8 Tips For Making Your Home Feel More Welcoming To Everyone

Curating your home to be a cozy, welcoming environment can take time and effort, but it is worth it. The more at-home you feel in your house, the more at-home others will feel as well. Whether you are designing a new home or trying to upgrade your interior design style, this article will review some tips and tricks to get you started. 

If you need further assistance getting your guests more comfortable when they are in your home, click here for more advice on feeling comfortable and protecting mental health.

How To Make Home Feel Like A Home

1. The driveway

When a person arrives at your house, the first thing they see is the exterior. By grooming the exterior of your house, you are making your home feel inviting from the start. This can include having good outdoor lighting, planting flowers or bushes, cleaning your walkway, and cutting the grass consistently. Even if you live in an apartment, you can make the front door feel welcoming with a welcome mat and perhaps a season-less wreath. 

2. The entryway

The second thing your guests will see when they enter your home is the entryway. To maximize the coziness of your entryway, consider having a place for your guest to hang their coat and put down their bag. Good lighting will also give guests a good first impression of your interior.

3. Lighting

Lighting can absolutely make or break the feeling of a home. With poor lighting, your guest might feel uncomfortable or standoffish. The best way to control the lighting in your home is to have ample options, and perhaps even install lights that dim, just in case you want more ambiance when you are relaxing with your loved one.

Some people prefer natural lighting, but even if your place doesn’t have a lot of windows, bright overhead lighting can be softened by lamps and candles.

4. The floors

Whether you have carpet or hardwood floors, keeping them both vacuumed, mopped, or steamed (as appropriate) is a good way to make your home feel welcoming. Especially if your guests take their shoes off, walking on clean floors is an important way to feel comfortable and at home. 

Keeping your home clean is a good way to ensure that you are making your space inviting. Try to keep in mind the difference between messy and dirty. Try not to overreact if an unexpected guest finds your place a bit messy, since this happens to everyone. However, keeping your space clean will benefit you and any guests you have over.

5. Feng shui

You might have heard of feng shui when it comes to interior design. The layout of your furniture can completely change the feeling of your home and whether or not it is welcoming. For example, in your living space, if you have enough places to sit that open up to each other, that room will automatically feel more inviting. 

When you place furniture in a way that cuts the room in half or feels disruptive, your space automatically may become less inviting. Play around with the layout of your furniture to increase the flow of your space.

6. Offer something to drink

In addition to the appearance of your home, there are also things you can do to make your home feel welcoming. For example, when a guest arrives, you can offer them something to drink or eat. Making them feel wanted in your space is a great way to make them feel welcome and comfortable. 

7. Photographs

The more personal you make your space, the more home-y it will feel for everyone. If this means putting up photographs, mirrors, and paintings that reflect your unique style, that can be a great way to curate an at-home feel.

8. Introductions

Another thing that you can do to make your guest feel welcome is to make introductions. If there are people in the house who do not know each other, make a point of introducing them. You might not think of it at first, but you will make all parties involved feel more comfortable once they know each other's names and relationship to you. That will help open up the conversation within the whole group.

Author's Bio

Marie Miguel has been a writing and research expert for nearly a decade, covering a variety of health- related topics. Currently, she is contributing to the expansion and growth of a free online mental health resource with MyTherapist.com. With an interest and dedication to addressing stigmas associated with mental health, she continues to specifically target subjects related to anxiety and depression.