Thinking of moving or redecorating because you’ve fallen out of love with your house? Here are 7 easy ways to fall in love with your home again.
It’s that time of year. The holidays are over, and all their fun decorations are back in storage. It’s too cold to go outside much. And you feel like you’re stuck inside a house that has seen better days.
Your relationship with your house may be one of the longest running relationships in your life. And in every long term relationship, there may be times when you don’t “feel” the love anymore. But there’s no need to leave and endure all the drama and expense of a breakup!
Here’s how to reclaim your space and fall back in love with your home again.
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1. Remember why you fell in love in the first place.
Sometimes, there’s nothing wrong with your home, but the infatuation with it fades a bit over time. When you start losing your feelings for your house, try remembering why you fell in love with it in the beginning.
Was is the neighborhood? Or the light-filled rooms? Or maybe the kitchen that you could see yourself making special meals in for your loved ones?
Whatever it was that drew you to your house, try spending more time doing that, experiencing it, or bringing it back. You’ll be surprised how quickly you feel that spark again.
2. Treat it nice.
With any treasure, you make sure to take good care of it. But sometimes our homes come in last on our priority list. Try carving out a few minutes here and there to clean, or maybe a whole weekend to organize the pantry or garage.
The very act of caring for something (or someone) can deepen your feelings toward that thing or person. Pretty soon you’ll be both proud of yourself for tackling that organizing project, and happy with how your home is functioning again.
3. Buy it something pretty.
Every good relationship needs an occasional gift to keep the love alive. Maybe your home would feel a little prettier with a new candle. Or bath towels. Or a washable kitchen rug.
Just like our wardrobes need a little refreshing every once in a while to stay in style and keep from wearing out, our house needs new goodies occasionally too. There’s no need to break the bank, but a small investment in something pretty will go a long way to making your house feel like home again.
4. Set the mood.
Setting a mood isn’t just for romantic evenings. You can positively impact how you feel about your home by dialing in a few tiny details.
Lights
I believe lighting is one of the unsung heroes of effective decorating. You can fill a space with furniture, but adding the right kind of lighting is what makes it feel like home.
I personally tend to avoid overhead lighting whenever possible, and lean on lamps and natural light from windows for most of the feel-good lighting in my house.
When I’m curled up with a novel in my reading nook, I have a little directional lamp that throws good light on my book. When I’m working in the kitchen, I like under cabinet lighting for tasks. And when I’m hanging out on the couch, I like shaded lamps on at about eye level, to keep from blinding me or my family when we talk with each other.
Smells
There’s nothing like the smell of cookies baking in the kitchen to make your house feel like home. (There’s a reason realtors bake cookies for open houses, and it’s not to keep your blood sugar up.)
Setting a mood with smells is easier than ever before. Between candles, essential oil diffusers, and wax melting lamps, there’s no reason to resort to plug in scents. You can pick a new scent every time you come home from work, or stick with the old stand-by that you always love coming home to.
Personally, I love wax melters. They give you all the ambience of lighting a candle, without any open flame or fire hazard. I gave one to each of my (older teenage) kids so they can create the mood they want in their rooms.
Sounds
Consider what you listen to while you’re in your space at home. Do you like silence? Maybe the sounds of the birds in the trees outside? Or a little background music?
Take a moment to open a window if you like nature or city sounds, or turn on a playlist if you like music. It will lift your spirits and make you happier in your space, all of which leads to good feelings about your home!
5. Splurge on a mini makeover.
No need to remodel your whole house! Start with something small – a cozy chair, hanging some curtains, or a new paint color for a room. Is there something specific that’s bugging you? You can probably tackle that without taking on a major renovation project.
You can get a lot of bang for your buck by making over small spaces, such as a reading nook, prayer closet, or recipe desk. When you see your house in terms of many smaller spaces, it makes it easier to tackle one area at a time.
By making a few small changes or remaking one small area, you’ll get that feeling of new-ness that you’re missing after living in your house for a while.
6. See it through someone else’s eyes.
Have a friend over who will remind you of something they love about your home. Sometimes when we live in one place for too long, we stop seeing why we love it. We just see the baseboards that need cleaning, or that one drawer that doesn’t sit quite right.
But guests are never as picky as we are about our space. If you invite someone over for coffee, chances are they’ll be so happy you want to spend time with them that your house will seem like a haven to them.
With a close friend, you can even straight up ask them to tell you something good. Be honest and tell them you’re struggling with loving your home, and they’ll be able to set you straight and commiserate with you at the same time, because they probably feel the same way about their home.
7. Love it for who lives there.
And finally, even if your house isn’t loveable for what it is, it’s lovable for what it does. It takes care of you and your family members. It provides shelter, safety, and warmth. And hopefully a cozy bed to fall into at the end of the day.
At the very least, you can love your home for taking care of the people (and/or pets) you love. I’m always apt to like someone more if they’re kind to my kids. And that’s how I feel about my house.
Thanks house, you’re doing a great job! I think… I think I love you.