Your new build house is crisp, clean and… a bit lacking in character. While you’re thrilled to own it, you’d really like to add a few touches that reflect your and your family’s tastes and lifestyle, transforming it from being just a house into a real home.

Luckily, you don’t have to upend the kids’ toy chest in the middle of the lounge floor just to make your house feel lived in! After all, you’d like to keep things tidy. A few little jobs around the house and garden, and you’ll start feeling more settled. Let’s get to work creating a comfy feel, working from the outside in, to make your new house a home.

1. A curbside welcome

Designers often use the ‘journeys’ people make through spaces to shape the way they experience them. You’ll do the same kind of thing starting at the curbside. Begin by shopping for custom address plaques. Thinking of giving your house a name as well as a number? Even better! It doesn’t have to be anything pretentious – it could even be amusing. What you choose reflects the character of the family that lives within those four walls. If you’re a keen gardener and have a border along the pavement, add your special touch here too.

2. Up the garden path

Now that you’ve seen to the initial steps in creating a sense of place, it’s time to continue the journey. There are many little details you can add that inject interest to the walk from your gate to your front door. Apart from using your favourite plants, consider adding some garden statuary or an ornamental water feature to welcome friends and family as they approach your house. The area around the door is particularly important since it’s a place where people pause. An attractive collection of potted plants is a good start, but don’t overlook the vertical wall space. Use it to display a carefully-chosen artwork, antique, or object of interest.

3. Moving indoors

Clutter is a definite no-no, but a minimalist interior can seem rather cold and impersonal. Scatter cushions and throws can make a huge difference in transforming the sterile look of a new home into something altogether warmer, friendlier and more personalised. When it comes to paintings and objects d’art, be selective. It’s better to choose one or two statement pieces than it is to fill the space with tons of knick-knacks. And while you aren’t planning to leave things lying about, a well-chosen coffee table book or two help to make the space more interesting with a lived-in-look that isn’t in the least bit messy.

4. Throw your heart into the kitchen

In the kitchen, you can really let your hair down and have a bit of fun. Brighten it up with your children’s artworks, flowers picked from your own garden, a display of your heirloom china and glassware or anything else that says ‘family’ to you. After all, it’s considered the heart of the home, and home is all about family. I love adding vintage touches like an old set of scales or granny’s handed-down mixing bowls – and no matter how modern your kitchen is, a vintage touch here and there won’t look out of place.

5. Comfortable and personal bedrooms

Assuming the basics are already there, each bedroom’s owner will add their own personal touches they like. If you have small children, they’ll need a bit of help, but you already know what they like best, even if you don’t altogether agree with their tastes. So, if your daughter wants to plaster the walls with music fan posters, or your son wants to decorate with model dinosaurs, that’s their choice. In your own bedroom, you and your spouse can reign. Work together to create a restful atmosphere in which you can both relax after a busy day.

There’s no wrong way to do it

No matter how much you like your new house, the ways you choose to make yourselves at home personalise it. What you do depends entirely on you, and there are no wrong or right ways to do it. Turn getting settled in into a family project in which you take everyone’s preferences into account. It can be fun too!

[disclosure*]