The Key to Making a House into a Home

homeAn uncertain economy, student debt and changing cultural values mean that the average age to buy a first home is now around thirty years old, which means an awful lot of people are spending a decade or so of their adult life either in temporary rental accommodation, or in the family home.

It’s a heady moment when you finally get the freedom to decorate and furnish a place as you like, but it can also throw up some challenges. Simply moving yourself and your possessions into a new space doesn’t guarantee a house, (or apartment), is going to feel instantly like home, but with some thought and effort that can be overcome.

Defining ‘Home’ | The pivotal element of what makes a place ‘home’ is the perception of a space as a safe retreat. It should nurture and please you, reflecting both your personality and the essence of who you are.

Achieving this goal doesn’t have to mean spending a fortune on expensive interior design plans, rather, the trick is to discover, or draw on, your own personal taste. If you need some inspiration, check out design stores, and take advantage of sample materials and color charts. A house which fails to invoke a positive emotional reaction will never feel like home.

Choose a Theme | There are no rules. If you love primary colors why not decorate with luscious reds, yellows and blues? If that seems a little garish limit the main color to a feature wall and add splashes through furnishings and accessories. Antiques, vintage and shabby chic pieces blend well together and are budget friendly, while sleek contemporary or quirky styles are easy to source online. Take the same approach with furniture. So what if sprawling on a bean bag is your idea of post-work heaven? Having a couch is not essential.

Add Interesting Detail | Some people love to fill every wall and floor space, others prefer a more minimalist approach, and thankfully there is no one right way. As with anything else, the detail you add to a room should reflect your taste and interests, and of course make you feel good when around it. Whether you favor collections of family photographs, classic movie posters or copies of famous artwork available as FAA framed prints, you are free to indulge.

Exploit Light | Choosing the best kind of lighting for each room of your house can instantly create that cozy feeling of home. Ideally, have at least three sources in each zone, ranging in intensity from full to mood. Matching your lights to the overall style theme is best, so now could be the opportunity you have been waiting for to indulge in a chandelier!

Moving into your first independent home is a momentous opportunity to create a space which is truly yours. Whatever your budget or design expertise you should enjoy the process of transforming bricks and mortar into a haven of personal freedom, as it is something to truly savor.

Like what you see? Get it first with a subscription to ASPIRE DESIGN AND HOME magazine.

aspire design and home is seeker and storyteller of the sublime in living. It is a global guide to in-depth and varied views of beauty and shelter that stirs imagination; that delights and inspires homeowners as well as art and design doyens. Collaborating with emergent and eminent architects, artisans, designers, developers and tastemakers, aspire creates captivating content that savors the subjects and transports with stunning imagery and clever, thought-provoking writing. Through lush and unique visuals and a fresh editorial lens, aspire explores what is new and undiscovered in art, interiors, design, culture, real estate, travel and more. aspire design and home is an international narrative and resource for all seeking the sublime.