How to make your house a home!
House noun \ ˈhau̇s \ a building for human habitation
I remember moving into my first house– what an exciting, stressful, expensive, and unpredictable time. I couldn’t help but feel like I missed the instruction manual everyone else in life got about how to deal with the unexpected setbacks that arise. Nonetheless, everything worked out in the end as it usually does and I became a homeowner. Even after I filled my new space with furniture and painted the walls to my liking, there seemed to be something missing that solidified this new place as my own.
Home noun \ ˈhōm \ the place where one lives permanently, especially as a member of a family
Making memories takes time, and I can assure you that the transformation will happen organically, but here are a few tips that helped me speed the process along…
- Fill the empty space with what you love!
Scroll through your Facebook and pull some pictures that make you smile. Send them to a local pharmacy to be printed and frame them throughout your home. If you love your city, country of origin, or even a musical artist or team, incorporate them too! Order a neat looking map of the world and some small pushpins; utilize this as an accent while marking everywhere you’ve been and all the places you’ve yet to go.
- Get organized
If you’re like me, you want your new home to look like it is fresh out of an interior design magazine… but remember, you have to LIVE in it! Make your home functional by leaving some essentials out, like frequently used cooking utensils integrated onto your kitchen countertops in a nice vase or your essential beauty products in a neat, open basket that accents the space. Find a place for everything that makes sense instead of getting to it later so the clutter doesn’t become overwhelming.
- Make it inviting
Your investment will take on a new meaning when it is shared to cultivate memories and laughter. Use jars to offer cookies, candies, or nuts to guests. Add some unique books to a tray on your coffee table with a scented candle. Keep living plants around to bring life indoors. Incorporate speakers into your major living spaces and make music a regular part of your home’s feel.
Get busy but don’t forget to take time to relax & stay a while.