Making your House a Home

Feeling comfortable and at ease in your house is something that comes easily to some. For other’s it often takes a bit more time and also a bit more energy and decoration of the interior. Here’s some basic pointers to create a homely feel for a healthier, happier space and life.

Look through a new perspective

Consciously look through a fresh set of eyes and think about how the space your in makes you feel. From the furniture to the small decor items – what do these things mean to you, and are there any bad feelings like anxiety about any of them? Having a real thought process about the things you own will help you to decide what you do and don’t like within your home.

The biggest challenge I’ve had while living alone is looking at the things I own and thinking whether I chose them or they were bought to fit my room at my parents. I have red cushions because my room back home had red decor in it, but I’m more of a blue person, so I now have a blue cushion to go with the bedding I bought.

Clean the Clutter

Making your space neat and tidy helps to keep your mind neat and tidy. It’s a common thought process that people go through that having tidy surroundings will help them be more productive. This is basically because you’re not thinking constantly that you need to add tidying to your to-do list. Also, a lot of clutter can cause a bit of a sensory overload, which will stress you out.

If you look around you – no seriously, look around right now – how many items can you see that you haven’t used in the past week? I’m gonna guess with a lot? If you don’t like something you own, and it’s not a necessary item, get rid of it. If it’s something you won’t use until next season then put it away until you need it again. Those decorations can probably stay, but that pile of clothes on your chair is not decoration.

Personalise

Bringing in your own touch for decoration will always help make your house feel more homely. It’s all good going for that white minimalist instagram worthy home, but without those pieces of you, it will continue to feel more like a hotel.

In order to really personalise your home you should first think about what design features you like. Some people love plain furniture like the white and black furniture you can get from IKEA. There’s the options of different types and colours of woods. What do you think of having glass tables? Use pinterest, magazines and instagram to figure out what you personally like before you start buying.

Smaller things such as cushions, throws and curtains are also important. I love having furry and soft throws and blankets all over my flat. Not only because they look cute, but because I’m always cold. They’re not just a design choice, they’re a very personal choice in the fact that I really need them most days.

Fix or Throw-away broken things

Keeping your belongings up to scratch is important for your own peace of mind. You want to be able to get out of bed every morning and know that everything is reliable. Is there anything that’s broken in your home? If your home isn’t working properly, you won’t feel like your best self. If you’re not going to fix it then throw it away. And no, you can’t keep it and tell yourself you’ll get round to fixing it. If it hasn’t been fixed in the past 10 weeks, throw it.

Focus on your bedroom

The bedroom is where we take our daily energy replenishment and it’s extremely important to make you feel happy and healthy within it. If you don’t this can negatively impact your sleeping routine which will leak out to your mind and health in general. Remove electronics, keep space available and make it as homely as possible. Also, keep the foot of the bed facing the door as this is subconsciously the ‘safest’ direction to sleep.

If like me you live in rented or student accommodation and can’t always choose the layout of your room or being able to have multiple rooms then don’t worry. Just remember to give your self time everyday to just sit and relax within your room. I know everyone says this but remember to turn your electronics off before bed. Give yourself time to make your bed, and tidy your room in general.