your favourite little corner or room in your home, and work on making it your retreat.
Once you’ve established where your calm spot will be, don’t use that area for anything else. You want it to be the one place you know you can relax after a long day. Whether it’s a reading nook or a meditation spot by a window, let it serve just that purpose!
Maximize your favourite colours
Finally, have some fun with the colours in your house. To have a home you love, you should use your favourite colours throughout. What shades make you feel happy and relaxed? Throw those colours on your walls, use them in accessories like pillows, or let them stand out in furniture. Really, there’s no right or wrong with colour. If pink, blue, or green make you feel at home, use them however you like!
There are tons of ways to turn your house into a home you truly love. If you’re looking to buy a house and make it your home, I’d love to help you get started with the mortgage process! Give me a call at (705) 333-4338 or get in touch with me here.