
Have you ever moved to a new house, where everything was in the right place, the decorations were just like those that you've been admiring for years on Pinterest, the design was breath-taking... but you still felt there like a stranger? Even though you thought it's a house from your dreams, you couldn't resist feeling that this place isn't really yours?
That's the exact difference between a house and a home. However, there are some ways to make your house feel more homely with little effort to help you get rid of the daunting feeling that you are just a guest at your place. You can transform even the coldest indoors and the most minimalistic designs into cozy homes that will make you feel like you belong there.
A Little Warmth
The feeling of alienation in a new house is often associated with a sense of cold. And it's not only about the temperature inside but rather lack of warmth and emotional bond with a place. Nothing but a real fireplace would instantly evoke the memories of you being in your hometown in the middle of a fierce winter feeling safe and sound.
But don't worry, if you live in a flat or a house that lacks this fantastic facility. You can always make it feel like home with the electric fire. Not only can you spend time with your family on the comfy sofa, enjoying flickering flames, but you can also warm yourself up. The best electric fires can significantly change the way you feel at home right away.
Memories on the Walls
What can help in giving a soul to a new place is making it more personalized. And nothing is as personal as the photos of you and your beloved ones. Choose your favorite pictures that capture the moments where you were the happiest and frame them. Hang your family photos on the walls in the living room or put the frames on the cabinets. It's a great way to use free space at home!
Beautiful Scent All-Around Your Place
It's not only what you see that makes you feel at home but also what you smell. Emotions, memories, and smell are strictly intertwined. You probably still remember certain smells that immediately make you feel homey or can evoke the scent of your first boyfriend's jacket.
Use the scent power to make a house feel like a home as soon as you cross the front door. It can be something as simple as lavender washing powder your mother used in your childhood, that you can start to use again to evoke warm memories.
Invest in scented candles of various shapes, colors, and smells. They always add a magical aura to your place, and they're a classy piece of decoration. When you clean your house, use scented cleaning materials and invest in an air freshener that smells like fresh flowers.
The Power of Books
Do you feel cozy in the rooms with shelves full of colorful book covers (great list of awesome books here). ? If you're a bookworm, don't hide all your precious treasures in your basement. You can use them as a piece of decoration that immediately adds warmth to your place.
Firstly, it makes a home more personalized, as the books you see on the shelves once meant something for you. And secondly, it's another way to use the space in a room and fill it with items that look good in any design.
Kitchen Full of Magic
If you feel like a guest in your kitchen, then probably cooking there isn't as enjoyable as it used to be in your old, a little dirty one that saw more than one cooking accident. And that's the clue!
Don't be afraid to put a jar of honey on the counter. Take the seasonings out of the shelves, and organize them in special boxes that will look esthetically-pleasing and make you feel more homely. Don't panic over each stain that you notice on new furniture. Remember that a house is for you, not otherwise.
The Bottom Line
Sometimes it takes time before a house feels like home. It's about the things you experienced there. It's the picture of your kids playing cheerfully on your favorite red carpet. It's a circled mark on the whatnot that you can't wash off that reminds you of your spouse making you an aromatic coffee in the morning. Or a stain of a red wine after a party with your best friends.
A home is where you feel safe; it's a place you want to come back to after a tiring day of work and a shelter from pouring rain the gloomy autumn afternoon. To feel like this at home, share beautiful moments with the ones you love in the place you live.