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Original poster

If you have a lovely home that works for you what is your secret?

37 replies

Felldownabackdonhole · 03/10/2021 09:45

We are moving from a flat to a house and I want to make it feel like a lovely home. There are a few problems with our flat that we went have in the new house, like no garden or outside space so storing scooters and things in the flat.

I don’t have enough storage for the kids toys and it feels a bit cluttered even if it is tidy.

If you have a lovely home (and small children) what do you do to make it nice?

OP posts:
EccentricaGalumbits · 03/10/2021 09:55

A place for everything so it can be tidied easily. (So, more storage or less stuff.)

Fresh air and pleasant smells, as much sunshine as I can bring in.

Cosy, comfortable chairs and beds with plump cushions and natural fabrics.

Books, art and flowers, but no clutter. Soothing, muted colours.

BeenAsFarAsMercyAndGrand · 03/10/2021 09:57

A place for everything is key. I can only relax in a room if it doesn't feel cluttered.

Riada · 03/10/2021 10:02

Live in it for a while before you start making modifications.

Interested in this thread?

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Home improvement
FreeBritnee · 03/10/2021 10:04

Storage and choosing easy to clean flooring. Kitchen/family space as this tends to be the room we are most in.

Snowdropsandbluebells · 03/10/2021 10:07

It's very clean and clutter free.
But still has a cosy feel.
Art work plants candles. Rugs throws.

Great storage for everything.

I keep a bag on the go for charity and clothes go straight into a recycling bank at the end of our road (kids growing like weeds)

Snowdropsandbluebells · 03/10/2021 10:09

That's hard when you have scooters inside.
Is there any spare cupboard or wardrobe or even under the bed ?
Great ideas Online- apartmentherapy

nzeire · 03/10/2021 10:11

I love my home, just love it! It’s teeny tiny and although I’m big on clearing out, the rest of them are hoarders! Kids have their own rooms that I just shut the doors on (they are teenagers).
I have a mix of modern art and some pieces that belonged to my grandparents. I have well attended plants in most rooms. Always smells good with diffusers, lovely soaps and hand creams in bathrooms and kitchen. All white linen that we wash and rotate between bedrooms. Keep it simple, clean, fresh.
Do a yuk job once a week, like the pot cupboard, declutter something, do skirting boards in a room.
I’m not uptight (anymore), and love that the place is interesting. Great books, great art, beautiful rug, gorgeous bedding!
All walls soft white, but colour with the art and furnishings.
Have fun putting it all together!

Mariell · 03/10/2021 10:11

Plenty of storage. Use cheap crates and paint in bright colours for children’s toys or even use cardboard boxes and cover with wallpaper as a cheap option.

CottonSock · 03/10/2021 10:14

An area to sit where kids stuff gets removed at the end of each day to where I can't see it.

frumpety · 03/10/2021 10:14

I want to move into nzeire's house , it sounds lovely Smile

Twizbe · 03/10/2021 10:17

Lots and lots of storage. Ideally you want space in your storage thats unused. Then you know you have enough.

TaraR2020 · 03/10/2021 10:21

Think about each space:

  1. what do you need it to do
  2. what would you like it to do

Answering no1 will tell you what items you need in there, how to arrange rooms so functionally they make your life easier

Answering no2 will help you focus on the comfort level

So, if you want a hallway to be tidy because it's your entrance to the home (=no2) but know that your routines mean its always going to be where you leave coats and shoes, and put on coats and shoes (=no1) then you will be looking for storage for shoes and coats so there's isn't a mess, but it will need to be discreet do you have room to put shoes on / dump shopping bags as your struggling through the door. In which case I'd look for a storage bench you can sit on.

qualitygirl · 03/10/2021 10:22

I designed it and built it myself 🤣🤣👍

SameToo · 03/10/2021 10:25

The smallest child has the biggest room so all her toys are in there and not around the house. We have a shoe cupboard that doubles as a bench. Great piece of kit.

nzeire · 03/10/2021 10:29

Thanks frumpety! It has a happy vibe. I’d love to do a million dollar renovation and be all architectural and cool, but that’s never going to happen! The house is an 1880’s wooden cottage with a very curious extension on the back. It will never be “finished”, as we don’t want to spend every minute of our limited spare time doing jobs. We have unpainted doors, a forty year old kitchen, peeling paint on the outside. Character I say ;)

changingstages · 03/10/2021 10:38

I DGAF if it's spotless and that helps. Art everywhere. Allow DC to play everywhere though they have to put toys away before bed. That's it really.

TheUnbearable · 03/10/2021 10:57

Lots of storage, a quite large but very private garden. We have however lived in our house for 23 years and have decided to have a serious declutter and I’m about to try and sell a thousand books. I collected them over a decade and I intend keeping maybe 50 for if we have grandchildren.

HomeSliceKnowsBest · 03/10/2021 11:03

My house is detached and mortgage free. That is all I care about, it can be an utter shit tip for all I care, for the only time in my life I feel safe.

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 03/10/2021 11:08

Ours is quite nice, I think, although homely rather than stylish.

I like:
a bit of colour
clean and tidy
bookcases in most rooms but cull regularly and don't let any of them get over-stuffed
as much wardrobe space as you can fit/afford
rugs, cushions, candles, fairy lights to make it cosy
lots of plants

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 03/10/2021 11:09

Oh and I love having a kitchen diner. We don't bother with a dining room, which means we have 2 lounges instead - one for TV and one for not!

grapewine · 03/10/2021 11:11

Lots of storage so everything has a place. Books and blankets.

PlonkyWillyWonky · 03/10/2021 11:17

Make the rooms flow with a similar colour palette

ParkheadParadise · 03/10/2021 11:29

A Playroom 😂😂
Where all the dolls with broken heads and limbs live.
I can't stand clutter. I also have a walk-in coat/shoe/scooter/bike room at my front door.

TangoWhiskyAlphaTango · 03/10/2021 11:37

@nzeire

I love my home, just love it! It’s teeny tiny and although I’m big on clearing out, the rest of them are hoarders! Kids have their own rooms that I just shut the doors on (they are teenagers). I have a mix of modern art and some pieces that belonged to my grandparents. I have well attended plants in most rooms. Always smells good with diffusers, lovely soaps and hand creams in bathrooms and kitchen. All white linen that we wash and rotate between bedrooms. Keep it simple, clean, fresh. Do a yuk job once a week, like the pot cupboard, declutter something, do skirting boards in a room. I’m not uptight (anymore), and love that the place is interesting. Great books, great art, beautiful rug, gorgeous bedding! All walls soft white, but colour with the art and furnishings. Have fun putting it all together!
Sounds beautiful!
RosesAndHellebores · 03/10/2021 11:42

Do not have more stuff than you can store.
When dc were small and we lived in a victorian house, the best money spent was on turning the under stairs space into hanging space at the front and pull out drawers further back. It provided storage for coats, shoes, book bags, pe kit bags, torches, small tools, light bulbs, etc.