We all know the dilemma – you move into a
new house and you find it’s not as magical as you’d hoped. The thing is though
– the house hasn’t lost any magic – it’s just lost all those lovely details that
made it look more homely when someone else was living there!
All it takes to get the magic back and to
make it feel like your own forever home, is to start getting your own beloved
possessions into place as soon as you can. Moving home is hard enough without
worrying about settling in.
For me a home is all about comforts and the
little things that make me remember, this is my space and it’s my domain! This
is made up of lots of different details, areas and rooms – so I’ll try and go
through them all here. After all, we don’t want to feel like we’re living in
someone else’s house!
{Unpack}
This is my number one rule.
Unpacking needs to take priority and you need to get it done within the first
couple of weeks. Having boxes around the house isn’t going to make you feel at
home – it’s going to make you feel like you’re on a building site – so get
everything sorted as soon as you can. Even if you can get everything out and
organised within this time frame – at least but the boxes out of sight.
{Display}
I don’t know about you, but
I can never feel at home in a place unless I have some of my own photography
and memories surrounding me. Surrounding yourself with familiar faces, memories
and fond moments is the easiest (and quickest way) for you to stop feeling like
you’re in someone else’s house! It doesn’t have to just be framing either – you
can get creative. Display photographs in an interesting and intriguing way –
without breaking the bank.
{Texture}
Quite often it’s the
textures we choose for a room make it liveable. For your new home,
don’t be afraid to experiment with new textures. A big, cosy knitted blanket and cushions on
the sofa, crisp bedding and beautiful fabrics for window dressings will add that extra bit of luxury. Once we feel physically comfortable in a place, you’ll notice
yourself mentally adjusting to it too. Plus, after moving house and the stress
that comes with it – you deserve some silk sheets!
{Colour}
Lots of people move into a
new house and their initial reaction is to keep the walls white – because it’ll
have more selling value. But paint is paint and can always be re-done if ever
you do choose to sell in the future. Don’t waste time on white walls if it
makes the house feel cold and sterile – instead opt for a colour that makes you
happy, or warm or comfortable. If you don’t want to take the full leap – go for
a feature wall and only paint the one in colour. You’d be surprised how much we
associate colours with moods, and if you want to positively associate your new
house with positive feeling, a great way is to use colours you love. I grew up
in a house with a lime green kitchen (my mother’s favourite colour) and now
whenever I see a shade similar I can’t help but smile as it brings back all
those lovely memories.
{Live}
It can be difficult when
you’re in a new house (that you’ve spent a lot of money on) not to clean up the
slight mess as soon as it happens. But this isn’t how a home should be. A bit
of mess can actually make you feel more at home – the ‘lived in’ look is
underrated!
