Your home is your castle. It’s the place where you relax and spend time with your family. It is also the place where you and your family have all your possessions.
It is easy to concentrate on the utilitarian aspects of home decorating when you have a busy family life, and you would certainly be used to and familiar with the vibe of your living space, but have you ever wondered how people view your home from the “outside”? What will people notice when they visit you? What won’t they notice? How can your family feel comfortable, yet create a good impression on visitors?
Fear not! You do not need to waste a lot of time and money to prepare your home to impress. With a little know-how, you can concentrate on just a few things which will set up your place to wow your guests and create a long-lasting impression on visitors to your home.
The entrance to your home often sets your guest’s expectations about how the inside of your home will look. An excellent way to make a good first impression is to have an attractive front door.
A feature door is always a great way set up your entrance to impress; however, we think some of the smartest entries stick to the basics. You would be surprised how much a great colour on your entrance door can make for fabulous street appeal.
Next time you walk down the street, take a look at the doors on the homes around you. You will be surprised how a simple paint job can make the difference between your entryway looking “meh” to “wow!”. Be brave, sometimes strong colours, like red or navy blue or gun-metal-grey, can be far more appealing than sticking to neutral or wood tones.
Source: http://rhsblog.co.uk/2015/04/12/victorian-mosaic-tile-path-front-garden-design-east-dulwich-peckham-london/
Just buying new and expensive furniture and slapping it in a room will not guarantee a result which will wow your guests.
Believe it or not, many guests will look at your rooms and immediately think about how they would design the space. Sloppy room layout is evident, and your guest’s will notice it.
Take a little time to think about how your furniture could best work in your space and how to best make the room flow, both from a practical and design perspective. For example, ask yourself: Do you have enough room between couches and coffee tables? Is the colour scheme consistent? Are there too many colours in your room design? Are you following out of date design principals, for example, is your sofa against a wall?
If you use your furniture and space to its best effect, it will always impress your guests, because the room will be balanced, welcoming and comforting, regardless what type of furniture you have or the colour scheme you adopt.
Your guests will notice if your home is messy and cluttered.
An easy way to avoid this is to invest in some good storage furniture. Your piece, if well designed, may also become a centerpiece to your room decor. We recommend you keep a little space free in your storage furniture to place your everyday clutter when guests come to visit.
Source: https://www.houzz.com/photos/3045830/Toronto-Kitchen-Project-traditional-staircase-toronto
A few clutches of flowers dotted about will add further appeal to your home. Flowers brighten up an area and provide a fresh feeling and smell which brings the outdoors in. You don’t have to go to the florist and buy great swathes of flowers, simple cut flowers from your garden will look lovely and create a personal touch to your decor.
Also, it pays to think about what you would like your flowers to achieve, for example, lilies and roses provide a lovely perfume, while carnations, daisies and the like look amazingly pretty. We like to place the flowers with a bouquet, such as lilies and roses in bathrooms while living areas love the burst of color you get from the pretty, but not-so-scented blooms.
While your guest may not notice if you do not have flowers in your home, they will certainly notice it if you do. Having a few vases of flowers dotted about is an easy way for you to create a good vibe, which is bright and welcoming.
Source: http://contemporarylighting.eu/2017/05/30/upgrade-kitchen-lighting-mid-century-lamps/?utm_source=msa&utm_medium=RedesCL&utm_campaign=Pinterest
Does your sofa sport a smattering of cushions? Does your bed have bundles of down to lay your head on? It’s not enough! It is incredibly fashionable to have a collection of cushions sporting sofas and beds, and your guests will notice if you are stingy in this regard.
From a design perspective, we say, the more, the better! Cushions provide a great way to add your personality and flair into a room design. They are great for placing colour and design blasts into a space in a way which will be sure to impress your guests. Cushions create a welcoming, warm and opulent look to any room design. They can be used in mass due to their flexibility in size, shape, textures, and colours.
Source: http://www.studio-mcgee.com/studioblog/2017/4/17/design-tips-for-carpet-and-rugs
It is easy for you to become acclimatised to the smells in your own home. Unfortunately, your guests will not be used to those smells and as such, fragrances such as fido’s pheromones on the couch will assail your guest’s nasal passages when they come to visit.
Why not try a scented candle to improve the smell in the ambient air? Candles placed in the hallway or the living areas can provide a floral and welcoming smell for your guests. This way, your guests will remember the smells in your home for all the right reasons.
You can also add a gorgeous design flair by placing your candles in cute little holders which accentuate the natural beauty of the candle’s flame.
Source: https://www.tomdixon.net/shop/accessories/candles-fragrance/candles-diffusers.html
Just remember, everyone has items which they are proud of or which show their personality. It may be a beautiful family photo, an artwork which you or your kids did which you are especially proud of, or just that coffee table you bought on a whim because you couldn’t resist it – display these items proudly! It is easy to make virtually any piece of art look amazing – it’s as simple as buying a frame with a Matt in it and mounting your piece within it. Try it today – you’ll be amazed just how professional a frame makes your sketches look.
Your guests will notice and appreciate these personal touches, even more so than impressive prints and paintings, because they tell your story in your words.
Follow some of our simple guidelines, and you will be sure to have happy visitors to your home who will no doubt be impressed by your living space. There is no truer saying that ‘you never get a second chance to make a first impression.’
