Apr 06 2010
Tips to Make Your Home Comfortable and Appealing
Your home should be your refuge, a place to relax. Yet all too often people don’t feel comfortable in their own homes-why is this? Could it be the décor? Sometimes when we strive to make our homes as beautiful and stylish as possible, it all ends up looking a bit too contrived. So if you find that many of your home’s furnishings and accents are simply there for looks, you may want to consider a change.
Home Is About Making YOU Feel Good
Of course, you want your home to look attractive to others, but you need to ask yourself, at what price? If you can’t even stretch out and enjoy your own surroundings, then there’s a problem. Remember that this is your home and you should feel at home within it. Home is meant to be a place where families can relax, talk about the day’s activities, and enjoy life. In your home, you’re meant to feel totally at ease and happy in your surroundings.
You don’t have to necessarily use a certain style to decorate your home. Even if you favor cozy country accents and surroundings, that doesn’t mean you can’t include other items in the room, even if they don’t directly match the décor. All those quirky things placed here and there are what make your home uniquely individual and different.
Thus, by all means display any photos, tapestries, and other accents that are special to you. Sometimes rooms that are too refined look uncomfortable, Thus, eclectic décor is a great look. The goal is not to create a room where everything is perfect, as if nothing has ever been touched. Rather, you want the room to look lived in, to feel warm and inviting.
What About Color?
In décor and style, color plays a huge role. Everything you include in a décor is going to have color, where it’s a bold dramatic color like royal, red, or gold, or classic tan and beige. Soft pastels, botanicals, and other colors all have a real effect on your mood. Many people don’t realize just what an impact color can have. For instance, a bright, citrusy color will be refreshing and will lift your mood, whereas beige and tan hues are relaxing. With dramatic colors, you can really add elegance to the atmosphere.
Don’t be too hasty in deciding what colors to use in a room. Spend some time contemplating what effect different colors can have on you. When looking at a certain color, how does it make you feel? What are your favorite colors and why?
Then you can take some of those favorite colors and splash them on furnishings, walls, and accents around the room. Add some depth to a room by using several shades of the same color. Use a lighter shade to paint the walls, and then use deeper shades for doors, baseboards, and chair rails. It’s amazing how a simple change of color can make a room come alive.
It’s best to forget any rules when it comes to your home. In the end, what you want is a comfortable, relaxing space that you can look forward to coming home to at the end of a long day. So work to create a home that’s uniquely yours. Why go with a style or design that only mimics what your friends have?
Create an original style of your own. You will create a space you can feel at home in, and others will be impressed with your creative genius. After all, a home that’s just the way you like it is truly “home sweet home.”
