10 simple ideas that will make you love your home more

Betti Hunter—homify Betti Hunter—homify
Restructuration Maison de Village, Lautrefabrique Lautrefabrique Modern houses
Loading admin actions …

Is your house looking lacklustre? Never fear! 

There is hope, and homify's stellar professionals can help you to find your way to design bliss. If you're feeling at a loss, take five to sit down and browse this list—these tips will have your home looking lovable in no time at all! Let's take a look…

1. Add small but smart extras

Optimise your home's potential by using every bit of space available. This innovative kitchen has used the small strip of space between the counter and the cupboards to install pull-out chopping boards. This increases the available prep space in the kitchen without making it look too cluttered.

2. Fresh flowers are a must

Go on, live a little! Fresh flowers are a cheap and easy way to add life and vivacity to your home. Fill vases with freesias and carnations and pop them in every room of your house for an uplifting and stylish way to jazz up your interior.

3. Spruce up your garden

Banish those weeds for good! If you want to love your home, you have to love your garden too. Make it count by getting rid of that scrubby old lawn and replace it with a stylish, sleek wooden terrace. DIY the project to keep your costs low, and decorate the end result with chic, minimalist outdoor furniture. You can't help but adore an outdoor space like this…

4. Choose ice cream tones

Add a little upmarket glamour to your living room by working with creamy pastel shades. A base of white walls and wooden floorboards provides the perfect canvas for a little light design fun. Choose vanilla creams, strawberry pinks and bubblegum blues for a chic seaside-inspired vibe that wouldn't look out of place in an expensive Upper East Side apartment.

5. Clear out the clutter

Are you hating on your home design? Chances are that it's not the design scheme itself that's bugging you—it's the clutter. Most of us have far, FAR too much stuff in our homes, so be brutal and ditch all of the bric-a-brac that is messing up your coffee tables and sideboards. 

The usual suspects are things like old magazines, endless framed photographs, and small decorative objects. Get rid of them! Store anything of sentimental value in a box under the stairs, and chuck the rest.

6. Set aside space to dress

A surefire way to fall back in love with your home is by setting aside a little space for luxury. What better way is there to do that than by building your own dressing room? A walk-in wardrobe is the ultimate indulgence, but it's practical, too—no longer will your bedroom be cluttered up by clunky wardrobes and rails. Stack shelves high and mix up the furniture a little to maximise storage space and style.

7. Go for country

If your problem is that your home is feeling a little bit too sterile, it's time to up the cosy factor. Going rustic works like a charm every single time. Simply strip those walls to reveal the brick underneath, stock up on thick, comforting textiles for your bed and sofa, and invest in heavy country-style wooden furniture to recreate that idyllic cottage look.

8. Polish up

One of the best ways to love your home even more is to clean it regularly! If you're a proud homeowner, you should be doing this anyway, but try amping it up a notch. Polish those floors! Scrub those sideboards! Hoover behind those sofas—even if finding all of those dust bunnies makes you want to run a mile. Get into the habit of making your home sparkle every week—you'll be amazed by how much of a difference it makes.

9. Keep it sharp

Minimalist style is an up to date, modern way of designing your home. If your place is feeling a little old hat, paint everything white and work with sharp lines, simple furniture and lots of chrome. Your home will feel light, airy and contemporary in a jiffy—what's not to love about that?

10. Embrace the imperfections

Sure, your bathroom may be the size of a cardboard box, and there might be an ugly window that ruins the back bedroom, but in all honesty—who cares? Nothing in this world is 100% flawless, and we'll only be disappointed if we shoot for the moon. Your home can be improved, sure, but at some point it's best just to sit back and go yes, I'm happy with this.

Your home might not be perfect, but it's yours. Enjoy it, and cherish it for ever.

If you liked this article, check out: The Johannesburg home you'll wish was yours.

Need help with your home project?
Get in touch!

Highlights from our magazine