Making a House a Home

Moving house is incredibly exciting. Whether you’re on your 5th property or you’re a first time buyer, getting the keys to your new home is one of lives biggest milestones. While certainly very exciting, it can be a little daunting too - especially for first time buyers. After stepping foot inside of your new home for the first time, you may look around and quickly feel overwhelmed with the blank canvas that is staring back at you. How am I going to turn this empty shell into a beautiful home? How do I make a house a home?

Contempee are sharing seven simple tips that can help turn every house into a home.

1. Don’t Rush & Think Practical 


   After months of waiting for your keys, you’ve likely had time to carefully plan out each room in your head. If you’re anything like us, you may even have a Pinterest vision board for each space! So the moment you get the keys, you feel full of ideas and raring to go. Our number one tip is don’t rush and think practical. Give yourself time to live in the space as it is first. This can really change perspective! After living in the space for a while, it will become clear how you actually use the space. How you use the space is important, because a happy home should be practical, working with you not against you. You may have planned to hang a large antique mirror in your hallway, but in reality, this would leave no space for any shoe or coat storage. After paying attention to how you use the space, you’ve noticed that after a long day at work you tend to leave your shoes and coat in the hall. Hanging the mirror would mean your shoes get left scattered on the floor and your coat gets dumped over the banister. A practical (but beautiful) storage solution will work better than the mirror you originally planned, and only after living in the space do you see this. 

   
   

2. Testers and Samples = Confident Decisions

   
We cannot stress this enough - buy testers and samples! You’ll be shocked at how different things look in your home to in the shop, so make sure you really do love that paint colour by trying a sample on different areas of the wall and observing it in different lights. The same goes for carpet, flooring, curtains, sofa colours and pretty much anything that you can get a ‘sample’ for. If they have a sample, take it! This will help you to make decisions that you are confident with and that stand the test of time. A home should be relatively constant, not changing every few months. 

   
   

3. Signature Scent

   
Of course, all homes naturally have their own scent, but who’s to say that we don’t get any control over this? If you are into fragrance, we recommend choosing your favourite scent and establishing this as your homes signature smell. You can do this through candles, wax melts, diffusers and room sprays to create a lovely, memorable scent throughout your home.
   
   

4. Don’t Underestimate Small Touches 


   This is perhaps the tip that we are most passionate about. Don’t underestimate the small touches, they really do make a world of difference! Floral arrangements and plants can have a huge impact on your space and really help to bridge the gap between ‘house’ and ‘home’. These smaller touches are particularly important in rooms that you are unable to renovate right away. If you have to live with the previous owners decor and it isn’t quite to your taste, adding some small touches that you really love allows you to make your stamp in an affordable way. These smaller touches can also be kept when you do get around to renovating the room, and even moved around the home when you feel like a change. We recommend faux flowers or fluffy pampas grass in a modern vase, as these pieces are versatile and timeless. Contempee have plenty of pairings, from our Faux Hydrangea in Frosted Ribbed Glass Vase and Kiku Flower in Aria Vase, to our bestselling fluffy Tall Faux Pampas in modern Nala Vase and Faux Eucalyptus in Ava Vase. To see more, browse our product range!

   
   
   Pictured: Faux Eucalyptus in Ava Vase 
   
   

5. Personal Pictures 


   Photographs, pictures and art prints are a wonderful way to add a personal touch to your home. You can do this more traditionally by printing out photographs of your family and loved ones and displaying them around the home. For a more modern approach, you can look for funky art prints that reflect something personal, perhaps a special place or a memory, such as the beach on which you got engaged or the city you and your friends travelled to a lot as a young adult. 

   
   

6. Prioritise Soft Furnishings

   
Nothing says comfy and inviting like cozy blankets, plush cushions and soft rugs. Soft furnishings make all the difference to your home, helping to elevate it from house to home. Mixing different textures and layering soft furnishings can make your home look interesting while maintaining a relaxed and cosy vibe. 

   
   

7. First Impressions Count

   
Decorating your entryway is a sure way to elevate your home. Our tip is, don’t neglect it! Whether you have an enclosed porch, an open porch, or no porch at all, add some beautiful touches to make your home feel inviting. We recommend trying a few potted plants around your door (bay trees or olive trees are faves of ours), a seasonal wreath or a new knocker and house number. The same goes for your hallway. A faux flower bouquet in the hall is a great way to brighten the space. As with people, first impressions count, and your home is no exception!

For more home tips, check out our blog and follow us on Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest.

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