Extraordinary in the Ordinary

I am a self-professed homebody.  I have no idea why that has such an ugly connotation to it.  It’s like you are not cool unless you travel the world and are out doing something all the time.  It is like saying you are not living life unless you are doing it outside the home. I believe where you choose to live it is a personal preference.  As long as you are living it and happy that is what counts.  But I digress.  I want to write about ways to make your house homey.

Top 10 Ways to Make a House a Home

1. Flowers & Plants – whether they are real or silk, they are great for a splash of color or bringing a little of the outdoors indoors.  I was actually surprised that flowers are not that hard to arrange.  While I am a photographer and love art, I have no skill whatsoever in flower arranging.  I did not want to pay the expensive price tag, though, on  store bought flower arrangements. I looked through a couple of books when I bought my flowers and honestly was not that impressed, so I did what any normal person today would do.  I came home and googled it and found LOTS of great sites with easy instructions.  I bet if you checked youtube, you could even find some videos on this.  It cost of fraction of what a store bought arrangement would have cost.
2. Candles – Candles are great for adding warmth, aroma and color to a room.  Living in the South, we rarely get to use our fireplace, so I especially love to place candles on the hearth in front of the fireplace.
3. Pictures – This has probably been the one most stunning thing we have done in our home, add large prints to the wall.  Large prints do not clutter a home.  They actually give it a bigger presence and make it feel larger all the while homier because of the pictures you are choosing to display.  I know what you are thinking – an 8×10 is huge and what you consider a wall print.  Before I became a photographer, I used to wonder what in the world I would do with that gaudy sized 10×13 that I got at the local photo chain.  Oh, how I have changed my thinking on this one.  Trust me.  Try it.  You will love it!  It is the single most attention getting thing in our home.  You will never go back to small prints again, at least not for your wall.
4. Area Rugs – If you had hardwood floors, area an easy way to add warmth and color to a room making it homier.
5. Heirlooms – If you have something old and special, it will add history to your decor that will not only make it homier but ground it with history from your ancestors.
6. Art (that means something) – Take pictures of things that mean something to you.  It could be a collection, flowers, wildlife, landscape, music, or even something like my Memories Photography Project and hang this in your home or use the pictures in one of the photo screens where they can easily be changed out as your moods or the seasons change.
7. Throws & Pillows -  Nothing makes a home comfortable or guests more comfortable than throws and pillows.  It lets people know it is ok to be comfortable in your home.
8. Warm colors – Warm colors are know for best being colors that evoke feelings of comfort and warmth. Click here to see a before and after of our kitchen going from a pale blue gray color to a warm burnt orange paint color.
9. Lighting – Lighting can make or break a room.  Choose lighting that is warm and soft.  Dimmer switches are great for creating warm atmosphere.
10. Declutter – No home will be comfortable or homey if it is cluttered with stuff.  Go through your home on a regular basis and throw out things that you no longer need.  Make a place for everything that you choose to keep.  Just keep in mind that whatever you keep you will have to keep clean and/or put away. Be sure it is worth your time. Read Enough of the Stuff for more on decluttering and simplifying your life.
11. Bonus Tip: Wall Rugs – This is a great way to throw some color into a room and cozy it up.  It is also easy to change out.  When you get tired of it, get a new one a store the old one until you are ready for a change.
12. Bonus Tip: Waterfall/fountain – This can be anything from one of the table top ones to an outdoor one if your room is large enough. This can make a nice, tranquil area.
13. Bonus Tip: Photography Table – I saw this at a friends house one, and it was absolutely BEAUTIFUL and can be done with lots of table surfaces.  Get some of your favorite pictures and place them on a table and cover with glass.  I do suggest using spacers, though, to keep the glass from sticking to your pictures. This is a quick easy project with minimal effort but with a huge presence.  Most hardware stores will cut your glass for you.  Now, that is MY kind of project!
14. Bonus Tip:  Baskets – Use baskets for fresh fruit or things you want to keep handy.