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How to Create a Home That Makes You Feel At Home: 9 Tips

guy relaxed at home

Moving into a new living space can be a tough time. You need to unpack boxes and set up the internet, all while watching the kids and ensuring they have what they need. Even though it’s your house, it can take time to feel truly your own. Use these nine tips to create a home that feels like home.

1. Natural Lighting

Natural lighting is a great way to start making your house feel comfortable. It can positively affect your mental and physical health when it comes through your windows. In past studies, one of the top features employees ask for in the workplace is natural light because of its effects on productivity. At home, it can help improve your mood and help you sleep better. If you live in a rural area, views of the outdoors can have a calming effect because of nature’s aesthetics.

2. Favorite Scents

Smells are potent and can give your body a rush of positive energy. After your first day unpacking, light candles with your favorite scents to fill the air with the smell of pumpkin spice, campfires, cookies or anything else you enjoy.

Another way to add aromas to your house is to make your favorite foods. Imagine how your home smells after cooking bacon and cinnamon rolls for breakfast or steak for dinner. Treat yourself and your family to a batch of homemade cookies. Food is an artistic expression and its smells can make you feel at home.

3. Artwork

Art is one of the most beautiful ways people express themselves and it’s an excellent way to put a personalized touch on a home. Whether you created the art or got it from a store, hanging art on your walls is a way to make a place your own.

Art makes people happy because it triggers dopamine surges in the brain. You get pleasure and satisfaction from seeing a beautiful painting on the wall. If you have kids, let them hang up a piece of artwork or use one from a project they made in school. There are numerous ways to express yourself with art, so find one that makes you feel at home.

4. Childhood Items

Nostalgia is a powerful tool in people’s lives. Sometimes, you may reminisce on the past and remember simpler times when you were a kid with fewer responsibilities. Incorporating elements from your childhood can be a creative way to decorate your home and make yourself feel more comfortable.

You can set up an old record player you listened to every night as a teenager. Maybe you have some board games you would play with your family and friends. If you have old pieces of furniture like a loveseat or a rocking chair, you can set up these pieces around your living room as a gentle reminder of home. They give off soothing energy and can help you if you’re feeling nostalgic or homesick.

5. New Paint

Another way to express yourself in your home is with the floor and wall colors. If you like your new house but feel like something is missing, experiment with repainting a room. When redecorating your home, pick your favorite colors and remember to match or coordinate with the floors. When you’re matching, you want the cabinets, furniture, frames and more to be the same color as the floors. You could coordinate as well — meaning they’re not the same color, but the colors still complement each other.

6. Comfortable Furniture

Comfortable furniture is essential if you work from home or plan on spending a lot of time there. Having a few reliable places to sit can help you relax and feel at home. For you, furniture may provide comfort in the form of nostalgia — like an old blanket or pillow that still has the same scent it did 20 years ago. Placing a decorative rug can be aesthetically pleasing and cushion your feet when walking around.

7. Pets

There’s hardly a better way to make yourself feel at home than with a pet. If you don’t have one, consider adopting a pet from a local shelter because they’ll provide you and your home with many benefits.

Imagine coming home from a long day of work and opening the door to see an excited dog who’s been waiting for you all afternoon. Sometimes, all you need is some puppy love to help get you through the day. Pets relieve stress and make people happy because they’re always there for support. Once your pet gets used to the living space, it won’t take long to make your home feel more comfortable for you.

8. The Entertainment Center

For the first few nights in the new house, a comforting TV show or movie can be what you need to relax and feel like you belong. Take some time to set up the entertainment center and plug in your TV. Once you have your internet connection, you’ll have all of your favorite media ready at your fingertips. You can get others involved by having a family night with interactive video games, board games, movies or anything else your family enjoys.

9. Plants

Moving into a new home can be a stressful experience, especially in the first few days and weeks. One way to mitigate the anxiety is to place plants around the house, especially near windows. People with plants tend to have lower blood pressure and a better sense of well-being, according to a 2015 study. Houseplants can contribute to a better environment and improve the air inside your home.

Feeling at Home in Your Home

Even o nce your belongings are in the house, you may still feel like you don’t belong. It takes time for your brain to get used to the new surroundings and to feel comfortable. To ease the anxiety, use these nine tips for creating a home that feels like home.