Photo by Emre Can Acer on Pexels
After moving into a new place, it can take a while to adjust and truly feel like the house is yours. Sometimes it can feel like you’re just there on holiday for a few weeks – but this is your home! Even once all the boxes are unpacked and your fridge is stocked, it doesn’t feel like your own just yet. At the end of the day, only you really know what makes you feel cozy and at home, but we hope these tips will help you make a start. Better yet – all these tips are renter friendly!
Your Favourite Things
Surround yourself with your favourite things. No matter what it is, have a little staple of you at home. Whether it’s a vinyl collection of your favourite music or a blanket you feel coziest in, this is bound to slowly make a place feel more like home.
Hang art
Maybe you’ve heard this suggestion a million times, but it works! Wherever I’ve lived, I’ve always either taken the same art with me or found new pieces to put up. Some of them are my own paintings, which makes everything feel more me! Take a look around charity shops/thrift stores – there’s always some fun and unique prints. If you can’t attach things to your walls, lean them against walls or use window sills.
Surround Yourself With Coziness
For me, one of the biggest physical feelings of home is coziness and comfort. You want to feel like you can truly relax at home. Home is a place you should be able to come back to after a long day and feel at peace. Add little elements of coziness all over the place – whatever that means to you. Whether it’s a scented candle, cute pillows, etc., let yourself be cozy!!
Dim Lighting
Linking to coziness, dim lighting is great way to feel more relaxed and at home in your new place. Rather than having your main bright lights on at night, swap them out for dimmer lighting at night. Whether it’s a cute lampshade or some fairy lights, you want your home to feel cozy – especially when you’re winding down.
Bring a Piece of Home
This works especially well if you’re moving into your first place after living with your parents. When I first moved to university, I took so many memories from home with me and pieces from my childhood bedroom. Bringing pieces of wherever you feel most at home to your new space will help you feel like you’re at home much sooner. For example, you could print out some photos of your family and friends or a childhood stuffed animal.
Invite Friends Over
This new space is yours – celebrate it! Hosting a dinner and having friends round truly makes a space feel like yours. You should feel proud sharing this next step with whoever you’re close to. Whether you cook a homemade meal or order a takeaway, get them round and show them your new home.
Plants, Plants & More Plants
If you could see the amount of plants I have in my tiny apartment, you’d think we were insane. Plants are such a great way to decorate your home and make the space feel more like and airy! Plus, they’re so pretty. Not only do they make good decoration, but there’s loads of research into how houseplants can support your physical and mental health;
- Improved mood/lower stress
- Increases productivity
- Reduces blood pressure and tiredness
- & Loads more
Making your house feel like a home does, of course, take time. Take it step by step, slowly introducing little pieces of you.
with love,
becky
Author
