9 Simple Ways to Make a House Feel Like a Home

Have you ever walked into someone’s house and it just feels…homey? You instantly feel comfortable, welcomed, and warm, and that you’d like to stay there for a while. But then you go back to your own house and now it just seems kind of…blah. Maybe you just moved into a new house, or maybe you’ve lived in your house for years but never quite achieved that homey feel.  If this is you, you’re not alone. Just take a look at this clip from Calamity Jane for a musical version of what we mean here:

And just like Calamity learned, the good news is that with a little bit of help there are some simple ways to make a house feel like a home, and here are just a few!

1. Deep spring clean

2. Organize

3. Update walls: paint, artwork, mirrors

4. Rearrange, spruce up furniture

5. Update throw pillows, curtains, towels, and linens

6. Display mementos

7. Plants

8. Light candles, aromatherapy

9. Host a party!

1. Deep spring clean

First, one of the most effective ways to make a house feel like a home is to simply roll up those sleeves and give your house a deep spring cleaning. There’s just something invigorating yet relaxing and inviting about walking into a freshly cleaned home. 

Open your windows and let in some fresh air and sunshine while you clean, giving every inch a good scrub, vacuum, and polish. Air out your rugs and shampoo the carpet. Take all of your larger linens, curtains, removable upholsteries, and bedspreads to the laundromat and make use of the spacious industrial-sized washers and dryers to freshen up your textiles.

Depending on the size of your home, deep cleaning can be a chore. However, it is so worth it and can really make a house feel like a home. But don’t feel like you have to do it all on your own! Enlist the help of your kids, spouse, or an obliging friend or two. Create a list of all the things needing to get done, and let everyone choose their preferred tasks. Make it fun by cranking some tunes throughout the day and order pizza afterward to celebrate a job well done (and use paper plates to avoid having to clean anything else that day).

And if deep cleaning your house sounds like too miserable or time-consuming a task, you can always hire a cleaning service to come to the job for you! Either way, starting with a clean slate is a fundamental step in making a house feel like a home.

2. Organize

After you clean, another one of the fundamental ways to make a house feel like a home is to take inventory of all of your belongings and organize. 

“A cluttered home is a cluttered mind,” as the saying goes. When there’s too much clutter in the home you mentally (and physically) sense that there isn’t space for you, and that makes it hard for you (and guests!) to feel comfortable, relaxed, and welcome in your own home. In fact, there are a number of ways that clutter can negatively affect your mental health. Your home should be a place where you can count on being able to rest and recharge, and you simply cannot achieve this in a house overrun with clutter.

The goal is to keep only the things in your home that bring you joy, have a purpose, and make sure everything has a place. Check out Marie Kondo’s revolutionary “Konmari” method in her book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up for an applicable and effective approach to the clutter problems in your home. For more inspiration, you can also check out her show on Netflix, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo!

3. Update walls: paint, artwork, mirrors

Updating your walls can be another one of the simplest, yet most significant ways to make a house feel like a home. Your walls surround you as the framework of your house. Therefore, they can either be a source of inviting warmth or cold neutrality.

The most basic way to spruce up the walls in your home is a fresh coat of paint. Using bold or soft colors to match your style can make you feel more at home in your house and freshen up the perspective. 

Another way to make your walls a source of homey pleasantness is to hang up some artwork or framed prints that reflect your personality and bring in more color and depth into the room – and just make you happy to look at!

Another way to bring more dimension to your walls is to add mirrors. Well-chosen and placed mirrors can make a room feel more spacious. Hang a round or statement-crafted mirror on the wall to draw attention to a decorative space. Or lean a tall, oversized mirror against a wall or on top of a mantle or shelf for something unexpected.  

4. Rearrange, spruce up furniture

One of the most effective ways to make a house feel like a home is to rearrange your furniture. By rearranging your furniture, you can make a room feel more spacious or extra cozy. 

If some of your furniture is looking a little dingy, take this time to spruce it up and reupholster the items you can. Or style your bookshelf in a new, more eye-catching way. Try updating some of your furniture with a fresh coat of paint, new finishes, or take on a DIY challenge to create something completely new! 

However you decide to update your furnishings, putting your time, energy, and care into it will make your house feel more like a home.  

5. Update throw pillows, curtains, towels, and linens

Has it been a while since you changed out those stained and fraying throw pillows on your couch? One of the simplest ways to make a house feel like a home is to update your textiles! 

If your current items are still in decent condition, donate them! If not, throw them out and choose some new throw pillows and curtains to cheer up your living space. Replace your old towels and linens with new ones to freshen up your routine. Adding texture and softness from updated fabrics into your rooms is a wonderful way to make a house feel more like a home. 

6. Display mementos

One of the ways to make a house feel like a home that is uniquely yours is to fill it full of mementos of your life. Do you have a collection of figurines or action figures that makes you happy? Bring it all out of that box in storage and display it! Or do you have some souvenirs that remind you of once-in-a-lifetime moments while traveling? Bring those out, too! And while you’re at it, display some of your favorite books if you’re bookish! 

And most importantly, what good are all those photos of family, friends, and good times stuck on your phone or up in a “cloud” somewhere? Frame some of your favorite old and new photos to place around your home or hang on the wall, or create some photo books or scrapbooks for your coffee table.

7. Plants

Next, you might consider bringing the life of the outdoors indoors! There are numerous ways to make a house feel like a home by adding some plant life. 

Having a few houseplants in sunny areas of your house helps enliven the space and bring vitality into your home’s atmosphere. Likewise, bringing home some fresh flowers from the grocery store or a local florist is one of the best ways to make a house feel like a home. Fresh flowers are pleasant to look at (and smell!) and bring with them a cheeriness that brightens any room.

Another way to add more plants into your home is to grow your own sprouts and herbs in your kitchen. They not only look cute but add a healthful nutrition boost to your diet as well!

8. Light candles, aromatherapy

When you’re implementing ways to make a house feel like a home, don’t forget to consider all the senses. Lighting candles and using aromatherapy devices and essential oils are important ways to bring sources of light, warmth, and comforting aromas into your home. 

9. Host a party!

The final (and most enjoyable!) way to make a house feel like a home is to host a party for friends and family to come and check out the new changes. Throwing a little house-warming party after implementing a few (or all!) of these tips will help fill your house with the warmth of memories that last. 

And nothing makes a house feel more like a home than that.  

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