When you have a home of your own, it’s important to make it comfortable for you and anyone else who lives there. However, if you like to entertain, or at the very least have friends over once in a while, then it’s also important to make that home inviting. The last thing you want to happen is to ask people over and have them either politely decline or come but feel uncomfortable when they are in your home.
So what can be done to make them feel more at home when they visit? There are many different options, and all of them are perfectly achievable. What’s more, making these few small changes will make your home more comfortable for you, too.
Set The Tone
The first thing you’ll want to do to make your home more inviting is to set the tone right from the start. This means making your entryway, front door, and your front yard (if you have one) look great. If this looks good, people will love to visit, and you’ll be able to show them that your home is an inviting one right from the outset.
Taking the time to clean up your front door and perhaps arrange some hanging baskets (which can even be bought pre-filled if you don’t have green thumbs) around it, as well as sweeping the front stoop and pathways, will make a big difference.
Flower Arrangements
One of the things that can turn a nice home into a truly welcoming one is the presence of flowers. Arranging one or two vases of blooms in your living area or kitchen, for example, will brighten the room up and make it feel fresh and attractive. You can pick the flowers from your own garden if you have one, or pick some up from a florist for more extravagant arrangements.
If you have an allergy to flowers and need to use itchy eye drops when you’re near them, don’t despair – modern artificial flowers look just as good as the real thing and can be a great alternative.
Make Getting Around Easy
A cluttered, busy space is not a comfortable one. If a guest has to work hard to walk around furniture, personal belongings, and knick-knacks just to get seated, they’re not going to fully relax and the house won’t feel inviting.
You need to ensure there are clear pathways through rooms and around furniture so that no direction is impeded. This is the ideal opportunity to declutter your home and discard anything you no longer need. You might even choose to rearrange the furniture to give your home a better flow, which will benefit you as well as anyone who visits.
Use The Sense Of Smell
Of all the senses, the sense of smell is the one that you should truly be appealing to in your home. You can make the place look as attractive as possible, but if there is an unpleasant smell or even no particular smell at all, it won’t feel as inviting as it could be.
If you are using flowers in your home, this will produce a lovely scent. However, if you’ve chosen not to use them or you’re using artificial ones, you can burn incense or light scented candles, for example. Or you could have some more organic smells such as fresh coffee or newly baked bread or cookies. This will always make a home more inviting.
