What makes a house feel like home?

[Brimful]

I know, sorry, not an AIBU really, but can I ask for advice how to make a house feel all homey and cosy?

It's just DH and I rattling around our place, we are both quite minimal by nature decor wise and I like white walls, neutral furniture, with splashes of colour coming from paintings, cushions, rugs.

But I can't seem to make the house feel like home. Granted, being minimal doesn't help as I hate clutter but what makes your house 'home' and not just some rooms your stuff is in?

I find it hard buying anything that doesn't have a specific purpose or use, for a long time I had to budget and only buy essentials but now I'm financially better off I can't seem to break the habit of being frugal.

Hoping for inspiration!

For me, the radio, dogs, soft lighting, candles and lovely blankets.

A cat for sure.

Otherwise it's not being immaculate, signs of a life - post, keys, book left lying around (that's you're reading).

Nothing original to add here as it's all been said but definitely : curtains, lamps, books,.photos and plants.

I dont like too much clutter. Actually makes me agitated. All our books are on a kindle or bookcases in our offices.

I decorate with plants. Have them cascading and handing and trailing along wires. I love nature. I guess lots of people may not like this.

Some lovely mirrors, cushions and throws of different textures. Lots of white walls but paird with a wall or two of textured and deep colour wallpaper.

I love silver and mercury glass, so some vases and candle sticks. We have a lot of those battery operated candles around the house. All come on automatically and give a lovely warm glow.

We have mixed wood with metal too which I like.

My friend's home is a lovely relaxed mix of furniture, throws, cushions and rugs . It feels so welcoming whereas my SIL has a very bright minimalist home where I feel I have to tiptoe across the wooden floors as there is nothing to deaden the noise .

How do you stop echoes? Our kitchen has a high ceiling and when you get a few people in there it is so noisey I cant stand it. We have a small sofa and arm chair, and a table and chairs, a wall of wall paper. What does it need?

Wood is better than shiny hard surfaces for toning down sound. Ours is the same but haven’t changed anything yet.

@madcatladyforever what's the name of that green paint you're using? I'm looking for something similar. Thanks

@IceniSky more soft surfaces - curtains? Fabric wall hangings? Someone else has suggested wood, though not all woods are the same. On some voice training courses and some church visits I've done they teach you that if you want to project your voice, harder surfaces make it easier. I don't know the physics explanation, I just know it makes a difference. Although with a high ceiling inevitably you're going to have a lot of noise whatever you do.

@IceniSky Oh, and books on shelves. Unless you're in one of the mis-designed modern libraries (of which there are sadly many) then books are brilliant at helping to keep noise down.

Iceni do you have ceramic floor tiles? They make kitchens really echoey. Wood is more absorbent. You could try adding soem wall hangings in thick cloth or some large canvases. Rugs if you don;t mind them in the kitchen area. And a few sound absorbent things like big pot plants or a shelf of cookery books.

@Brimful you should definitely blow up some of your photos, frame them and display them in groups on various walls. That's exactly what makes a house a home. Brilliant idea and I'm glad your DH likes it.

Plants and cushions can add colour splashes which you can easily change if you want. So have say a purple theme then next year go orange. Matching rug if you want.
Books are a must for me.
And odd quirky stuff which i like for no reason at all but it personalises my space

Nothing at all wrong with putting your own artwork on the walls. I've got my paintings all over the place.

Soft and textured surfaces absorb sound, hard surfaces reflect it.

Carpet!

We brought our house about 18months who knowing would need work. But we’ve been lazy up until finding out we’re due our first baby so now we’re getting the house cosy ready for baby’s arrival.

I cannot stress enough how much of a different nice carpet makes, aswell as candles, even just fake candles in pots make everything seem warmer.

A floor lamp is next on my list so we don’t need the big light on which doesn’t give it a very homely feel. Dim lighting is everything.

A stove, a dog, comfy seating, a nice rug underfoot, some interesting books and music, decent mood lighting and some colour. Minimalist white is fantastic for holiday cottages, but very stark for a home. I have SILs who don’t have a cushion out of place, you just feel on tenterhooks whenever you visit.
Go for quality if you can afford it. Old but great quality beats new but cheap almost every time. Houses with mouldings, cupboards, alcoves are more homely than basic flat walls, soft furnishings add homely touches as well.

I like to think the untidiness of my home is cosy rather than, well, just untidy. Evidence hobbies, books, craft materials.........Minimalist and everything in its place would feel a bit cold even with nice curtains or cushions

@3weemonkeys, I agree. There’s always one of our many hobbies taking up space somewhere, be it a bike, knitting, half made piece of jewellery, cook books etc.....

I often find that houses that are too clean and clear look more like offices, or like the show rooms in Ikea.

A pile of magazines on a bookcase or a stack of boxes of board games - anything that makes it look as though someone has just gone out of the room, rather than a room that looks as though it's only there to look at.

There's not much you can do about it, but lower ceilings and smaller rooms look cosier than high ceilings and 'through' rooms. If your rooms are large then anything that divides them up - furniture, screens, plants on tables, will help.

Beautiful artwork, lots of photos in different pretty frames, wood burner, rugs, lots of candles, some of them scented, lamps everywhere, throws and cushions in different textures, flowers, twinkling fairy lights draped on bannisters, (dainty battery powered ones on a fine string), wallpaper, wine racks (full preferably) finally, dogs, they make our house feel like a home ♥️

Oh and lots and lots of books!

I also agree that it's signs of the life lived there that makes a house a home, even if that means it is a bit messier or more cluttered. Homes that are clean and well cared for but have a love din feel are the best - musical instruments and books around, a bit of sports kit in the hallway - anything that shows you have a life. I find 'show home' style homes very uninviting and unappealing.

A dog.

A real fire , full length curtains , lots of books , non matchy furniture. A cat or four !

And paintings on the walls .