A home is more than just a place we stay in when we don’t want to do grown-up, responsible things. It’s not just a place that holds people and keeps them warm. It holds a lot more meaning than that. Think about it: what does your home mean to you personally? Do you see it as something you want to protect and cherish as though it’s part of the actual family?
You probably do, huh? Because it’s such a big part of our lives, we tend to become very attached, and we feel as though it’s alive when we’re in it. Okay, if you’re always on the move, and have no time to settle, then that attached is a lot harder to come by, but you get the idea.
Because we personify our homes so much, we feel as though we must dress it up and make it as attractive as we can. It’s only four walls and a roof, but it’s our four walls and a roof, so we have to customize it and make it as unique as possible. We do this kind of thing for our own peace of mind, but we also want to be able to impress people as we welcome them in.
Creating a great impression on someone is important, and there aren’t many better ways to do it than by having a beautiful home. If someone has a fairly messy abode, then they’re going to automatically assume that a bunch of other aspects in that person’s life are also messy.
Likewise, if it’s neat, then they’ll think positively about them. There are ways of setting up your home in order to allow people to enter and feel immediately at ease. They aren’t difficult to grasp; you don’t have to be an expert in interior design and architecture. It will require a little work, though. Let’s look at little things you can do to really make people feel welcome in your home.
1. First impressions
Before they’ve even entered the home, you’re going to want them to be happy with what they see. The driveway is the first point of contact, so you might want to work on that as you don’t want them to step onto something and be immediately discouraged. If it’s a little dirty, then perhaps you could spend half an hour or so power washing it. You’d be surprised at how much muck is on there. A regular sweep would also make a big difference.
As they walk up to the home, an obvious way of welcoming them would be to have cute signs or mats that literally say so. Flowers also provide that sense of calm that people would like to feel as they enter. Have you ever been to someone’s house for the first time and felt a little unsure? Well, these kinds of gestures can give off a non-threatening vibe.
2. Don’t Overwhelm
When you first enter a home, you want to be able to collect yourself and recognize what’s around you. They do this kind of things in supermarkets and other stores; they want you to feel at ease before you make a decision. It’s quite smart. Perhaps you should copy that kind of technique. Imagine walking into a home and being bombarded with lots of different pieces of furniture and other objects. You’d feel slightly uncomfortable, right? A calming colour scheme would also prevent someone from being overwhelmed initially.
3. Have Enough Space To Breath
We talked about the initial stages in terms of having space, but if the areas of the home are completely caked in lots of items, then it can feel quite tight. If you’re quite claustrophobic, then you might begin to worry about your surroundings. This seems like a crazy thought, but it happens more often than you’d think. Another thing you should consider in this regard is the clutter around your home. Nobody wants to walk into a home and have to step over objects that have been left on the floor.
4. Have Comfortable Furniture
We mentioned how you shouldn’t have too many things like furniture lying around, but you still need to have some. The comfort of a home plays a massive part in someone’s estimations. You’ve been in homes before where the sofas were rock solid, and they smelled kinda weird, right? It’s not nice. Look at places online to find stuff like eames chairs, luxury sofas, and pretty cabinets. This kind of things makes a lasting impression on people.
Scent And Feel Of The Place
Finally, we’ll talk about our senses. The overall ambience and atmosphere can sway a person’s thoughts. It’s not all about the visuals; you need to be able to put minds at ease with other means. Lay out some flowers, or lights some nice-smelling candles. The latter is a very popular option because it encourages relaxing vibes as well.
