Moving can be a daunting task. Whether you are renting or buying, there is an endless check list and you often can’t feel settled until weeks or even months into living in your new space. I’ve teamed up with Casper to give you a few of my tips and tricks for turning your house into a home.
- Take your time. When you first move into a new space, you are essentially working with a blank canvas. You will want to figure out how you truly use the space, how you want the room to feel, and then decided how to decorate the room.
- Create a mood board or Pinterest board to determine what pieces you want to use in the space and then start off by purchasing maybe one or two items from the list. Decorating a house can be expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. Scour the internet for sales, discount codes, or affordable versions of things that have hefty price tags.
- My biggest piece of advice is to evaluate and reevaluate, style is always evolving and so don’t be afraid to reassess as you begin to decorate.
Here are a few of my essentials to turn your humble abode into a warm and inviting space!
Chantilly in Ivory/Black Loloi Rug | Wayfair Chairs
A rug can instantly warm up a space and bring all the elements together. Whether its a runner in a kitchen or a plush rug in a living room, you can bring in different color elements and patterns to bring character and warmth to your space.
Walls Need Love Removable Wallpaper – Clara Mural
Nothing shows off your personality more than the artwork you choose to showcase in your home. Gallery walls, statement framed items, vases, etc. The skies the limit with artwork. Determining the type of vibe you want in your house often influences the type of artwork, do you lean more minimalistic or eclectic? I used removable wallpaper in my office as my statement artwork in the space!
There is simply no better feeling then crawling into a freshly made bed with new sheets, pillows, and a new mattress. We invested in a new mattress for our guest bedroom and about a year into living in our home upgrade from a queen to a king in our master bedroom. Maybe the best decision of our lives. Check out all the options Casper has to offer!
I’m all about accessorizing and an easy way to do that is with pillows. My husband thinks I’m nuts, but pillows are like the cherry on top of a sundae. It brings the space together and helps add color and personality. Throw pillows are something that you can splurge on or even DIY to save money. You don’t to spend a fortune to turn your space into something you can really call your own. If throw pillows aren’t your thing – make sure you invest in some good pillow to rest your head on at night. It’s an area I’m still struggling with – I want a firm, yet soft pillow at the same time! I’d love to try Casper’s Pillow – it looks like a dream!
BM Revere Pewter Walls | BM White Dove Cabinets
Paint is an inexpensive solution to change the entire look and feel of your home. When we purchased our house, I was surrounded by taupe walls and yellow trim (see the progression of our hallway here). I’ve slowly updated each room in the house (a few more to go) by painting the walls and the trim. The second coat always gets me in each room, but the end result reminds me that it is ALWAYS worth it.
Last December, I tackled the big task of painting our kitchen cabinets. We went from a dark and dingy vibe in our kitchen/dining area to a bright and inviting space! I painted our bedroom black to create a moody and glam atmosphere. My office went to bright white to allow for an airy space. Paint can make even the smallest of miracles happen.
I mentioned artwork above is key in decorating your home, but don’t forget to make your home personal. Whether it’s framing your kid’s artwork, or finally printing off those photos from that one weekend that reside on Facebook – print your photos and hang them around your house. I finally got around to framing some of my favorite wedding photos and moved some things around in our entry way. It feels much more ‘us’ than it has in the past when I had a couple of mirrors and a framed photograph I got from Minted (which now resides in our hall bathroom – why I’d never thought to move it there in the first place…).
Lamps Plus Lighting and Nightstands | Tufted Headboard
Lighting can make or break a space. I lived in our house with yellow hued lights for year before having the very ‘duh’ moment of simply swapping out the bulbs for daylight ones. It made all the difference. I was more concerned about paint and trim color but realized changing the lighting was what truly turned the space into somewhere I wanted to spend time (especially in our kitchen and dining room). Not only do the types of light bulbs you help set the mood of a space, I would suggest adding lamps in addition to overhead lighting. There are so many options to pick from, sconces, floor lamps, and table lamps all have their purpose. I’ve used sconces in both our guest bedroom and my office, floor and table lamps in our living room (we rarely use the overhead lighting), and lamps flanking our bed in our master bedroom. Each lamp has it’s purpose!
What are your essentials in turning a house into a home? Let me know in the comments below!
