Cozy up your home in 8 easy ways

by: Jem Gezen

Home is where the heart is. Whether you live in an apartment, a bungalow, multi-stories, or a mansion - it is important to keep our houses warm and inviting.

Our humble abode in the suburbs

If like us, you have recently purchased (and/or rented) a starter home, you are probably struggling on which house items you need to get or what steps you need to take in order to make your house look pretty, functional and spacious while keeping the cost at a minimum. 

Here are some of my tips on how to cozy up your place on a budget.

1. Free your house of clutter and dust. As simple as keeping your house clean will definitely add value to your home. Rule no. 1 is to never let clutter pile up. The greater the mess, the harder to clean. I have a hobbyist for a husband and 2 playful dogs - they make a lot of mess! If you have kids,good luck (^__^). Keeping the house tidy can be challenging but not impossible. Sweep, vacuum, dust, wash the dishes, pick-up and empty your trash regularly. 

 2. Work around a particular color and design scheme. Depending on your taste, make sure to use colors that complement the size and design of your house. There are color palettes available at the hardware and paint shops. Ask for samples before you even start painting. 

We are into rustic- old world - victorian, some prefers modern, while others love splashes of color. For smaller-medium sized houses like ours, keep your color tones bright and/or natural because it makes spaces look bigger and more open.

 A peek at our living room

3. Invest on lamps and other lighting. I love lamps because they are not only functional but also adds drama to once dull space. Most lamps are also affordable. Whenever there are awkward spaces in the house, we throw a floor lamp or a small lamp on top of a small table and voila! problem fixed. 

4. Curtain up. The easiest way to beautify a house is to hang curtains. Depending on your budget and how bright or dark you wish your house to look - there’s always a curtain that matches your needs. I love it when sunshine radiates throughout the house that I hang simple white, translucent curtains. They’re not only functional but also affordable.

5. Flowers, plants, water fountain, scented candles, and incense make any house extra-relaxing. House plants add color and life to any house. No need to splurge on super-luxurious flowers. If you have a garden or flower-bearing plant, cut some flowers and transfer them to a vase. If you have a black-thumb like me, get a variety of cactus or other plants that require very low maintenance.

Aside from being clean, our house is also known for its heavenly scent. No kidding! Having pets made me extra-paranoid that our house would begin to stink that I make sure to light up scented candles and incense everyday. For incense, I highly recommend Nag Champa, lavender and full moon scents - you’ll feel like being transported to another plain! 

I also love water fountains - the sound, its serenity. I feel like I’m in a spa every time! 

6. Fill-in empty walls with shelves , mirrors or wall art. It will surprise you how many of these items have accumulated through time. Mix-and-match mirrors and artworks and hang them on empty walls.You can also build or buy shelving units where you can display various knick-knacks.

I see a puppy! :) 

7. Throw some pillows and colorful fabrics on a boring couch. This is a hand-me-down couch we got from husband’s parents. I find it impossible in the beginning to tie this to the room because of its color but with some plants, fabric and pillow - it all worked out in the end. I wrapped it with an ordinary red scarf and put a red-black-white woven blanket and some throws for accent. It’s not the most glamorous looking piece in the house but still functional and cozy. Plus it’s free! 

8. Display photos of yourself and loved ones. Believe it or not, there are a lot of people who feel that hanging photos of themselves is tacky and narcissistic. I disagree. I personally think that especially for newlyweds, it is important to display photos of fun memories as the family grows bigger. This is a photo wall project we did in our dining nook and it has become a conversational piece since. We are planning on filling it up with more photos - mostly our happiest photos in the most beautiful journeys, with the most beautiful people: our friends and family.

So, are you ready to start on your very own home project today?