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Most of us know the difference between a house and a home, not due to any philosophical reasoning, inspections, or intensive academic debate. We simply know when we occupy a space if it feels homely or not, no matter if this means appreciating your friend’s living room, or feeling slightly clinical in the kitchen of a home space that feels too curated, too manufactured, and overly magazine-display friendly.

Does this mean that cleaning your house or tidying up limits how homely a space can feel, or does it mean that a home needs to have countless ornaments and comforts around in order to feel settling? Not necessarily, as a home is more than its small constituent parts. With an eye for design, however, you’ll be able to curate a well-managed approach, one that balances minimal design and home comforts, one that allows your home to be neat and still lived in, and moreover, one that can feel more like ‘yours’ even if the space is relatively unfurnished since moving in. Let’s discuss how to achieve that:

Furnishings That Add Value

Often, it’s the kind and style of furniture that makes the most difference to how a room feels, from well-placed mirrors to the cabinet you use to house your games consoles. As nightstands from RJ Living show, even a simple space can feel more unique, well-designed, and better applied aesthetically with some careful furnishings that have been thought through in design and balanced function. Of course, you may also choose to indulge such as with ornate dining room chairs or a comforting recliner in your living room that adds that sense of personality through and through.

Showing Your Family & Tastes

Your family can be used as a fantastic decorative element to show the personality of your home and ultimately celebrate who the home is for in the first place. Going for a family photoshoot and having those images framed, or having a lovely picture of a passed relative painted and then framed can be a great way to remember them. 

On top of that, showcasing the unique history and personality of your family is also a lovely way to showcase who you are and what you appreciate in life. For example - this may take the form of a small trophy case for all the athletic achievements of your child, or even implements like a piano in the dining room can provide an indulgent singalong over a lovely family gathering. It’s little indulgences like this that make the most difference.

Adherence To Your Lifestyle

Of course, it’s important to remember that your home is there to help provide you comfort, shelter and utility in life, and so you don’t have to design it to the specifications of a magazine if that’s not something you care for. For instance, making a beautiful home working space on your kitchen table can be enough, but using a standing desk in a spare room to give you that real sense of comfort and long-form work from home potential, or even setting a seamstress station in your bedroom can also make a big difference.

With this mindset, you’re sure to transform a house into a home in the best possible way.