Whether you’re just moving into your first home or you’ve been settled for some time, you should love your home every time you walk in. As a safe haven from the ills of work and the wider world, your home needs to excite you and comfort you in equal measure; it should be something you’re proud of, something you want to show off to guests and somewhere you’re happy to lay your head each night.
Of course, if you’re new to home ownership or you’ve never really given any thought to interior design, you might not know where to start on creating your perfect home. Don’t worry – we’re here to help. These tips should help you get started with planning and executing your vision for a home you’ll be proud to call yours. Here is our beginner’s guide on creating the perfect home.
Display great art or custom photography
Art and photographs add a certain je ne sais quoi to a room. Even if you find it difficult to know exactly why art is important, you’ll certainly notice the difference if you enter a room with no art, or if the art in a room isn’t doing it for you. Filling a room with personalised, eye-catching art makes it feel more like home, gives guests a conversation topic and gives you something to look at and remember into the bargain. We recommend starting with a custom photoshoot taken by a great studio like this one. Whether it’s your family, your pets, your kids or even just yourself, a photoshoot can show off your good side, show visitors your character and maybe even help you learn something about your family’s personality into the bargain.
Go for quirky furniture
Sure, you could opt for that chest of drawers or that wardrobe from a well-known flatpack furniture outlet. That furniture would be functional, and it would serve its purpose fine. What it wouldn’t do, though, is add character to a room. Everyone ends up with the same furniture in their house, and yours won’t seem remarkable to guests or family members. Instead, try sourcing furniture from charity stores, friends who are getting rid of unwanted pieces or even from street corners – people often throw away furniture, and it’s better put to use in your home than sitting out on the street doing nothing. Building an aesthetic with unique and interesting furniture will make your home feel more individual.
Allocate a room for your hobby – or for work
Don’t make the rookie mistake of assuming your central room, bedroom or even kitchen can double as your home office if you’re working from home. That way lies disaster; you’ll be frequently distracted by your family or by noise, and you won’t be able to get work done. As such, make sure you build a home office, or allocate a room as an office or study if you’re a home worker. If not, then it’s a good idea to have a room in which you can indulge your hobbies. If you’re a film buff, try building a home cinema; you don’t need expensive equipment for this, just a decent furniture arrangement. Similarly, if you’re a gamer, allocate some space for your consoles, such as the PS4, and a decent home entertainment system; having somewhere to escape when the pressures of life overwhelm you is important.
Don’t skimp on the small details
The smaller details of your home are where the whole aesthetic will really come together. Choose curtains that complement the overall visual style you’re going for, and you’ll reap rewards when you realise the whole thing fits perfectly. Similarly, you might be tempted to put all your effort into choosing the right seating without worrying about adornments like cushions and throw blankets. Buying little extras like that really makes a place feel alive. If you’re building a home office, try adding personal touches like art you love, or memories of certain times in your life; working in that environment will feel that much better if the space feels more personal. Add little decorations like mantelpiece adornments, pottery, sculpture and other assorted miscellanies; the smaller details will really accent the bigger stuff.
Cook at home
It sounds minor, but one of the biggest ways you can create the perfect home is to cook home meals regularly. The nutritional benefits of eating home-cooked meals are obvious and well-documented, but the actual act of cooking is intimate, homely and helps you become acquainted with an unfamiliar space (or become re-acquainted with a familiar one). If you’re not a skilled chef, then cooking regularly can help you improve your cooking prowess; building a skill and learning how to do something new can give you a great association with your home. If you are a skilled chef but you’ve lapsed, or work is becoming overwhelming, then you’ll re-discover an old love of yours and improve your family’s nutrition into the bargain.
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