6 Simple ways to make a House a Home

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of CORT for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

I know many of you are wondering about how our self-build house is coming along – I am so bad about keeping you updated!  I never know how to answer the “are you finished with your house” question, because yes? no? kind of?  We’ve been moved in for over a year, but even so I don’t think of it as finished.  Our current project is that of finishing our basement, and while that’s going on, it somehow makes the whole house seem like a construction zone.  But the end is in sight, and so I’m starting to dream about the next step – taking our “house” and making into a “home”.  I was once told that it takes a year before you really feel settled in a place, and I think that’s completely true!  My goal this fall is to Make a House a Home, to actually make it feel like we live here, to bring our personality and comfort into our living space.  I’ve put together 6 Simple Ways to Make a House a Home – some I’ve already tackled, and on others I’ll be taking my own advice.

–Paint Your Front Door

Now hear me out on this one!  I’m sure there are lots of rooms you’d like to paint when you move into a new house to make it more your own.  But it’s overwhelming to think about all those projects – but a door – that’s a small area, completely doable!  And once you’re greeted by a color of your choosing, your house will immediately bring that sense of home.  You’ll love that you picked the front door color!  Whatever it is – I love black front doors, and yellow, and of course turquoise, which is what I painted mine. (details on my door, and while you have the paint out, whip up a personalized welcome mat!)

–Hang Family Photos

We all know that adding family pictures to walls is an instant way to personalize a home.  But sometimes we need reminded of it.  This is on my to-do list for this fall for sure!  When we moved it, I hung one giant family photo (a DIY giant pic for cheap, love it!) because I knew I needed SOMETHING on the walls.  But I haven’t added anything else and that needs to change.  I have plans for a gallery wall in my entryway, a photo display wall down my hallway, and maybe some giant prints on the walls in our basement.  Get those photos off your phones and onto your walls!

–Bring in New Furniture

There’s something about a new home that gives you a fresh start.  I didn’t want to bring our old furniture into our new home because I was already dreaming of different things.  So we sold several things before we moved – like our couches and tables – which means I needed to invest in some new furniture.  But it’s hard to decide!  One option you might want to explore is to rent furniture furniture to see what kind you like and if it works in the space you have before you commit to buying.  CORT Furniture Rental provides online Home Furniture Rental.  I love how they say  “There are too many unknowns in life – don’t let furniture be one of them.”  You can rent move-in ready packages and immediately feel that transformation of a house into a home.  They have so many cool looks to choose from:

–Add Some Plants

I’ve got the worst green thumb.  And yet, I still try to have real plants in my home.  And yes, I add in faux plants as well.  Plants can just make a space feel more alive and cozy and personal.  This is another project on my to-do list for this fall.  We recently purchased a large indoor tree plant thing, but that’s about all that we have right now, so I definitely need to focus on getting more.  Also included in this tip is plants for the front porch – again, they make your home feel cozy and personalized, even on the outside.  A porch full of plants is much more welcoming than a blank porch, which makes it feel like you haven’t settled in yet.

–Personalize a Nook

This kind of goes along with the theory behind the tip of Painting the Front Door – it’s overwhelming to think of jumping in and personalizing a whole house, so pick a small area and tackle that.  For me it will be our desk area.  I’ve already started by putting up the desks and some wallpaper (details on our computer nook), and then on my to-do is to hang some shelves and fill them with fun personalized items.  With each personalized item added to home decor, a house becomes a little less “house” and a little more “home”

–Pile on the Pillows

Pillows or rugs or blankets/throws – add all that texture into the living spaces of your home.  Again, they make it feel cozy and lived in and it’s a great way to add your own personal touches to your home in any room (well, maybe not the kitchen?!).  I might have a throw pillow addiction and have been adding tons of colorful ones to my collection.  But for you, you might like bringing in neutrals with your pillows.  Either way, grab different pillows with different shapes and textures and mix and match them in your spaces.

I love having simple steps to tackle a project!  Hopefully these 6 simple steps will help you to have some direction and give you a path to helping make your house a home!