- Keep the lighting warm and natural. The lighting of your home is the most important factor in setting the mood of the entire house. Natural lighting is the best option to keep the tone warm and homey, so if you can, keep your blinds pulled back to let the sunlight inside. The ambient lighting from sun light will not only save you money in electricity bills, it will also make your home brighter and more cheery. Make sure that your house is well-light at all times. Nothing depresses the mood like dark and shadowy areas, so make sure that you have a lot of lights on at night. Mood lighting and ambient lighting can relax the atmosphere of your house by keeping the lighting bright and warm at all times.
- Make sure that your house smells fresh. Houses will end up smelling old and musty if air is not allowed to circulate. Make sure that you keep your windows open during the day to let the fresh air drive away the stale air from your home. You can also opt to use scented candles and incense sticks to give your home a touch of perfume. These natural scents are more pleasing to the nose than the harsh chemical odor of all-purpose cleaner. Placing bowls of potpourri can also give a more pleasing scent, but you should always use these with moderation as not to overpower the noses of your visitors.
- Keep everything clean and organized. A messy house is not pleasing to the eye. It becomes painful to look at, especially for the obsessive-compulsive. Regularly clean your house to prevent trash and other undesirables from piling up and ruining the atmosphere of your domicile. Your house looks better and brighter if everything is in its proper place.
- Grow plants. If you have a green thumb, you can add to the warmth of your home by adding plants as decoration. Growing flowers in the garden or windowsill can provide a splash of color in an otherwise dull room, and small pot plants like bonsai can give your room a sense of life and growth.
A house should not just be a house, but a home. Nothing gives a house the lived-in family feel like placing pictures of loved ones around. While interior designers may cringe at family photos, you can add a more dramatic and artistic touch by having copies made in black and white, and placing them in simple black or white frames. These will transform a bare wall into an art gallery of your loved ones’ portraits. Always remember that your house should reflect the personality of the people that live there.
