When you move into a new house, it can take a while for it to feel like home. It is common for you to feel out of place, homesick, and even melancholic. After all, you are moving to a new location, with different neighbors, and an empty structure. For those of you that have moved at least once, you know it is not the physical building that makes a home, but the things and the people inside. In case you need a little help warming up to your new space, we have compiled a list of ways to turn your new house into your forever home.
#1 – PICK A SIGNATURE HOME SCENT
This first tip to create the home of your dreams is to select a signature scent. Just like people have their signature perfume or cologne, you should choose a distinct, and pleasant, scent that your family and guests can recognize as soon as they enter your home. While this may seem strange, studies show that 75% of our emotions are triggered by smell. Walt Disney, one of the world’s largest companies uses this knowledge to enhance their guests’ experiences at their many parks. Using discrete vents, they pump different scents across the park to create a magical ambiance. This helps guests create detailed and pleasant memories and leaves them longing to return. While you’re probably not looking to increase foot traffic in your home, you can use scents to control the ambiance in a similar way. Use aromas to create a relaxing atmosphere for deeper sleep or a sharp environment for a focused work session.
Electric aroma diffusers are the perfect way to achieve a subtle yet pleasant scent in any space in your home. Electric diffusers, such as the Vitruvi Stone Diffuser, are designed with vibrating equipment that emits tiny droplets of essential oil into the air to deliver a heatless and long-lasting aroma. Convenient, compact, and versatile, they feature an easy plug-in so that you can connect them in any space large or small. Aroma diffusers also come in many designs, so they don’t take away from your interior décor. Make sure you do your research on essential oils before purchasing so you can select the best aromas for your home needs!
#2 – SELECT A COLOR SCHEME
The next tip may seem simple, but many people overlook it: select a color scheme for your home. But not just any color! In tip #2 we covered how our sense of smell impacts our mood, now we will cover how colors affect our behavior and emotions. Research has demonstrated that certain colors are linked to our well-being. For example, the color white has been shown to evoke feelings of peacefulness and the color grey has been linked to a sense of balance. With such significant impacts, you must do your research and experiment with different colors to find the one that will best complete your home.
In addition to color psychology, an up-to-date color scheme is important to create a cohesive look throughout your space. In recent years, pastel hues have become increasingly popular. Implementing colors with grey undertones will pair well with any décor for a more elevated look. And do not worry, you will not have to hire a professional interior designer to figure this out! There are several free tools online, known as “Color Palette Generators” that will help you develop a color scheme based on an image or a color wheel. You can use an inspiration image or start with a single pastel color to develop a combination that will create a harmonious and personalized ambiance throughout your home.
#3 – CUSTOMIZE YOUR COOLING & LIGHTING
Are you currently able to customize your home’s cooling and lighting to work for you? In your home, you should have ultimate control of your lighting and ventilation so you can create the ideal ambiance for any activity. Imagine scheduling your fan to turn on 20 minutes before you leave work so that your place is cool and fresh by the time you get home. Or conveniently dimming the lights using your smartphone as you settle into the couch for family movie night. These are the little details that will make your house feel like home. And with SMAFAN smart ceiling fans, it has never been easier!
Smart ceiling fans come in modern designs and are built with the latest in motor and lighting technology, so you are always in control! Experience ultra-quiet and powerful airflow thanks to the 10-speed DC motors and select from different airspeeds for the perfect breeze. Modern ceiling fans, like the Explorer 52＂outdoor ceiling fan, are also designed with versatile LED light kits that allow you to alternate between Warm, Neutral, and Cool light tones, dim the lighting from 100% to 1%, and enjoy super powerful lighting for over 50,000 hours. Equipped with smart technology, you can control your Wi-Fi fan from anywhere in your home using your smartphone, Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri Shortcuts, and the convenient remote control.
#4 – ACCESSORIZE YOUR SPACE
Another great way to personalize your home is to add accessories. Now, we are all familiar with accessorizing our outfits; we like to add jewelry, hair pieces, or maybe even bags to complement our clothes. When we accessorize our outfits, we are adding small touches of our personality to create a look that is entirely our own. Home accessories do the same for our space; they add color and charm that reflects our personality for an ambiance that feels complete, unique, and intimate.
So, what do home accessories look like? “Home accessories” is a huge umbrella term for any small to medium-sized items that you can incorporate as part of your décor. They include table lamps, throw blankets, decorative pillows, candles, and more. A good tip to follow when selecting an accessory for your space is to choose something that will be functional just as much as it is stylish. For example, if you are an avid bedtime reader, it would be a good idea to incorporate table lamps to add both light and style to your space. You want to avoid selecting items that are just meant to add to the décor in your home. Over time, items that are not used often tend to get forgotten in a corner just to accumulate dust. Instead, select accessories that you know will be convenient and useful for a comfortable home.
#5 – PROTECT YOUR HOME
One of the most important factors that determine whether your house feels like home is safety. Imagine coming home to find out a stranger has invaded your privacy, rummaged through drawers, and roamed throughout the house. Even in the best possible scenario where nothing was taken and no one was hurt, this incident would leave you feeling unprotected in a space where you are supposed to feel the safest. Your home should be the one place where you and your family can guarantee feeling secure and sheltered. It should be a refuge from the outside world, and you should be able to control who is granted access.
While 24/7 vigilance is not possible because we all live busy lives, there are security systems available that can help us monitor our homes to achieve that peace of mind. These security systems are designed to detect unusual movement and alert homeowners so you can take immediate action. Another great benefit is that just by having visible monitoring systems on the outside of your home, you can help deter people from performing any illicit activities for fear of being caught on camera. Additionally, some monitoring systems, like the Blink Outdoor HD Security Camera, allow you to view your camera’s feed remotely, granting you peace of mind while you are away.
#6 – START A HOME GARDEN
Did you think we had forgotten about your yard? We know that the outside of your home is just as important as the inside of your home. When it gets too overwhelming indoors or when you simply need a breath of fresh air, having something to do in your yard can provide a delightful distraction and help brighten your day. You can start by making sure your yard space is clean and tidy so that it is an inviting place. After you have achieved a blank canvas, you can add things to your backyard that will bring joy to the entire family.
One of the best things to add to your backyard is a home garden! It gives you time to work with the soil, get to know your environment, and spend hours of fun with your family. The list of things you can plant is endless. If you’re a flower person, planting your favorite flower seeds, watching them sprout, and then finally seeing them bloom can be a super rewarding experience. You can also create a home vegetable/fruit garden so your entire family can enjoy fresh, delicious, and healthy produce that you all helped create from start to finish. Starting a home garden can make your yard look beautiful and it can make you feel more connected to your space.
#7 – PERSONALIZE WITH PHOTOS
This is a traditional tip with a twist: personalize your space with photos… digital photos. We’ve all seen it done with traditional frames, whether they’re mounted on the wall or carefully arranged on bookshelves. Surrounding yourself with images of people and things you love most is a surefire way of making any space feel like home. Everywhere you turn, there will be something or someone there to make you smile. However, having several frames around the house can make your space seem cluttered or unorganized. If you’re aiming for modern or minimalist décor, any clutter will clash with your style, no matter how much joy it may bring you.
Modern photo frames, like the Nixplay Ultra, are perfect for personalizing your space without all the clutter. They conveniently put together a slideshow of all your favorite images and display all of them in one modern frame. The Nixplay Ultra You can select between 1 and 3 digital frames in different sizes and styles to place them throughout your home to perfectly complement your décor and create the warmest home environment.
#8 – REARRANGE YOUR FURNITURE
The last tip is to rearrange your furniture to create a space that complements your routine. Sometimes people default to the configuration that was left by the previous person simply because they figure if it worked for the last person, it would also work for them. However, people have different likes, different hobbies, and different routines; furniture layout is not a one-size-fits-all. If you are a person that likes to read on the couch while drinking their morning coffee, you should place the couch closer to the window for optimal reading light. If you like to exercise while watching TV, you must leave enough space between the couch and the TV to place your yoga mat.
It may take more than one attempt to get the right furniture configuration and that is okay! If you want to avoid the extra hassle of moving furniture around, you can always search for an app that will allow you to try different virtual configurations. Furniture arranging tools allow you to take a picture of your floor plan so you can conveniently experiment with different furniture configurations from the comfort of your smartphone. If you want to be extra meticulous, you could also research the arrangement of objects and space for harmony, also known as the art of Feng Shui. The proper furniture arrangement paired with a comfortable breeze, soothing colors, and relaxing scents, will make your home your favorite place on earth.
From the lighting to the furniture, all these tips point to one thing: be yourself. The simplest way to turn a house into your home is to stay true to your likes and needs. Remember, while your home can impress others, it is meant for you to enjoy. It is a space for you to unwind after a long workday, a place where you can create special memories with your family. So, treat it as such! Using the tips above, create the ambiance that will have your new house feeling like home in no time!
