7 ways to make your house feel like home

From smart storage solutions to simple lighting ideas, discover 7 budget-friendly ways to make your space feel like home

Whether you’re moving into halls, renting your first place or kitting out a new bedroom, it can be tricky to make a sparse room feel like home – especially if you’re not able to whip out a paint brush or put holes in the walls! With that in mind, here are seven quick, easy, non-permanent and budget-friendly ways to make a new space feel a little more like home.

Looking for more ideas? Read 7 easy tricks to make small spaces feel so much bigger

1. Choose a comforting palette

living room with pink wall and sofa set with cushions

(Image credit: Future PLC/Dominic Blackmore)

No matter what colour the walls, opting for furniture and soft furnishings in a soft palette of biscuit, stone and grey will instantly make the room feel relaxed and homely. Add extra blankets and cushions for a bonus touch (and a cup of tea for good measure!)

2. Opt for organic style with raw materials

living room with blue sofa set and cushion

(Image credit: TBC)

Not sure how to warm up an industrial scheme? Add character to a stark or lofty room by choosing furniture and fabrics inspired by organic or raw materials, such as rattan and wood, to help add a natural touch.

3. Add layers and texture

bedroom with brick textured wall and bedding with multi coloured cushions and throw

(Image credit: Future PLC/David Brittain)

Even a barren space can feel like a cosy cabin with layers of soft textures. Crisp white bedlinen, chunky knits and basket weaves are all it takes to transform a bare room to a snuggly hideaway.

Looking to create a space ideal for hibernating? Read Cosy bedroom ideas for a restful retreat

4. Display your favourite artworks

living room with white wall with multiple pictures and white sofa with multi coloured cushions

(Image credit: Future PLC/Tim Young)

Putting up photos of loved ones, cute symbols or favourite sayings immediately adds personality to any room. Can’t drill into the wall? Place large-scale prints or posters in a monochrome frame and lean them against a wall, and peg photos or postcards from a piece of string then hang them over a mirror, headboard or curtain rail.

5. Bring the outdoors in

glass is used to cover potted plants

(Image credit: Future PLC/Polly Eltes)

For a fast-track to a more homely space, pop natural foliage on windowsills, shelves or ledges. Mix and match different vases for a thrown-together feel, or opt for simple jam jars for a budget-friendly fix.

6. Create a cosy glow with lighting

white wall with painting and shelf with lighted candle sticks

(Image credit: Future PLC/Paul Reaside)

Want to make your room feel warm and cosy? Steer clear of blue-tinted or bright white lights, and opt for hues that add a soft glow instead. Make your lighting work harder by adding an origami pendant shade to an existing bulb, arranging tealights and candles, or hanging fairy lights for instant effect.

7. Be smart with storage

metal storage unit with clothes and throws

(Image credit: Future PLC/Mark Scott)

Cupboard space a bit lacking? Keep your new room spic and span with DIY storage solutions – stylish baskets, copper bins and an industrial-style unit are a great alternative to a simple chest of drawers. What's more, they're easy to update when you want to switch up your scheme and, best of all, don't need to be secured to a wall.

Holly Walsh
Content Editor

Holly Walsh has been Content Editor at Ideal Home since 2021, but joined the brand back in 2015. With a background of studies in Interior Design, her career in interior journalism was a no-brainer and her passion for decorating homes is still as strong as it ever was. While Holly has written for most of the home titles at Future, including Livingetc, Country Homes & Interiors, Homes and Gardens and Style at Home, Ideal Home has always been her ideal home, and she can be found sharing her expertise and advice across both the printed magazine and the website too.