There are a lot of “top 10” lists out there…I thought it would be fun to tell you my “top 5” list of ways to make your home more comfortable. One of the memories I have of growing up is riding the bus from school (for over an hour), and then getting home. Mom would always be there, and you just felt relief wash over you as you threw your bag down. The house was always really clean (which invited you to mess it up, for some reason) and there would be some cookies waiting for us to devour in the cookie jar. That feeling is something I strive for, but sometimes you have to think, what came together to create that feeling?
My first explanation would be that you knew Mom was always going to be there, and second, the house had this quiet, clean feeling when you walked in. But beyond that, what can we do to make a home welcoming? Here’s a few tips:
1) Analyze how You Live
This could be one through five, because it is so important. Try, as much as possible, to adjust your home to how you live. If you are always fighting your home, it gets tiring. For example, if you don’t want to worry about people seeing your dirty dishes, don’t build a home with an open floor plan. You’ll feel a little relief when you can close the door and walk away. I understand that everyone might not be building their home, and can’t have that much control over what they are already in, but just stop and think about things like if you have any hot spots that drive you crazy. Could you put in some storage nooks that could hold the stuff you live with everyday, to give you some peace of mind? It’s that simple…analyze the way you really live, not the way you wish you could live that is like someone else, and make adjustments. If you have a question, ask a designer how you could accomplish your goal. That is, after all, their primary function. It’s not just to make things pretty.
2) Couch throws or soft quilts.
My sisters and I have often talked about how good it felt to snuggle under one of the blankets Mom always had draped over the couch. Find an old quilt or buy a chenille (this is a very soft fabric) throw from Target. You’ll love curling up and taking a nap, or reading a good book, with something soft to be under.
3) The Corner of a Sectional
This has become my favorite spot in our house. For some reason, I will squish myself into the corner of our sectional every chance I get, to relax. Give me that throw listed above, and I’m done for. I’ll fall asleep every time.
4) A Comforter Folded at the End of the Bed
I read about this trick from Phoebe Howard, and it’s my favorite bedroom adjustment. A comforter, when folded at the end of the bed, looks much neater during the day. And at night, it gives you the option of pulling it up around your chin for warmth, or just leaving it if the temperature is already warm enough. Right now, with the great Wyoming winters, there is nothing better than pulling back the covers on a made bed and unfolding that warm comforter, and snuggling in for the night. (Putting my cold feet on Dave is part of getting comfortable too…he’s so tolerant)!
5) Fresh Baked Bread
All right, so this has nothing to do with decorating, but it has everything to do with a homey feel. One of the tricks Pulte Homes used when they were trying to sell homes was to have a fresh batch of cookies, just out of the oven when they were meeting with potentional home buyers in their model homes. It was just a batch of store cookies in a tube, but it still quietly connects to our brains, and makes us imagine a beautiful home always filled with fresh baked cookies, and we want to be there. So whether it is cookies or bread, just go and bake some! You’ll feel happy!
What do you do to make your home more comfortable? We would love to hear about it!
Tawna
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