10 ways to create a home you love

This Valentine’s Day don’t just share love with your significant other but spread some of that love to the place you live, by creating a space you would never want to leave. GHL Bank shares easy tips on how to do that.

1. Create a welcoming entrance

First impressions count and there’s no better way than to impress right from the entrance of your home. Simply declutter the area and add a few touches to give your entrance an instant makeover. Try the following: • Using a rug to define the space • Place some artistic furniture • Hang a mirror to create the illusion of more space • Create an accent wall or install some stylish but functional shelving

2. Keep it clean

Your physical space is an expression of the way you feel. A clean home is the first step to creating a cozy home. Regularly wash your sheets and towels, keep your floors and other surfaces clean, and make it a habit to clear clutter before it gets out of hand. Beds always feel best when you’re climbing onto freshly washed and sun-dried sheets.

3. Hang art

Research shows that simply looking at art can reduce stress and make you happy. The more you surround yourself with things that make you feel good, the more you’ll capture that feeling of home. Aside from the fact that we get a big boost of pleasure from looking at things that we consider to be beautiful, hanging art in your house helps instil your individual personality and interests into the space.

4. Go green

Greenery and fresh blooms bring us closer to the purifying and serene sense of nature, while positively impacting our mood and reducing stress. If you haven’t got a green thumb, opt for a low-maintenance house plant that can survive days or weeks without water.

5. Bring the spa home

The spa is the one place that designed to make us feel super comfortable. Replicate the feeling at home by adding details like candles, gentle lighting and aromatherapy diffusers, to create an atmosphere that’s more than ordinary. Do it right and you may never want to leave.

6. Make your bed

The many benefits of building the habit of making your bed every day includes better productivity, stronger skills at sticking to a budget and boosting happiness. All that from a 3-minute task? Definitely worth it.

7. Decorate it with sentimental pieces that bring good memories

Money isn’t everything – good memories are. The best part of enjoying a good experience is reliving them through our memories. Make your home a gallery of positive memories.

8. Add extra light

Few things make a house feel less inviting than insufficient lighting. Make sure your existing lighting fixtures emit warm temperature shades of white or yellow, which promote relaxation. You can also add additional lighting such as well-placed lamps or wall lights.

9. ‘Reset’ your room before you leave

Before leaving every room, spend just two minutes to ‘reset’ the room back to its ideal state. It’s a known fact that clutter causes stress; order creates a haven from it.

10. Surround yourself in softness

A cozy blanket can go a long way toward making any space more peaceful and inviting. A super soft blanket on your sofa or bed is not only super comfortable but can also help reduce anxiety and stress by helping you feel calmer and increase relaxation.

A house should be more than just a place to lay your head at the end of the day. Simple design ideas can create feelings of warmth and pass those feelings on to you whenever you’re in the space. Make it a point to surround yourself with things that make you feel good. Ultimately, it will help create an atmosphere of love and make your house feel like home.