Written by Melissa Holdbrook-Akposoe
Image by @HomaryUK
I didn’t realised how tricky it actually is to decorate a house so it feels like a home. You know that warm cosy feelings that you get when you walk into someone’s house? It feels like it’s full of love. Yeah well you’re not going to get that with a few coffee table books. It’s actually quite a difficult thing to curate! But of course, I’m back from battling with my trials and errors to give you the very best tips on how to make your house a home.
Ambient lighting
This is KEY. The reason why a lot of people’s houses feel like homes is because of this very thing. Lamps are a great way of creating ambient lighting which is great for giving a homely feel. There’s nothing like it getting to 7pm and turning on all the lamps in your home instead of your aggressive over head lights – they really give off a moody yet cosy feel. A mixture or floor lamps and table lamps is the way to go and the key to nailing this ambience is by using yellow light bulbs! They give off a more sultry feel.
Rugs in the kitchen
Yeah – this may sound a bit obscure but it’s not! The most homely houses I’ve visited have had rugs in the kitchen. Kitchens usually have some kinda cold tile going on flooring wise and rugs just bring some warmth back into the room. It makes any house feel that little bit more homely. Get a washable runner rug so you have to issues when it comes to cleaning.
Picture frames
You know I’m an advocate for picture frames – when do I not bang on about them? There’s just nothing more heart warming than guests visiting your home and seeing pictures of your fondest memories. Put them in a rustic frame and it’ll definitely give off a homely feel.
A proper laundry basket
I think laundry baskets are one thing that a lot of people don’t consider to be I portent but they are! Laundry is not sexy – we get it but I’m all about making functional things aesthetically pleasing. Switch out your plastic one for one that looks like you made a bit more effort and trust me, you’ll be happy you did.