How to make a house a home

We like to think that all of the properties that Harvey Homes builds for our discerning buyers are true ‘homes’ from the minute they walk in. We make sure they are built with love and care so that they are able to nurture families as they change over the years while also fostering quality time together. 

However, we do realise that people like to make a property truly theirs with personal touches and that often a house goes through a major interior transformation before it truly feels like a ‘home’. 

What do homeowners say?

Last year, Furniture Village undertook a study into 2,000 homeowners to ask them what really made them feel at home and found that it was the little things that made the difference.

Sleeping in your own bed topped the list, with 65 per cent of people saying that their bed made a house feel like their home.

A further 48 per cent said that having a dedicated ‘space’ on the sofa made them feel at ‘home’. Personal touches including children’s paintings on the wall (20 per cent), fridge magnets (19 per cent) and even shoes by the door (19 per cent) help to complete a place.

A spokesperson from Furniture Village commented: “This fascinating study confirms that it’s a combination of favourite pieces of furniture along with all those familiar little touches that make a house a home.

“It’s clear that having furniture you love – like your bed and your spot on the sofa – is really important at the end of the day. But it’s the simple things like family photos, flowers in a vase, and a well-stocked bookshelf that can instantly make your home the place you want to be.”

What the study shows is that while the bricks and mortar of a house shape the home, the owners’ personal touches are what finishes it off. 

So, what are some of the things most recommended by interior designers and experts across the UK so you can turn your space into a real home? 

Top tips on how to make a house a home

At the end of the day a home is made up of different rooms, a bathroom, kitchen, beds etc but those things aren’t enough to make it truly feel like a home. A feeling of home is about cosiness, charm, comfort, an atmosphere of happiness and a certain warmth. But how are these things cultivated?

If you’ve just moved into a new home – say one of our Tabley properties at Swan Green in Knutsford – then what can you do to nurture a sense of home? It’s already got a beautiful family space, cosy lounge, high spec bathrooms and kitchen as well as four bedrooms so what else can you do?

1.     Display art and pictures

Research shows that being around art can significantly reduce stress and make people happy so why not adorn your walls as soon as you move in? It doesn’t need to be priceless artefacts or million-pound oil paintings but even some nice prints or stylish photography can really elevate a space, get your endorphins going and show off your personality and interests. 

2.     Get nostalgic

For many of us, memories of our childhood home are the most powerful and really represent what ‘home’ means. It’s where we felt the safest, the most loved and these are the feelings that all of us want to recreate in our homes when we are adults. 

Why not try and bring some of your old furniture into your new house or if that’s not possible then you could try and reconstruct a similar area that brings back strong recollections of childhood warmth and comfort.

3.     Indulge in some fabrics

Soft furnishings can really transform a space. From a cosy blanket that covers up a scratchy old sofa, to a fluffy rug that warms up an otherwise cold floor, mounds of cushions that are layered up on a bed or even fabric swatches pulled together to make a patchwork throw or wall hanging, soft decorations can really change a space for the better. 

The great thing is that soft furnishings can be relatively quickly changed and when they are you can transform a room into anything you want it to be – formal, whimsical, cosy, sophisticated or even peaceful. 

4.     Go green

Nothing gives freshness and life to a space than plants and green florae. Whether this is some cheerful flowers in a vase to bring a pop of colour to an otherwise dull room, an array of freshly grown herbs on the windowsill of a kitchen that circulate aromatic scents or some spiky succulents along a bookcase – some indoor greenery is great at making people smile!

Whatever you decide to do to bring cosiness, calmness and a feeling of ‘home’ to your new house, starting with a Harvey Homes property is certainly going to give you a head start on cultivating all that wellbeing and love!