10 Affordable Ways To Make Your House Into A Home

Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash

Most of our lives will be spent in our houses. They are the places where we eat, sleep, work, play, and spend most of our time on this earth. But so many of us, even while spending so much time in them, see our houses as just a collection of walls and rooms to shelter us for practical purposes, which often can make our time in them monotonous, dreary, and draining.

But what if our houses could be more than just utilitarian shelters where we have to spend our time and rather could be warm, life-giving spaces where we get to live our full and beautiful lives? What if our houses could be turned into homes, places where we don’t spend our days dreaming to leave but actually longing to dwell in?

Turning a house into a home is a vital journey we must take for the nurture of our souls. It can seem like a daunting task, especially when it doesn’t happen overnight, but like planting and cultivating a garden. When we make the choice to turn our houses into homes, we will not only bring life to the walls of our living spaces but our souls as well.

To help you begin this journey we have gathered together a list of ten ways (and items) you can begin to turn your house, no matter how big or what kind, into a home.

01 | Always have candles on hand

Photo by Elina Sazonova

While this seems almost too simple, it’s the perfect place to start. Lighting an aromatic candle in a dark room brings not only dancing light, but a scent that will fill your room with peace and comfort. Try these non-toxic, soy candles in ceramic jars that come in a variety of lovely scents.

02 | Cover your walls with art

Photo by Dastan Khdir

Covering your walls with pictures, paintings, and art that delight your eyes and inspire your imagination is an integral part of making your space one of beauty. There are endless options when choosing what to put on them — classic prints, calligraphy, movie posters, historic photos. But if you need a good place to start, why not try these beautiful framed classic paintings?

03 | Invest in statement furniture

Photo by Charlotte May

While kit furniture is great for getting the basics together, slowly filling out your space with unique statement furniture — antique coffee tables, interesting shelves, unique side tables, can bring a signature look to your space that will please you every hour you spend in it. To get started try one of these hand-crafted, vintage look coffee tables.

04 | Get a comfy sofa or chair

Photo by Samson Katt

To truly enjoy the work you put into making your house a home, you’ll want a deeply comfortable place to sit and enjoy it from. A place where you can read for hours, snuggle up to a loved one, watch movies in, and sip tea and daydream. While quality couches, love-seats, or chairs can be expensive, why not start out with this affordable, no assembly, super comfortable, day-bed/sofa?

05 | Bring in the plants

Photo by Viktoriia Kondratiuk

One of the quickest ways to bring life (literally) into your space is through plants. Plants offer a bright presence that will lighten a room with living energy in a low effort way. You can make a day-trip to your local nursery to find which kind of plant would best suit your schedule, personality, ability, and locale. But to start off, try these imitation plants that come in beautiful jars and vases that require no research or upkeep to see how it looks.

06 | Don’t forget lights

Photo by Nikolaeva Nastia

While overhead lights get the job done, having lamp lighting can instantly bring a mood and vibe to your space that will make you feel so much more at home. Particularly when the lamp itself is a beautiful and unique piece. You can find and repurpose wonderful vintage pieces at antique shops and second hand stores. But until then, try these beautifully hand painted lamps below.

07 | Collect unique & lovely mugs

Photo by Esra Korkmaz

Another easy and affordable way to make your house feel even homier is to get unique mugs to sip tea, coffee, and hot drinks out of. Something that even when not in use, put up on a shelf or table in a set will only add to the unique and inviting aesthetic you’re creating. As you hunt for the perfect set. Start out with this bone-china, blue willow tea and coffee mug set.

08 | Get a record player

Photo by Kevin McCutcheon on Unsplash

We’ve gone over unique ways to decorate the walls and floors of your home igniting the senses of touch, taste, smell, and sight. But what about sound? Music is the international language that has the power to bring deep feelings of belonging with it. So much of music nowadays lives in the digital cloud, which works well too. But why not try to home-ify your space with a more tactile, real sound and site with a record player like this vintage record player that comes in a variety of woods to fit your aesthetic (that also has bluetooth).

09 | Set out a few coffee table books

Photo by Arnie Chou

One of the most important things to making a space your own is filling it with the stories and pages that you love the most. A coffee table book is something that will bring joy to you when you see it and interest from guests as they sit in your home and learn more about your loves and personality. Start hunting used bookstores now to build your collection. But for now, start with this gorgeous, photography filled book of psalms to inspire your eyes and spirit.

10 | Find knickknacks & souvenirs

Photo by Esra Nur Kalay

Once you have the staples down, now it’s time to fill your shelves and tables with things that are truly unique to you. This might take years of travel and experience to gather your most beloved items to display. Begin with a conversation starter like a vintage-classical bust.