They say that there’s no place like home; but often, we find faults in our homes, or we struggle to turn a new house into the heavenly haven we crave. If you’re a fan of DIY projects, you’re interested in interiors, or you have grand plans to design a home that is perfect in every way, here’s a useful guide to help you create a base that ticks every box.

Colours

Have you ever noticed that different colours have an impact on your mood? Many of us consider colourways one of the most important interior design features, and injecting colour or opting for a simple palette is a great way of running with a theme. If you’re shopping around for paint, you’re looking for accessories, or you’re toying with the idea of buying wallpaper, think about the kind of ambiance you want to create and how you can use different colours to set the tone of different rooms and spaces. Some colours, for example, yellow and orange, are proven to energise and motivate us, while others, such as shades of blue and green, have a much more calming impact.

Within your home, there are probably spaces that you utilise for different purposes. Your bedrooms are likely to be peaceful, relaxed areas, while your living room and kitchen may be social hubs. Match the colours you choose to the function of the room. In the bedroom, you want to be able to switch off, kick back and unwind, so avoid bright colours and clashing prints and opt for shades that will promote serenity. Pastels are a great choice, and neutral tones like beige, white, and grey work really well, particularly in compact spaces.

For rooms that tend to be used for entertaining, socialising and enjoying hobbies and activities, go for something a little bolder. If you don’t want to go all-out with vivid yellow walls or patterned paper, you can lift plain, neutral walls with pictures and prints and coloured accessories. If you’ve got a white kitchen, for example, you could accessorise with red, pink, black or yellow appliances, storage containers and utensils.

Comfort

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of curling up in front of the TV, or climbing into bed and getting comfortable at the end of a busy day or a frantic week. There are several ways you can enhance comfort in your home, and one of the easiest and most affordable is using soft furnishings. Scattering throws on sofas and throwing cushions on couches, chairs and beds is a great way to create that cosy, lived-in look and make the areas that are designed for relaxation more appealing and alluring.

The seasons can impact how you spend your time and how you want to decorate your home, but soft furnishings work all year-round. In the chilly winter months, opt for heavy-duty, snuggly materials like wool and faux fur and replace them with lighter textiles such as linen and cotton as temperatures rise.

Another effective way of facilitating comfort at home is investing in the right kind of furniture for every room. If you’ve got an eye for interior design, of course, you want your home to look fabulous, but you also want to feel comfortable. Resist the temptation to buy sofas or chairs that look funky if they don’t provide relief after a long day at work. Try different styles for size when you’re shopping for seating or you’re looking for a new bed. You don’t want to rely solely on looks.

Temperature

When you’re at home, you want to channel Goldilocks when it comes to room temperature. You don’t want to be freezing cold and feel like you have to put your entire wardrobe on before getting out of bed, and you also don’t want to be sweating buckets when you’re trying to watch TV. It’s essential to get the temperature just right, so that you feel comfortable no matter where you are in the house.

If you live in an area where seasonal changes mean that you experience a range of conditions, it’s wise to consider investing in adaptable heating and cooling systems. You might find that you need to crank up the heating in the winter, but that you can’t live without air conditioning in the summer. If you do have different systems in place, customise the settings to suit your preferences; and don’t forget to keep up with basic maintenance.

When summer is approaching, look for a company that specialises in AC repair and routine services. And when temperatures start to tumble, get your heating system checked over. This will save you money in the long-run and eliminate the risk of finding yourself in a situation where you’re shivering in the winter or struggling to get cool in the summer.

Clutter

Clutter is a major obstacle to beautiful aesthetics and tranquil, zen vibes. If you’re trying to turn a house into a home and you want to design a space that makes you feel content and calm, there’s no place for clutter. If you’re a hoarder, or you’ve managed to accumulate a lot of stuff and you don’t have enough storage, now is the time to declutter. Decluttering will make your home look much more attractive and spacious as well as making you feel better.

The process of clearing space and getting rid of stuff you didn’t even know you had is incredibly cathartic. Adopt a methodical approach to tidying and throwing things that you don’t want to keep away. Go through each room, unpacking boxes and creating piles of items you want to keep, those you’re looking to donate or give away, and those that you want to chuck in the trash. Once you’re left with belongings that you want to keep hold of you can work on finding places to store them.

If you’re short on storage, invest in boxes, crates and tubs. Look into options like wall-mounted units and shelves and consider buying furniture with built-in storage. Similarly, if you have a small bedroom, you can reduce the risk of clutter by buying a bed with hidden drawers or installing wardrobes that have pull-out rails and racks.

Me time

For most of us, life can get hectic. When you’ve had a crazy day at work, or you’ve been rushed off your feet running around after the kids, it’s crucial to be able to enjoy a bit of me time in the comfort of your own home. Every home should have areas, no matter how small, that enable their owners to take time out, chill out and relax. If you don’t have a huge house with space for a reading, painting, or music room, you can section off a corner of a living area, turn your bedroom into a private sanctuary or even set up a crash pad in the backyard.

Give yourself time and space to do things that make you happy and enable you to unwind and mentally shut down. You can use screens or furniture to divide rooms, or create distinctive areas in the garden by using different types of materials; for example, turf, gravel and wooden decking.

Many of us dream of having a home that feels like a heavenly haven. We crave that feeling of security and comfort and we look forward to being at home and spending quality time with loved ones. If your house isn’t quite ticking all the boxes, or you’ve recently moved, and you’re looking for ways to get everything just right, hopefully, this guide has given you inspiration.

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