Create a home that you love!

There is no place like home. This is the place where most of us feel safe and secure, where we kick off our shoes and take off our bra's (and masks) and can just be ourselves... Our comfort space. This is the place that we work for. So how do we make this space a welcoming, safe cocoon?

"Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful." William Morris.

Gallery walls make a space interesting and colourful. Image Veranda.

If you love your home and feel comfortable in it - others will pick up on the energy and love it too, BUT - this is your space and how you feel about it is most important. Never apologise for how it looks or feels.

I believe that your home should be a space that reflects who live there. Your hobbies, places you have visited and favourite objects and other things of importance to you and your family should fill this space. If you collect specific things (like old glass jars or scateboards) or art this will add interest to your home and make for interesting conversation with visitors.

"A home without books is a body without soul" Cicero

Cozy Library. Image English Traditions.

Your home should organically evolve with you. Changing wall colours and getting rid of things you no longer love and replacing them will change your home over time. Rearrange your furniture from time to time to keep things interesting. If you are not sure about the colour in your home, I can help you with an online paint consultation or you can purchase a colour guide.

"Repurposing and restyling are what make a home personal." Nestor Santa Cruz.

Antique table. Image Veranda.

Make the most of what you have. Repurposed furniture add so much character, but not all of us are blessed with family heirlooms. Start with what you can afford and replace it over time with finds from markets, antique shops and secondhand furniture shops. Cover an old chair with your favourite upholstery and if there is a single item that makes your home feel more cosy, it is a rug! A close second is a comfortable sofa or chair and wooden furniture.

I don't like to criticise interiors - this is not what this blog is for, but my pet hate is white tiled floors in vast quantities. There is nothing that makes a home look colder and more sterile. So sorry if you do have them, but consider wooden floors with rugs or interesting tiles.

A bath with a view. Image Madaboutthehouse

Inevitably winter conjures up images of cozy homes - reading a book in front of the fire with a glass of red wine, but summer can be just as enchanting in your home - beautiful curtains moving in the breeze, sipping an ice tea and vases full of flowers from the garden.

Enjoy your home! Create traditions in your home, like afternoon tea on a Sunday or a cocktail hour early evening, using those special crystal glasses. My very graceful friend in London goes to the market on a Saturday morning and buy fresh bread and flowers for their home. Run a bubble bath and burn the candles, listening to your favourite music.

If you would like assistance with the design of your home, please contact me.

"There is no place like home" The Wizard of Oz.