How to Make Your Home Feel More Welcoming

Posted by Jenni Barnett on Monday, November 7th, 2016 at 3:02am.

welcoming home

Have you ever walked into a friend’s home and felt an immediate sense of comfort? It might not be immediately obvious why a particular abode feels so cozy and comforting, but there are a multitude of little things you can do to make your home feel just as welcoming.

Take a look around the rooms in your home where you most often welcome guests. If these areas feel like “something’s missing,” you can try adding a few items to turn up the ambience-meter. Some homes have more of a welcoming ambience than others just on their own, but if your house or apartment lacks built-in charm, don’t despair! By answering the following questions, you’ll know better how to make your home more inviting.

Is your own personal style evident?

In order to add the right ‘joie de vivre’ to your home, you simply must get in touch with your own personal style. Decorating your home in such a way that your personality shines through will give it a uniqueness that can’t be duplicated.

What is the first thing visitors see?

First impressions are very important when it comes to your home. Give your porch, front door, walkway or entryway some love! These areas are easy to ignore because we breeze through them but don’t spend any actual time living in them. Keep your home’s entryway clean and tidy. You might add a vibrant throw rug, a colorful welcome mat or a cute wooden sign that welcomes guests. Consider a colorful wreath to hang from your front door. A bench or potted plants just inside are easy ways to add character to what might otherwise be a rather drab area of the house.

Does your home get a lot of natural light?

Lighting accounts for a lot of the ambience in any location. If your home has little or no natural light, put some effort into choosing quality lighting features. Be sure to select some bright lights and some dimmer, warm-toned lamps for different occasions.

Are there a lot of sharp angles in your home?

If your home has a lot of straight lines and modern angles, you can soften up the overall look with round accents like rugs, pillows, artwork, and other décor items.

How much color appears throughout your home’s décor?

A home that is starkly painted one neutral tone can feel cold and less inviting than one with splashes of vibrant, bold, warm colors. Add color through wall colors, rugs, paintings, colored lighting fixtures, pillows, throws and more.

Do you have comfortable seating?

One aspect of any welcoming home is whether or not there is adequate seating for all of the guests that you may entertain at one time. Pulling out uncomfortable folding chairs when you have visitors will not make your space feel cozy.

Is your home easy to navigate?

Be sure that your main entertaining/living area is set up to allow for people to walk through easily. Cozy doesn’t have to mean cluttered, and in fact a space that is overfilled with too much furniture can feel claustrophobic, which can make your guests uncomfortable.