The goal that everyone has for their house is to make a home. Some people will say that you only need your family and friends around to do this. And, this is true. But when they are not around, you need some things to help you create a space that you are happy to call a home. Here are some of the best ideas that we have ever seen to create a more homely space.
Photos
If you have a lot of family and friends, it might be tempting to look through those photos on social media. However, there is a better way to look at photos. For one, it is possible to get all of your photos on your phone printed off. What do you do with them after you have printed them? Pop them in an album and label them. This way, when you look back at them, you will have an accurate account of what is happening and who is in the pictures. You could even print off your favorite photos and create a gallery wall so that you can see your favorite faces everytime you walk down the hallway.
Travel Pieces
The world of travel might have been on hold for the last few years, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t celebrate the journeys that you have already taken. If you have traveled around America, you could capture your travels with Lakes of Wood as a way to signpost where you have been. Not only do they make excellent decor pieces, they can be talking points too. They can even be a great excuse to pull out the photo album that has all of your photos from that trip for everyone to see. Some people think that having the pieces or framed maps from your travels out on display is tacky but we believe it is a great way to remind you of where you have been.
Art Work
There is a saying, “Art should disturb the comfortable, and comfort the distrubed”. We are not sure if we agree with it but art should be interesting. There is too much wall art that lacks no meaning and is mass produced. If you are going to have something on your walls, pick something from a local artist or frame something your child has made. Art is subjective and what you like will not be to everyone’s taste. But that is ok, you don’t have to make excuses about what you hang in your home to anyone. If you can, check out the local art galleries and shows to see what the local art community has to offer. You might pick up some beautiful original pieces for a bargain. And, if you are lucky, they will increase in value over the years.
Color Scheme
As beautiful as some homes are, they just aren’t us. And this is ok. Interior design trends will come and go, we need to be comfortable with our own tastes. For example, there is no point having a dark living room with a feeling of gothic horror when you are really into creamy colors and chunky knits (or vice versa). Your home is for you to relax in and spend your time. So, if you would like to have dinner at a large dining table while sitting in a high back chair, then go for it. If you want to relax in a bathroom that has more zen than a buddhist monk’s bathhouse, make it a reality. Whatever the color scheme that you are into, make it part of your home. Pay more attention to what makes you comfortable and brings you joy than what’s in the latest issues of BHG magazine.
Nerd Corner
There are many different things that you can geek out over. The obvious options are comic books and fantasy games (because that is what nerd culture is about) but you can geek out over anything. The thing that you have to ask yourself is, what are your hobbies? If you love ballet, make a ballet corner with any trophies and photos. If you like cross stitch, put a full up on the wall in a certain area of the house. If you like Star Wars, consider getting the Mandalorian Ruggable for your living room. Go ahead, indulge your inner nerd.
One of the best ways to display your hobby is with a set of shelves. Of course, if you have multiple interests, you could have a bookcase that is filled with little bits of your various interests. The nerd corner is more than just a place to show off your hobbies but a space in your home for the hobby items to go. For example, you could have a chest with your knitting stuff that doubles as a stand for your knitted dolls. Or a unit with hold your fishing trophies and some of your kit for making flies in a safe space.
Professional Awards
Let’s face it, we all work hard and have some stuff to show for it. It doesn’t matter if you have a bunch of certificates that mean nothing to anyone outside of your workplace or a doctorate in astrophysics, you have worked hard to get where you are. This should be celebrated. If you have been lucky enough to have received anything from your job or career, get it out on display. Show off those awards and expensive pieces of paper that say that you are good at something. The same rule should be applied to the rest of the family. Get those pictures out of your kids getting awards. Show off those badges and achievements. One of our personal favorites is how some people like to display these achievements in their guest bathroom. That way, when anyone comes to visit, they get to see how awesome you are as they use your toilet!
Make Your House A Home
And there you have it, some ideas to make your house a home. If there is one thing that should be obvious from this post, it is that you need to inject some of your own personality into your house. It is this little bit of you and your family that will make a house a home. So, make space to show off your adventures, your hobbies, and your achievements to make your house a home.
