You have just moved into your first home. Whether you are renting or purchased your first home, making it feel like an actual home can take some time and settling into.
It may be harder to decorate a rental property as it’s mostly used for short term provisions but creating a sense of home is something to be perceived in our minds. A house can become more than a home. In this article we are going to look at two of the happiest nations on the planet, Canada and Denmark.
Both these nations have similar values in how we handle the long, cold and dark winters. As Canadians we have the feeling of hominess in our culture whereas our cousins in Denmark have something called, "hygge" (pronounced hoo-ga). Although people don't really know the actual translation of hygge and what makes a home "hyggelik" or homey as it's a broad ranging topic.
It has been called everything from,"coziness of the soul", "the art of creating intimacy", and "taking pleasure from the presence of soothing things" to "the absence of annoyance" and many more. One thing we do know for certain about hygge and hominess is that they are both about creating an atmosphere and experience. A feeling of home.
Here are 9 tips for decorating your first home.
1. Lamps and Lighting
Creating the right atmosphere in most situations has something to do with lighting. Making your first home have warm, ambient lighting such as candle light can create a warm, welcoming experience for you and your guests. Be warned that candles can create fire hazards and dangerous fumes so let's look at a healthier alternative – lamps.
When choosing a lamp, the light temperature matters. We often think of fancy restaurants having warm, dim bulbs to be welcoming. The same goes with your first home. To create a "hyggeligt" atmosphere the lower the bulb temperature is the best rule of thumb. Think about that first hot date watching the sunset. We want the room to be the same light temperature as the sunset and candle light which is roughly 1,800 K. A recommended bulb type is the Edison bulb.
2. Things made of Wood
There's just something about wooden objects that create a sense of home. It’s raw, it has textures, it is simple and best of all it connects us to nature. The feel of snuggling up in a log cabin chalet in the Rockies, seeing children play with simple wooden toys or the creek of a wooden floor. Things made of wood give us the connection to nature and a simple sense of hominess.
3. Throw Blankets and Cushions
With our cold, long winters is there anything better than snuggling up in a blanket by the fire? Adding a faux fur throw is a great way to make your first home feel more welcoming.
Adding cushions to your blankets is also an essential. What's better than leaning your head on a cozy cushion reading your favourite book?
A quick visit to Ikea can certainly help. When adding your blankets consider the weight for the season. Add a glass of wine and perfect mood lighting and you're in for a perfect night.
4. Tactile Goods
We talk a lot about the atmosphere and mood lighting but we want to take into account all our senses. One we don't often think about when decorating our first home is how things feel. Running your fingers along the grain of a wooden table, the warmth of a coffee cup we take for granted or the softness of a faux fur throw.
Add some textures to your home. You won't regret it.
5. House Plants
Bringing nature into our home goes beyond wood. We've mentioned faux fur throws and now we are mentioning plants. House plants and flowers are well-recognized for their ability to positively impact our mood and reduce stress, among other things. When we go out in nature, we de-stress and create a sense of calm in our souls. What's better than bringing this into our homes?
Like fresh food? You may want to think about adding a windowsill herb garden to cook with.
6. Add ArtworkAdding artwork to your home is a great way to make your home feel welcoming overnight. Have you walked into an empty house? One of the first things you notice is the bare walls making a house feel like just a house. Adding vibrantly coloured art work can make a space more pulled together, less empty and more welcoming
7. Declutter Your Space
A cluttered home leads to a cluttered mind. In this article we mention that creating a home is often about atmosphere. Adding clutter to our atmosphere is like pollution for our minds. Taking a couple moments each day to put your clothes away or make your bed can greatly add to our sense of hominess. If you don't notice it in the short term, you'll notice that keeping your first home clean and decluttered will be a lot easier on your mind long term.
8. Add a Mirror
Placing a mirror in strategic locations can make any room feel bigger and brighter. If you have a small apartment or room this can make a huge impact. Not only functional, you can often find vintage mirrors that add some character to your room.
9. Add Vintage items to your space
Let nostalgia come into play. Adding Vintage items to your first home creates many new narratives as the objects often hold a story of their own. All things have a history and adding them creates hygge.
Come Home to Happiness
While hygge is very suggestive and open to one’s interpretation we can see many commonalties when it comes to fostering a safe and welcoming atmosphere in our first home or even presenting our homes to sell. More often than not we see that nature plays an important role in our homes but if you want the most of hygge be sure to add some outdoor time to your life as well. If you're looking to purchase or rent your first home contact our office and one of our agents will help you on your way to living well!