collaborative post
Your home should be a place you enjoy spending time, whether you’re on your own relaxing, doing chores, working from home, or doing something completely different. It shouldn’t be something that looks like it came straight out of a magazine, because although it might look nice for a while, it likely won’t resonate with you and your unique personality. A home should always reflect the personality of the people living in it! If you follow me on Instagram, you'll know that my home isn't at all insta-perfect and it's a working progress but over the last year or so I've done little bits here and there to add a bit of me to the house and I genuinely love it more with every little addition. It doesn't have to cost a fortune; but there are some simple little tweaks you can make to make your house feel like a home...
Let In More Natural Light
Natural light makes us healthier and happier. If we’re surrounded by artificial light 24/7, our health is going to suffer. Opening up your curtains or blinds to let in more natural light, and even having bigger, better windows put in could help you to brighten up your home and feel happier there. In all honesty I've got vampire tendencies where light is concerned and I'll quite happily sit in the dark on my laptop but it does lift my mood so much when I open the patio curtains.
Curtains £34.99 (Home Bargains)
Add a little bit of colour
I know grey is the 'in' colour at the moment and I'll not lie, I've got quite a bit of grey in my living room but actually just by adding a bit of colour in the dusky pink curtains has transformed the room totally and made it so much lighter! There's nothing wrong with grey but I would say to inject a little bit of colour now and again just to break it up and make it look less 'clinical'
Quote sign £2.99 (The Range)
Accessorise when you canAccessories have gradually been introduced into my house and I always make sure that whatever I do accessorise with actually means something to me. Make sure you take your time when you choose your accessories, and that they really speak to you. For instance, art on the walls is a very personal thing, so you need to choose pieces that will make you happy in the long term, and not just pieces that you think will impress guests or go with that particular temporary colour scheme. Remember, it’s better to have larger, fewer accessories that you really love rather than lots of smaller ones cluttering up your space. I particularly like prints as wall art because they don't necessarily rely on a certain colour scheme and I also love the wire initials that I have from Next because they're totally personal.
Don’t Scrimp On Your Furniture
Spending a little more on your furniture is a good idea, as you’re going to be using it an awful lot. It’s especially important to ensure it’s suitable if you have kids and pets. Will it stain easily? Will it last with lots of use? I had a bit of a dilemma when I bought my house in that I really loved a sofa from Next but obviously, being Next, the price tag was pretty hefty. However, I'd looked high and low and nothing came close in terms of how much I liked it and I just thought a sofa is something you sit on every single day and if I don't totally love it I'll regret it in the long run so I ended up splashing out on the Next Stamford.
Make Sure You Fix Issues ASAP
You shouldn’t let issues in your home go on for too long before fixing them. This can bring the overall energy of the home down and end up costing you far more in the long run. Electric Cooker Repairs should be taken care of ASAP (mine was making a really loud rattling noise when I moved in, which could have been anything but luckily it just needed readjusting and it's been fine ever since). As well as things like holes, cracks, draughts, and so on; just because they’re small doesn’t mean you should leave them... which reminds me, my settlement cracks are in desperate need of filling in!
Treat yourself to some plants/flowers
Plants and flowers look beautiful, and they have been proven to influence mood. Not only that, plants purify the air, making your home healthier. Aldi and Lidl often have some amazing deals on flowers and plants so it doesn't have to cost a fortune; a small bunch of tulips is usually only £2/3 and they do make all the difference.
Display Sentimental Items Around The Home
Although you might think this is clutter, sentimental items can actually make you happier. I actually encourage my niece to draw and make me things because I love displaying them but obviously there's no better source of sentiment than photos - I make sure I print them from my phone every so often so I've got hard copies to put into albums/frames. I also tend to buy magnets of some kind wherever I go so I've got a reminder on my fridge of where I've been and the amazing times I've had; I'm always looking for other quirky ways of displaying souvenirs though!
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