Interior design has the power to truly transform a property, but that doesn’t mean that any design upgrades will have your house feeling like yours. If your house feels out of balance, less than personalized, or decorated to someone else’s taste, your beloved property isn’t going to feel like that safe, homely space that you deserve it to be.

This guide will help you to think differently about your space and how you can make it more tailored for you.

6 Signs Your House Needs a More Homely Touch

1. There are not enough personal items in your home
2. You don’t feel comfortable with the way it’s decorated
3. It feels more like a show home than a personal home
4. Others have commented that it doesn’t feel like your space
5. Your property lacks coziness or warmth
6. You feel like you’d enjoy more company in the property, as it lacks signs of activity
   
   

How to Make Your House a Home: A Guide

Put Time and Energy into Your Bedroom

Your home should be a safe space to sleep at night where you can relax and forget about the stresses of the day. That’s why your bedroom is going to be one of the most important rooms in your home. If you’ve neglected the bedroom, it can have you feeling less than relaxed when you retire for the night. Especially if you haven’t put much thought into decorating, cold and bare bedrooms with no personal amenities can make a bedroom feel uninviting.

The most important aspect of a bedroom to think about is the bed. Your bed should be completely tailored for you and how you like to sleep so that you can call it your own. If you have a bed that isn’t your preference — such as a mattress which isn’t your desired firmness, or maybe even a bed frame that was gifted or furnished with the property that you don’t particularly like — then you aren’t going to feel fully connected to your bedroom space when you’re trying to relax.

Therefore think about upgrading your bed, choosing the perfect mattress for you, and furnishing your bed (and room) with soft, cozy furnishings and items which help you to personally relax.

Choose a colour scheme for the room which best helps you relax, too. The bedroom is always a room worth decorating. If blue is a colour that soothes you the most, then make sure this appears somewhere in the room. Or, if dark and bold colours are your preference to help you feel at home, then make sure they’re there.

Get a Pet

Pets do make a house a home. They provide a warm greeting for you when you arrive home, they provide lots of activity for the property if you get an active animal like a dog or a cat, and they provide love and companionship. Getting a pet can be perfect if you live alone and would like to fill your property with extra company and liveliness, or they can be the perfect completion for family life if you have young children (or are planning on any).

The right pet for your home will depend on your budget, the type of pet you’re looking for, how much time and energy you can spare, and what your particular property can provide. The following are some pet tips to help you decide.

Dogs are a great option for lively companionship, home protection, and an active lifestyle.

Cats are a great option for loving companionship, but if you don’t have a lot of time to spare for daily walks.

Small pets are perfect for those who don’t want bigger or active pets, and animals like hamsters or rabbits can be great for indoors.

Exotic pets are a great choice if you want something different and would like to keep a tank or cage indoors, such as lizards or snakes.

Whatever pet you choose, always remember to have a good vet selected, like an Easy Vet clinic, for health checkups and initial vaccinations if you are getting a young pet.

Put Personal Items on Show

This doesn’t mean that you have to put every photograph you own on every shelf or clutter rooms with personal items. Even minimalists can enjoy a few very important personal items in their space. Think about some treasured items that you would really love to show off or would make you happy to see every day. This could be your favourite books on a shelf, a photograph you particularly love, a unique piece of wall art, or maybe a wall of trophies you’ve won over the years.

Anything personal you can introduce to your space will have it feeling like yours, and yours alone, because only you can have those memories or make those particular design decisions with your belongings.

Don’t Be Afraid of Clutter

It’s okay to be tidy, and in fact, it’s encouraged, but also allow yourself to let items stay on display. It’s these small touches that can really have your property feeling like a home. This could be your favourite pair of shoes always left on a mat by the door instead of packed away. It could be a coat rack on display instead of coats stored in cupboards or behind doors. It could be the bookmarked novel you were reading left askew on the coffee table or your favourite cozy blanket left in your favourite spot on the sofa instead of neatly folded away.

All of this is evidence of your daily life in your home, and if you try to remain too tidy or remove any evidence of you going about your daily routine, it’s going to feel too much like a show home without much personality.

Final Thoughts

Only you can know what would make you feel more at home on your own property. Is it a certain colour of the wall, a particular photograph on the shelf, or merely letting yourself be a bit messier and leaving out your favourite daily items? Making your house a home is all about extra personality, coziness, and whatever you can do to feel more relaxed.