What makes a house feel like a home?

[SausageGuzzlingLabradors]

I’ve been thinking about this today. Today I visited a lovely friend’s house. It’s a beautiful, spacious interior designed country pile many people would aspire to (it’s sometimes in magazines) but it just didn’t feel like a home. It was almost too perfect and felt lacking in energy. Then I dropped a pair of kids wellies into another friend. Her house is an unremarkable 1960’s semi and is far from ‘perfect’ but always feels so welcoming and homely. I could spend hours on her sofa, staring into the (1980’s gas effect) fire.

What do you think it is that makes a house a home? Is it certain items? A way of living? Or ( this sounds a bit woo) is it something to do with the feelings or relationships in the house?

Sounds soppy but Anywhere i am with my DH. We have travelled and lived all over the UK and world, flat shares, house sitting,
sometimes our own flat. Theyve always felt like home!

When my daughter was little I had a large 4 bed new build. Everything was modern and shiny. I was in an awful relationship and I spent loads of my time in my friends house down the road which was essentially a 2 up 2 down. It was a sanctuary for myself and my daughter.

I’ve just sold my flat and the viewers all said it was homely apparently. It’s clean, it has loads of plants, loads of fairy lights, sea grass boxes, cute bits and bobs and a bit of a mixture of furniture - some rubbish ikea stuff and some sturdy antique wooden stuff.

I’ve always thought the Weasley’s house was something to aspire too!

Thank goodness the trend for grey walls is over.
It ruined any cosy ambience and looked particularly cold and unwelcoming in older houses.

People always say that we have a very homely home, but the thing is that its a bloody nightmare getting people to leave 🤣🤣 People will pop over and then start to make themselves comfy and then they're settled in for the night 😂😂
We've made sure we've got really nice lighting that's very calming and warm, and we also quite a bit of red which I think is welcoming and warm (we had grey sofas for a year and it felt very cold and austere). We also have carpets which I think makes everywhere seem soft and welcoming.
I think it's also about the hosts - I always feel very relaxed when people are in my house so I guess this passes on to guests.
I go to friend's houses, or my kid's go for play dates, and it just never feels relaxing if the host is fussing. One friend shoves a plate underneath your chin if you so much as eat a tic tac in her house, and I once witnessed her hoovering around my son as he ate, which is bizarre as her three kids run riot leaving a trail of sweet wrappers and biscuit crumbs wherever they go!!

I go to friend's houses, or my kid's go for play dates, and it just never feels relaxing if the host is fussing.

I completely agree - there’s a family we know I always think of as ‘the coaster family’. When there’s a slightest hint of someone preparing to have a drink there’s always a coaster immediately shoved right in front of you. The mum also nearly rugby tackled my daughter when she thought she was going to go up the expensive looking, cream carpet stairs wearing her shoes. My daughter wasn’t, she was just in the downstairs hall. Not a house I ever felt relaxed in!

I am the complete opposite, I would feel far more comfortable in your friends country pile, sounds right up my street, I love beautiful interiors and don’t find them un homely at all, I follow a fabulous interior designer on YouTube, her huge house is perfection but the house is still a well loved family home, she just (or her house keeper) keep it immaculate, I certainly wouldn’t feel uncomfortable if she invited me round for tea and cake.

Very much agree with this.

number one - a cat! For me then it’s books, the odd sentimental ornament , photos and plants!

It's the people who live there. Warm, kind, caring, funny people make a home not the decor.