Happy Valentine’s Day all! The sun just popped out after a week of storms and it’s a beautiful day. It’s still so cold, and on winter days I like to work from home sipping my coffee by morning light as I work on my laptop.
There’s a a lot of chatter online romanticizing one’s life, and I agree with that when it means cherishing the little things and making your life a reflection of what’s important to you. We can have a love affair with not just our lives but our homes too!
If scrolling through social media makes you tired of your home or think it’s not not enough compared to other people’s spaces, I came up with these ideas to shift your perspective so you can fall in love with your home again.
Remember Its Purpose
We hear over and over “practice gratitude” and it’s not just a trite saying or overused cliche, it’s the key to remembering when we have protection from the elements and a soft place to land, we’re able to relax and thrive in a safe place. Your home is your respite from the world, your safe harbor, your source of serenity.
Personality Counts
Your art, your collected objects, your framed travel prints, your style, put it out there for your friends and family to see. Pretending to be something other than you’re not just for appearances or what Tik Tok tells you is cool in the moment is not fulfilling. When your home a reflection of YOUR life and YOUR interests and YOUR beloved memories you’ll fall in love with it more.
Play with Food
Pull out favorite napkins, plates, or other pretty serving trays and make a meal an event where you take the time to sip and savor each bite. In a world where everyone is rushing around, do the opposite. Make it a daily ritual to be present with food and the people you share it with in a special spot in your home with no screens or distractions.
Make Time for Creativity
The thing that makes a space interesting is when originality is on display. A creative DIY project goes a long way, whether it’s a craft, a painting, or a furniture makeover, uniqueness is what sets spaces apart from the rest.
Change with the Seasons
Sure you’re looking at the same old mirror/sofa/rug combination you’ve had for awhile, but you can always rotate the smaller things with the seasons. Fresh or dried botanicals and decor swaps go a long way to refreshing a room.
Classic > Trendy
Mass produced or trendy pieces might feel good on display for a year but may lack quality construction or become an eyesore. Consider thrifting or antiquing for lasting pieces that have been around for decades, ones you’ll be more inclined to keep for years to come and love for a longer period of time.
Make Tech Cute
We can’t escape it, our tech is all around us. Our laptops and mouses, our wires and screens and chargers. It can be a soul suck if your electronics and accessories are ugly, and we’re lucky we now have options to make them more attractive. Hide those wires and surround your tech with shapes and hues that boost their appearance and aesthetic appeal even just a little bit.
Invest in Ambiance
How lucky are we now that we have rechargeable lamps and battery operated candles and remote control wireless sconces. Make your electrical switches dimmable and invest in ambiance by layering your lighting options to adjust the mood accordingly. Low light always helps you relax and feel better about your spaces.
Organic Matter Matters
Artificial objects can only go so far to making a home feel cozy, it’s the organic and alive things that make spaces worth coming home to. It’s the plants, the pets, and the people. It’s those things that require you to care for them that bring meaning to your home. Even if you live alone and don’t have a pet, plants and flowers add a coziness and comfort level that manmade things can never replace.
What are the techniques you use to romanticize your home ?