How to give your home some personality!

This post is provided by Katherine Smith.

It is that time of year again, when the heat of summer has faded and we stand in our homes, hands on our hips, and try to come to terms with spending the next few (or many) months indoors. We love our homes, sure, but they do not feel enough like us to make the prospect of spending fall and winter sequestered in them seem like a fun adventure. Here are a few tips that you can use to help you add some personality to your home.

Go Slowly

Do not try to take on your entire home at once. This makes the project way too overwhelming and will make it cost way too much. Instead, go through your home one room at a time and look for changes you can make on a smaller scale to make the room feel more “you.” To encourage this approach, we are going to use it with the rest of this post. 

The Kitchen

There are a lot of small changes you can make in a kitchen to add some personality. Hanging a new piece of art, buying new floor mats to place in front of the sink and the oven, heck, even putting some new funky magnets on the fridge can accomplish this goal. 

If you are looking to make a larger statement, however, you should focus on the cabinetry. Like the DeWils Custom Cabinets website points out: “You know it all happens in the kitchen. So why not give the heart and soul of your home the beauty, style and quality it deserves?” New or refurbished cabinetry can make your kitchen feel like an entirely new room, even if you change nothing else about it.

The Bedroom

If you share your bedroom with a partner, work together with them to figure out which elements can or should be changed. The room, after all, will need to reflect both of you. Pick out a new bedspread, switch from quilts to duvets, add a chair or switch out a current chair for a new model. Consider a new coat of paint. Maybe put up new curtains or blinds.

If you do not share the bedroom with anybody you can go a little further. One option is to buy a new bed and replace your headboard with something that feels more in tune with who you are now and what you need. Put up new art. Refinish your bureau. Clean out your closet (sometimes this is all it takes to make the room feel fresh and new). You get the idea.

If you have kids, know that if you are changing your room they are going to want to change theirs as well. Again, simple changes like new paint and bed linens can go a long way toward turning up a room’s personality.

The Living Room

Ah, the living room. It is the one room that is shared by everybody. It is, after the kitchen, the most highly trafficked room in your home. This is where you host guests and get togethers, play games, curl up on the couch with a book or your Netflix subscription, etc.

With this room, one of the best things you can do is clear everything out of it. Seriously. Empty the room entirely and then slowly start putting items back in. Start with the big stuff: the couch, the entertainment center, etc. Try rearranging them to focus the attention on a different angle of the room. Then slowly put back in the art and decorative items. Rearrange the books on the bookcase.

If you have “left over parts” do not be surprised. A lot of people find that their living rooms feel done before they have replaced every item they took out. You might not need anything new, you might simply have needed to clear away debris that detracted from the personality that was already there!

If this does not work, try putting a new cover on your couch, introducing a different coffee table, some new throw pillows and blankets. If you have carpeting, give it a thorough cleaning. If you have hardwoods, try a new rug.

Entryway

If you have been using a coat rack, try switching it out for wall hooks. If there is space, put a small table or a bench. Hang a piece of art that you love so you will feel happy every time you walk through the door.

The Yard

Change your current porch light out for a different model. Solar lights have gotten much more affordable. Put something outside that you love looking at so that, even when the weather keeps you inside, you can look out at the yard and feel happy. 

These are just some of the ideas we have come up with. What are some of the things you do to make a home better match your personality?