Picture this: you’ve been preparing to move to your new house for several weeks and have planned everything right down to the nitty-gritty details. You’ve organized all your belongings into labeled cardboard boxes and have finally managed to dispose of all the unnecessary items. You walk into your new place, and you’re immediately turned off by how dull everything looks. It might look like something straight out of an Ikea magazine – not exactly what you had in mind.
So, if you’re puzzled about making your new house livelier, look no further. Below, we’ll talk about eight surefire ways to make your new home feel more welcoming and cozier.
1. Let there be light
Lighting can make or break a room. Ensure that your windows are clean, and use light-colored curtains and drapes to make the most out of natural light. You can also place mirrors in strategic locations to allow light to ‘bounce off.’
Don’t settle for the preinstalled lights that came with your house. Invest in quality lighting, and play around with hanging light fixtures, spotlights, and floor lamps to create a well-balanced lighting system.
Most importantly, pay attention to the temperature of the light bulbs. Warm light (which has a temperature of around 3000 Kelvins) helps accentuate a room’s angles and makes it feel cozy. If you have cold lights in your new house, banish them immediately – they aren’t doing you any favors.
You can even play around with fairy lights and string lights for a truly mesmerizing experience.
2. Add accent furniture
Most people tend to sell off their old furniture because of moving issues. However, the old furniture probably holds tremendous sentimental value and cherishing memories. While it’s mostly considered a viable option, selling off all the old furniture is a big no if you want the new home to feel lively. If you’re worried about moving costs, you can check out this website to avail yourself of excellent services at affordable charges.
Whether you’ve bought new furniture or have had all your previous furniture moved, you need accent furniture to add definition and drama to your spaces. Accent furniture is anything that stands out against the rest of a space’s style. It’s about form over function; it doesn’t need to serve a practical purpose.
For instance, if your furniture is mainly beige or grey, a brightly colored floral chair will do absolute wonders. It’s all about breaking consistency and giving your room an attractive focal point.
Besides, you don’t need to spend a small fortune on it – you can often find great pieces at your local flea markets or thrift stores.
3. Paint your walls
Another way to liven up a dull room is through an accent wall. Accent walls are exactly like accent furniture; they help add aesthetics to an interior space. You can work with colors, textures, and patterns – accent walls are immensely flexible.
There aren’t any rules here. You can choose to go with a bright color like yellow, orange, teal, or even pink. Or, you can go with a dark neutral color like charcoal, khaki, or grey and hang some framed prints to spice things up.
4. Get a plant or two
It’s astounding how dramatic of an impact an indoor plant can have on a dreary room. There isn’t a shortage of online communities that obsess over indoor plants, and there’s a good reason for it. Not only can indoor plants liven up a dull space, but they also have several medicinal benefits, from increased productivity to reduced stress levels.
Indoor plants come in all sorts of funky shapes and sizes. You can choose to go with some peace lilies, with their creamy white flowers and sword-like foliage. Or, you can go with a Colocasia, with its magnificent elephant ear-shaped leaves. You can play around with the shape and color of your pots too.
Many people are skeptical about keeping indoor plants because they’re worried about taking care of them properly. But if you research a bit and choose a species that’s easy to take care of, it really won’t be difficult. Snake plants, for example, are very low-maintenance and nearly impossible to damage.
5. Surround yourself in softness
Finally, we’ve got an excuse to splurge on one of those big furry pillows. Pillows and cushions can make your house truly feel like home. Once again, you can experiment with different colors, patterns, and motifs. Apart from providing aesthetic value, cushions offer support and comfort too.
Another viable way to liven up a room is by adding a rug. They come in all sorts of sizes and styles, from delicate Persian ones to rugged jute ones. Plus, rugs have practical benefits; they act like filters, trapping airborne pollutants and improving indoor air quality.
You’ll also need some throws for when you want to snuggle on your couch and read a good book while you sip some coffee.
6. Invest in good books
Every well-kept house needs good coffee table books. What’s a coffee table book, you ask? A coffee table book is a literary creation – it gives insight into the owner’s interests. It’s a statement of sorts.
Coffee table books are an excellent way to keep your guests entertained and inspire conversation. They’re primarily pictorial in nature and great casual reads.
A good coffee table book livens up your house by stimulating positive emotions. Its contents should awaken the feeling of awe and inspire curiosity.
7. Buy some scented candles
There’s a reason why candles are so soothing, and warm light has a lot to do with it. Scented candles are an indispensable part of a lively and homey house. They are undoubtedly enchanting and can create a warm and relaxing atmosphere.
Scented candles are scientifically proven to encourage a good mood, increase focus, and improve sleep quality. They are regularly used for therapy since they stimulate our minds and aid in mental healing.
8. Look into a vivarium
If you want to add some creative elements, you can set up a vivarium in a room to liven it up (quite literally). A vivarium is a container with a semi-natural habitat for keeping an organism alive. Aquariums and terrariums are both examples of a vivarium.
A vivarium is an exotic means to spice up a room. You can set up a miniature garden inside a terrarium or an aquarium with a goldfish or a betta. You could even keep a pet gecko if you wanted to.
A vivarium isn’t the easiest thing to maintain. Still, the effort certainly pays off – it’s an absolute delight to stare at for hours.
Ending Thoughts
A cozy house engages your senses and makes you feel good about yourself. If you surround yourself with fascinating things, you’ll naturally feel good too. Hopefully, this list has inspired you with ways to make your new house lively and aesthetically appealing. So, start by adding some old items you brought from your previous home, and then add new things as you go. In no time, the new place will become your ultimate haven.