Is Your Home a Museum? 5 Simple Ways to Make Your Home More Welcoming
Some homes that are beautiful and perfectly styled are also too museum-like in quality, in that they’re cold and uninviting. This is perfectly fine if your home is a registered historical site, but not so terrific if you are looking to impart a sense of comfort and warmth. If you want your friends and family to love your home’s decor while still feeling at home, follow these tips for creating a warmer space. After all, a house isn’t a home until it feels livable. Just be forewarned that having such a fab home could mean that you won’t get any time to yourself!
1. Be Inviting Right from the Start
Your front door and entryway provide the perfect opportunities for setting the tone of your home right from the start. Increase your home’s curb appeal by adding a clean welcome mat, a cute sign with an inviting message, and a leafy plant or even multiple plants. There are also different shutter frame styles that are more inviting than others – browse the various styles until you find that feels homey. This first tip will instantly let your visitors know that they are stepping into a warm and welcoming home.
2. Make it Easy to Get around Your Home
Sure, you may not mind moving a chair every time you have to get to the far end of the dining room table, but your guests won’t feel comfortable enough to move around your furniture. Make it easy to move through your home by getting rid of any obstacles. This is especially important if you have little ones running around – nobody wants to step on a Lego! A home that is easy to navigate makes it easier for your guests to visit and mingle.
3. Choose Soft Textiles
When people see something that’s cozy, they may automatically feel cozier. Opt for soft rugs, plush ottomans, fluffy pillows, warm throw blankets…anything that makes you want to curl up with a cup of tea. Your antique quality furnishings may look pleasing to the eye, but do they convey a sense of hospitality and comfort? Oh, and don’t forget to actually let your guests use all of your cozy furnishings!
4. Get Rid of the Edges
Does your home’s furniture have a lot of hard lines and angles? You don’t have to completely refurnish your home. Soften harsh lines with rounder ones – put an oval rug on the floor, throw a blanket over the corner of a modern chair… There are various tricks for softening hard-edged furniture. Hard-edged furniture can also create a safety hazard for little ones. Nothing ruins a lovely evening quicker than a toddler cutting themselves on a sharp edge of a coffee table or desk.
5. Personalize Your Furnishings
No, you don’t need a monogram on every single thing in your home, but adding some type of personalization will remind others that they’re in an actual home, not a hotel. Reupholster old furniture with fun fabric, frame some of your kid’s artwork, display beloved cookbooks – anything that gives your home a custom touch. But remember to personalize judiciously. The last you want to do is convey a sense of self-importance.
No one wants to be known as the cold and uninviting family down the street. By following these tips, you’re bound to have a home that your friends can’t get enough of. Your home will quickly become recognized as a house of warmth and joy. Be prepared – yours is going to become the go-to get together house!