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We have been spending more time in our homes now more than ever. Because of this, it is even more important to make sure that your home is somewhere you want to be, not just somewhere you have to be. If you are living with other people, it needs to be a sanctuary for everyone. From finding the right place to live like Bellisa to figuring out a way to fight the clutter, here are some ways to help transform your home into a safe haven for everyone who enters.
Home Projects
We all have a list of home projects that we have been putting off until we had more time or motivation to do them. Now is the perfect time to actually buckle down and finish some of the things we wish were done around our house.
It can be a project that needs to be done to increase the functionality of your home, a project that helps you maintain the value of your home or simply a project that helps you enjoy your home more. Whatever you have been putting off, now is the time to finish it up and start enjoying your home to the fullest.
Evaluate The Family’s Needs
Now is also a good time to make sure that your home is meeting your family’s needs as a whole. Likely, your needs have changed over the course of the last year or more. Families change and circumstances change and that means that your home needs to change as well.
If your family is growing, then you may need to consider building on to your home or installing another bathroom to keep up with demand. If children are growing up and moving out, then you may want to consider downsizing to something that won’t be so much work.
If there are people in your home working from home now, you may need to evaluate workspaces and other ways to accommodate that. If children are doing school from home, then they also need a distraction-free workplace. In addition to workspaces, you may also need to consider the internet in your home and if you need to increase bandwidth to keep up with demand.
Individual Needs
Apart from functionality needs out of necessity, you will also need to make sure that the needs of the individuals in your home are met. Of course, the home needs to keep up with the family as a whole, but it also needs to feel like home to the individuals as well.
Apart from functional needs, everyone needs to feel like they belong in the house, that it represents them in some way, and that they have a space to call their own. You can help people feel like a part of the home in many ways. Decorating your home using things that are significant to your family as a whole and to individuals can go a long way towards making it feel like an important space to everyone.
It is also important that the people living in the home have some say in how their space is presented. It could be giving teenagers some say in how their room is decorated. It could be in making sure that someone who likes to read has a comfortable chair and good lighting for reading. It could mean making sure someone who likes to craft or be artistic has a space to keep their supplies. Making sure that you support those in your family will help your house feel like a home.
And while you are making sure your home is set up to help those who live there, don’t forget that extends to yourself as well. It is equally important that you have a space that is just for you, that you enjoy being in your home, and that the design of your home is also supporting your needs and interests.
Efficiency
We have talked about making your house functional for the people living in it, but now might also be a good time to make sure that your house is running as efficiently as possible in other areas as well.
Installing a new thermostat that will help you control the utilities can make a huge difference. You can program the thermostat to heat or cool your house to the appropriate temperatures for certain times of the day. You can turn it off when no one will be home and adjust it to match the needs of the day. Having a thermostat preset to change when you need it will take something off your plate and help you cut down on utility bills.
You can also make adjustments to your house to make it more energy-efficient like updating your insulation. You can also replace windows with energy-efficient and insulated models and change appliances to models that will use energy efficiently. These changes will cost money upfront, but in the long run, it will make your home comfortable and less expensive.
Atmosphere
In order to create a home that will help everyone feel at home, you need to pay attention to the atmosphere you are creating in your home. This is a complex matter with a lot of moving parts, but it is also something you will feel if it is not working.
Subtle things about your home like the colors you choose and the lighting will have a huge impact on how your home feels. Different colors bring up different emotions in people, as does different lighting. Paying attention to these subtle differences and making your choices in line with your goal will go a long way towards feeling satisfied with your home.
In areas like the kitchen, you may want to play with brighter colors and brighter light. This will help people see the task they are working on and stay alert while they are working. It can also be a good way to start the day and wake up feeling energized. In other areas like the bedroom, you will probably want softer tones and lighting to help you relax and unwind before bed after a long day. Each room is different, so it is important to consider them all separately.