Your home is your castle. It’s the place where you spend so much of your time and somewhere you want to feel safe and comfortable. Creating a home that you love is what differentiates a home from a house and is something that everybody strives for. But where do you start?
Decluttering and organising your home
If you have a decor aesthetic in mind, you might be inspired to leap right into switching up your home. However, you should always start the true process by initially decluttering organising and cleaning your home.
Decluttering helps you get rid of unnecessary things around your home, such as equipment from old hobbies or clothes that no longer fit. Ask yourself the Marie Kondo question, ‘Does this bring me joy?’ – if you can find joy, use and purpose in the item, then keep it. But if not? It’s time to be donated or thrown out.
Organising your home will help you understand what space you have, what areas of your home you can fill and what needs to be stored better. Organising will also help prevent your home from being cluttered in the future. Remember, less is more.
Find your personal home design style
Here is where the switch to a home you love starts to come to fruition. From the minimalist to the eclectic, each home is a reflection of the occupants’ own personality and style.
To find your own personal home design style, think about the environment you want to create in your home and what makes it unique. Do you want your home to be a reflection of you and your family? Do you want a calming aesthetic flowing through the home? Do you have a favourite place or period you want your home to reflect?
A great tip for finding the aesthetic of your home or specific rooms is to think of keywords, such as ‘neutral’, ‘coastal’ or ‘colourful’. Search these keywords on sites such as Google Images, Pinterest or Instagram, along with ‘home decor’ to find inspiration for what your home could look like.
Home interior design with intention
Everything you add to your home should have intention behind it; whether it be furniture or decoration. Furniture should always be suitable to your lifestyle, space and budget – and the more versatile, the better! Should you want to change your home decor aesthetic in the future or widen your family, would the piece still work?
You should also create intentional spaces. If you work from home or are deeply into a hobby, is there a place dedicated for you to do so? Some people just want a book nook or a cosy corner. Whatever space you need, try to separate your home from work and rest and create spaces where you can get on with what you want to do.
Home design and colour psychology
Did you know that colours can influence your mood and perception? Choosing the right colour palettes for your home and specifically each room, can have a huge impact on its desired ambience and functionality.
Bright, warm colours, such as reds oranges and yellows often make us feel energetic and happy, whereas subdued colours, such as blues, greens and purples can make us feel calm and relaxed. However, even a fresh coat of paint, whatever the colour, can help a house feel brand new again.
Find colours that blend well or contrast with each other, matching to the home aesthetic and environment you want to create. You can do this through paint, wallpaper, furniture, accessories and textiles – depending on your budget and potential landlord permission.
Bringing natural elements into your home
There are so many benefits to incorporating natural elements into your home, such as creativity, productivity, better air quality and better sleep. This is known as biophilic design – connecting the home and those inside it to the outdoors and nature. Whether it’s botanical-inspired decor and house plants dotted about, breathe life into your home with indoor greenery and create a harmonious indoor-outdoor connection.
The importance of light in your home
Light in the home creates ambience and dominates the environment you’re constructing. Whether it’s a floor lamp in a corner to create a cosy living room or a dramatic accent light in your dining room, light fixtures and the brightness they give can impact the functionality and mood of the room.
And like bringing natural elements into the home, bringing in natural light has many similar benefits. Find smart ways to bring light into your home, such as sheer drapery to open up windows and strategic mirror placement for light reflection, to truly open your home up.
Creating a cosy and welcoming home
A home should always be somewhere you love coming back to; welcoming you and your guests in with open arms. Nothing says a welcoming home quite like somewhere cosy and comfortable.
Layering different textures, adding soft furnishings and creating cosy nooks is a great way to do this. Avoid uncomfortable cushions and scratchy blankets, even if they match your aesthetic and turn to textiles that make you want to snuggle into the sofa after a long day.
Sounds and scents around your home can also help with this. Steer clear of strong-scented sprays and candles that are prone to giving headaches and instead opt for subdued, gentle smells. Sounds, on the other hand, are completely personal. Play music that makes you feel comfortable – whether it’s some soft jazz or heavy metal – make your home sound like you.
How to truly create a home you will love
Creating a home you love doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to go out, get rid of everything you own and buy new. Often, DIY projects with personal touches can massively impact the space you are in; such as upcycling and repurposing old furniture and accessories.
Your home should be a joyful space. Group your favourite collections together and show off your special items. Incorporate memories and those you love. Personality and aesthetics in a home aren’t one-size-fits-all.
Treat your home well, by keeping it clean and organised. Make it a place you want to come ‘home’ to – not just a house. And embrace its imperfections. No home is ever going to be perfect, but you can always make it ‘yours’.
