10 Small Things I Did To Make My Space Feel Like Home

We’ve all either been there or will be there soon enough- you have your very own space: your apartment, your house, your condo, your room, your van, your mobile home, your [insert type of home]. Whatever your space is, it’s yours! Now what?

If you’re anything like me, you see different types of aesthetics and you just can’t choose which one is your favorite- they’re all so visually pleasant, and your taste changes as quickly as Florida weather… In other words, you just can’t make up your mind! Well, luckily for you, I have done the legwork and trial and error to figure out how to make your space feel like home. Without further ado, let’s get onto the list.

1. Clean your space. This is a simple yet (often) daunting task. Cleaning up your space will bring you a sense of peace and relaxation. Being in a space that is free of clutter and filth is going to be reflected in your mental and emotional wellbeing. This doesn’t have to be done in one huge chunk if that’s not your thing- you can focus on one room, or area of a room, and just clean that one space. When you’re done, move on to the next spot. Making small chunks of cleaning a part of your routine will help you maintain a nice home. If that’s not motivating enough, you’ll need a clean space to start working on the next tips on the list 😉.
2. Donate the things that just don’t fit you. This does not include things that are sentimental- we’ll get to that later. Some things just don’t “fit” you- whether that be literally or figuratively. We all have random stuff that we don’t know what to do with; we don’t like it, we don’t use it, we don’t have an attachment to it, but we think there might be a chance that we use it someday. Yeah, whatever you have that fits that criteria, donate it! This will help shave down the number of items you have occupying your space, as well as help you narrow down you likes and dislikes- this the first big step towards finding your aesthetic!
3. Find some Pinterest Inspo. Now, don’t get too carried away with this part (I understand- much easier said than done)! Find what you resonate with and save/screenshot what you like. This is fun, so enjoy this part of the process!
4. Find the common ground in what you like. If you’re noticing a lot of your inspo pics include gold frames and wood elements, you know you like warmth in a space. If you noticed most of what you have liked is bright and white, you know you like things that look clean and simple. If you love the look of gallery art walls and eclectic furniture, you might go for a funky maximalist style in your home. Pick out the underlying key elements, and go from there!
5. Spend some quality time at your local second-hand shops. I am a huge fan of doing things in the least wasteful and most ethical way possible, and while you are trying to create a space you love, why not do it in a way you feel good about? Some of my absolute favorite items in my home have come from the Goodwill right down the road- including all of my decorations, which leads me to tip number six!
6. Get creative with your decorations! One of my current projects is creating a gallery wall above my work nook. It will consist of 9 picture frames (that currently have random photos in them) of varying sizes and textures that I got from Goodwill with some simple line art printed from home! This is a simple Pinterest hack that looks nice and is completely affordable (about $17 total- but who’s counting?).
7. Invest in your organization. Unless you’re a superhuman who naturally is perfectly tidy and organized and has no problem with keeping everything in their home neat, it may be helpful for you to invest in some type of organization for your home. My husband and I have an antique hutch that acts as a bookcase, shoe storage, and holds our random items that just don’t belong anywhere else. This one organizational unit basically saved our living room from being in a state of constant disaster.
8. Florals, florals, florals. I love the effortless look of flowers delicately placed around a home. However, I kind of suck at keeping anything but succulents alive. This is where fake flowers come in! I have fake flowers around the apartment (of course only in the most decorative manner). Flowers, whether real or fake, can make a space feel like it has just the finishing touch. I will honestly say that when my apartment was fully furnished and mostly decorated, it was the flowers that made it feel like home.
9. Bring in some different lighting. This is something that many people gloss over, but like florals and decorations, it can totally change the energy of a room. Edison lights, color changing LED light strips, cool lamps, a different light fixture, or even a different light bulb sets the atmosphere for the room. (As a tip, you may want to consider using whiter light for the kitchen and bathroom, and a yellower light for living areas such as the living room and bedroom.) This will help to change the mood of your living space and make it feel less sterile and more suitable for a living space.
10. Include your sentimental items in your everyday life. This doesn’t mean we have to use these items the way they were originally intended, but it does mean that you will be able to truly enjoy these items. If your sentimental item is something that is meant to be displayed, you’re in luck! Find a place that it is showcased nicely, and let it be enjoyed there. If it is something you use that is fabric, (like this t-shirt that was made into a quilt by ProjectRepat), you can use it, wear it, make it into something new, or display it. If it is something that is fragile and needs preservation, like a wedding bouquet, invest in preserving it to keep it as nice as possible- I promise you can’t put a price on keeping your special sentimental items in their best condition.

Bonus tip: Use texture to your advantage. Sheers, curtains, and blinds all bring a different tone to your living space. Accent colors, different aromas, and your own special pieces are what will make a space your own and make it feel like home.

Now, what are you waiting for? Get on Pinterest, get out to Goodwill, and make your house more than a space you occupy- make it your home.