How did you make your house feel like a home?

[sarahb083]

A few months ago DP and I moved into a new house, but it doesn't feel very cosy or homey like our last house did, despite having all of the same furniture etc. Anyone have tips for making a new house feel more homey?

If your last house felt homey I’m presuuming you know the tricks of cushions, throws, texture, pictures etc, is this house a lot bigger than your last one? Could that be the reason that it feels a bit empty and not cocooning like your last house?

Throws..... l think they just make a place look untidy.

Had a couple of children, some pets, filled it full of stuff very gradually over the years.

Personal stuff like photos, paintings, holiday souvenirs, second hand stuff you pick up from antiques markets etc. And yeah soft furnishings.

Soft lighting. Large rugs. Cushions. Basket of throws neatly tidied. Candles. Art work. Long curtains.

Lots of soft lighting. Candles, lanterns, tea lights, low lamps.

I have a fireplace which has a real fire in the winter and is filled with lighted pine cones now on a battery timer so they come on when it's dark. I got them from Cox and Cox I think.

A million cushions

Controversial these days, but for us it was our woodburner

I have a fake wood burner and an wooden fire place, a chair, couple of throws and cushions, a few ornaments and a couple of plants, a bookcase with books and a couple of boxes for toys. It's not a big living room and I have quite a lot of toys because of what I do for a living but I think it's nice and cosy. I think good heavy curtains and good carpets or if you have flooring, a nice rug always cosies it up, and a few lamps rather than ceiling lights.
Now I want to see pictures of everyone's living rooms!

You need at least one of these....

Lived in it for more than a few months, acquired general crap and a couple of pets.

A house is not a home without one of these.

Is it the lighting? White lighting is great for working ( office/ kitchen surfaces etc) but a warm orangey light is best for making spaces feel cosy and relaxing. Could it be as simple as changing some light bulbs? Or adding in a few lamps with a warm white bulb in?