Make Your Home More Comfortable

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Want to make your home as comfortable as possible this winter in time for having family round at Christmas? There are some really great ways you can make your home cosy and comfortable for anyone who enters. First of all we will start with some general tips, and then move onto each room to show you how to create the ultimate comfy home.

The first step to creating the most comfortable home you can is to make the entrance as inviting for guests as possible. You might want to place a wreath on the door, clear the area in the porch or hallway of clutter, and leave the space warm and inviting for all who come to your home.

Plants are also a great way to make your home feel more comfortable and relaxing as they cleanse the air and produce oxygen, which is proven to have calming effects in people at work and at home.

Clutter is a huge factor in the comfort of your home, because having your home full of clutter and mess can make us stressed and unable to focus. Take some time this weekend to go through each room in your house and get rid of some items you no longer need. It will feel cleansing but also make space for all of the new things you will bring into the home at Christmas.

The colour you paint your home can also have an effect on how it feels to relax in. Ideally, you want to go for mostly tranquil and pastel colours on the walls, and if you want to add a splash of colour into the room you can buy soft furnishings and furniture.

The Living Room

The idea behind the design in your living room is to have a focal point, and most of your furniture will be pointed towards that object. For example, if your family loves nothing more than to sit down and watch movies together in the evenings, then your TV is the focal point of the room and all other furniture is either pointed at it or moved around it. The same would apply to a warming fireplace. In terms of décor, you’ll want to keep the rest of the room pretty light and neutral, but vamp it up around your focal point. And accessories, furniture and paint in the vicinity of your focal point can be bold and bright.

Other ways to make the living room cosy include:

•         Soft furnishings such as a large throw and cushions for the sofa and chairs
•         Have a lamp for cosy evenings, and light candles around the room
•         Add a large plant to the room such as a peace lily
•         Personal Items and Photographs on the walls or coffee table
•         Minimal clutter
•         If you have hardwood floors, place a rug in the living room for extra comfort
•         Natural light shining through the room for a sense of brightness
•         Books and Magazines on show

The Bathroom

Your bathroom should feel like one of the most relaxing rooms in the house. You’ll want to bring that spa feeling into your home and make your bathroom as comfortable and ambient as possible. If you have a jacuzzi setting on your bathtub, then you are already pretty much there, but if not, there are other things you can do to make the room feel like a spa sanctuary.

•         Add flowers such as an Orchid for some colour
•         Add some tealights around the room for when you have a bath
•         Find a space to place your favourite book or tablet and you soak in the bath, and of course space for a glass of wine!
•         Upgrade your towels
•         Place a rug on the floor so that you don’t have to step out of the bath onto cold tiles
•         Opt for a more powerful shower
•         Find waterproof art for the walls, and even add a mirror to make the space feel bigger

The Kitchen

The kitchen is the heart of the home. It is where you make all of the meals to feed yourself and your family, teach your kids how to cook and host dinner parties for your family and friends. It is a place which many use more for practicality than comfort, but it should be just as comfortable as the rest of your home to work in.

•         Organise your cupboards and drawers. Keep things in categories, make sure that the same items are put together and buy some drawer organised for cutlery and small utensils which may become lost otherwise. Organise the cans in your cupboards, make sure all spices are kept in one place, and you know where your condiments are
•         Clear out from time to time. You can’t expect your cupboards to magically refresh themselves, and you will need to go through and get rid of out of date items every so often.
•         Create a breakfast and drinks area. In the morning you’ll want to be able to make a cup of tea or coffee a couple of slices of toast and get going for the day. Make a corner of your countertop into a drinks and breakfast area with your toaster, kettle, coffee maker and ingredients all in one place
•         Snacks – Keep your snacks in a high up place in the cupboards so that it makes you have to reach up for a cheeky bar of chocolate. It keeps everything in the same place and will discourage you from binging.
•         Keep your countertops as clear as possible. The last thing you want when you come to make tea for the family at the end of the day is a space full of pots, pans and random food packets. Take the time to put everything away after you go shopping to save from having to clear up afterwards and work around mess.
•         If you have a table in the kitchen, don’t think that this automatically means you have a place to dump all of your things. Treat the table as you do with the worktop and keep everything clear.
•         Add a bowl of fresh fruit into the room for a decorative touch and to promote healthy snack choices
•         Use flowers as a way to bring the outdoors in. Place a vase on the kitchen table or some aloe vera on your windowsill.
•         Display all of your cookbooks on a shelf in the kitchen for atmosphere and easy access for those nights you want to try something
•         Hang up some personal photos or even some fun art on the walls to create a talking point for you and your family and friends when they visit.
•         If your kitchen is open plan to the dining area, why not put a small TV on the wall for when people come over so you can watch a movie while cooking or even play some music through the speakers?

The Bedroom

The final room to look at is the bedroom. Of course, the bedroom is the one place in the house that we want to be even more comfortable than everywhere else. It is where we spend half of our day and is the place our bodies and minds are able to shut down and get some much-needed rest.

•         Clear away any clutter. We all seem to have that one chair or stool in the bedroom which acts as a wardrobe, well stop using it! Instead place your clothes back in the wardrobe or washing basket if you are no longer wearing it.
•         Clear cosmetics from the table tops. Buy a vanity unit to store everything in and also give you the perfect place to do your makeup in the morning.
•         When you get out of bed in the morning, make it so that when you come home in the evening it is ready for you to get in.
•         Get good quality sheets and pillows. Your bed is where you sleep, it should be as comfortable as possible.
•         Keep bedding simple. White is a great option because you can accessorise with cushions and a throw at different times of the year.
•         Place a soft area rug beside your bed.
•         Place a reed diffuser in the room to make the room smell lovely as you drift off to sleep each night.
•         Invest in blackout curtains to stop light getting into the room during the night, but also make sure that during the day you open up of the windows to let in as much light as possible.
•         Hang photographs of you and your loved ones, and even find a photograph of a calming lake or seaside scene for the wall.

·         If you have a TV or bookshelf in your bedroom, create a snug area with a comfy chair or small sofa where you can enjoy quiet moments watching the TV or catching up on one of your favourite book series. It will add a new element to your bedroom and will also provide you with somewhere to escape when life becomes a little to hectic and you need some time alone.

Tia, and TipsfromTia.com  is trying to keep you looking good and
feeling good, from the inside out. If you’ve got a problem or a tip email me! Be sure to Like and share on Facebook or Follow on Twitter or Instagram.