How To Make Your Home More Homely

How To Make Your Home More Homely – Whilst the weather forecasters are predicting that we’re destined for round two of this sizzling summer, which in many ways should be a good thing, autumn is very much on the horizon.

Indeed, you simply need to visit a supermarket that is packed with “back to school” gear to appreciate the fact leaves will soon be falling, acorns and conkers will soon abound, and that smell of the sweet damp earth will tantalise our homemaking muscles to create a much more cozy and homely environment.

Autumn is a fantastic time for getting out and about, as it’s cooler than summer, yet not so cold it’s prohibitive, and with all the different hues of red, orange and yellow, venturing out of the city to somewhere like Kew Gardens or Richmond Park can be a really nice weekend treat.

In the kitchen, we go from cooling salads and ice cubes to warming soups and hot drinks; yet if your home doesn’t feel very homely, then you can miss out on that warm, cosy and protective feeling we all look forward to in Autumn; be this from sitting by an open fire, to wearing our favourite scarf, Autumn is definitely the season to start battening down the hatches and make yourself cosy.

That said, cosy doesn’t have to be cutesy when it comes to interior design.  Indeed, you can pair trendy made to measure S:CRAFT Blinds with softer fabrics to ensure you retain a clean, minimalist and modern feel to your interior whilst adding in warming touches such as cushions and throws.  Sometimes, simply injecting some colour into an otherwise white room can make all the difference too.

The tips below will help you make your home feel more homely this autumn, and they are particularly pertinent for those getting ready to move house, as home is much more than the bricks and mortar you purchase – it’s all about how you feel in the property, and a large part of how you feel comes down to how quickly you can make yourself at home in a practical sense.  For instance, if you’re the type of person to still have unopened boxes littered throughout your new property months down the line, you’re unlikely to feel as “at home” and settled in the new property than you would if everything was unpacked.

Similarly, if you’ve moved into a modern property with mostly white appliances and neutral walls, it might be nice as a show home, and could even make the front cover of an interior magazine, but it’s unlikely to make you feel “cosy” so it’s important to inject some colour, and some of your own personality into the place, in order to feel at home there.

Now, let’s take a look at a few tips to help you make your home more homely this autumn:

1.   ADD LAYERS OF SOFTNESS

One of the fastest and most effective ways to make a space more warm and cosy is to use the principle of layering, for instance, by layering blankets and cushions on top of otherwise dull and lifeless furniture.

2.   USE WARM COLOURS

We often overlook the importance of the colours of our walls, and instead head to shops looking for candles, fabrics and other nic-nacs to make a space more cosy, yet often if you’re not careful this can reach the point of clutter rather than cosy – so one of the most vital aspects is to use warm colours on your walls.

The effects of colour are subtle yet significant and they play a huge role in creating the ambience of a room.  If you head for water shades like terracotta, deep oranges, certain blues and even some browns they will create a more cosy and warm feeling than the cooler colours such as pale blues, greens and greys.

3.   LIGHTING

Lighting is one of the most imperative aspects of creating warmth within a property; if you are using bright white lights that flood the room with artificial light this can be very helpful for productivity, yet when it comes to creating a more warm and homely atmosphere then a more subtle and subdued light is what you’re after.

There are some great ways to achieve this, that are also very cheap, such as fairy lights, candles or even putting fabric over an otherwise bright lamp (just be careful of the fire risk).  You want to avoid intense bright light if your goal is to create a more relaxing environment; instead opt for things like Morrocan lamps or Salt Crystal lamps that radiate a warm, colourful, glow that is not too bright.

The other consideration is that your home is used for different purposes, and therefore a dimmer switch on your lights can be very helpful.  This way, you can turn up the lights bright when you are needing to work and focus – whilst if you’re looking to create a more romantic or relaxing mood, you can turn them down low.

The final tip, when it comes to lighting, is to replace the “cool tone” bulbs of many lamps with warmer bulbs – as this will instantly make the place feel much more cosy.

4.   USE CANDLES

In a similar vein to lighting, you want to use candles in order to transform the mood and create a relaxing ambience with their soft glow, particularly if they are aromatherapy candles they can really help lower the energy and assist in relaxation and calming down after a busy day in the city.

5.   TURN THE HEAT UP

The final tip, may sound a bit unexpected, but if you simply turn the heat up in your house just a degree or two, you will feel much more cosy… after all, have you ever been in a house where they have the heating on so low you are almost shivering as you get into  bed. The physical heat creates a sense of inner warmth and a feeling of comfort that is hard to find in a particular fabric or a certain colour of paint.