Do you wonder what people think when they enter your home? Is it inviting? Do they feel welcome and find it easy to relax? As a host these things matter, you want your guests to have a wonderful time and often that begins with the atmosphere you set in the home. There are many elements that play a part in creating a home that is welcoming, color, patterns, decor pieces, and furniture. All of this comes together to paint an inviting space where guests leave feeling like family. Sometimes it can be difficult to know where to start or what pieces work best together to create the perfect look. Let’s talk about five ways to create a welcoming atmosphere in your home.

Think like a guest

While this may seem a bit odd, changing your perspective from resident to guest is a great way to reevaluate your home and see where it is lacking is the welcome department. We live here every day so it is easy to become used to our surroundings and miss how it may look to others. Hands down, we all have looked through windows as we drive by other peoples homes or have watched those home tours because we are curious. The same thing goes for our guests and the best way to determine if our home needs some revamping is to look at it with fresh eyes. Some good questions to ask yourself:

• What is the first thing that catches my eye when I walk through the door?
• Is the room open and inviting or does it feel cramped?
• Would I want to sit down and relax in this space?
• What style is represented in this home?
• Is there a unified look throughout the home or do the spaces operate individually?

Going through the motions as if you were a visitor can help you judge how the space makes others feel. Consider what you enjoy about visiting friends at their home and what you didn’t like about others that made you not want to come back. Understanding that can go a long way in knowing exactly what needs to change or adapt in your home and pave the way for a new, inviting space to welcome our guests.

Start with your favorites

We want our homes to be welcoming to our guests, but it should still be designed with us in mind so think about the things that matter. Do you have a favorite color, furniture piece, or art work? Let that be your starting point for designing the perfect space. Consider painting an accent wall in the living room or doing it with reclaimed wood. Both ideas add warmth and welcome. If you have a favorite furniture piece, build around it with accent pieces and color schemes. Have family photos or artwork that is a must for your home? Use that as a main feature for a hallway or living room wall. A home that is designed around the things that you love will have no problem relaying that emotion to all who enter whether that is resident or guest. Don’t be afraid to incorporate your favorites into the home since it is a great way for people to know what you value, and talk to your designer about the pieces that matter to you.

A little outside in.

There is a sense of peace and calm when we spend time outdoors and by bringing some of  nature inside, those positive vibes can be transferred into the home. There are multiple ways you can do this such as:

• Have indoor plants
• Natural light
• Additional lighting sources
• Natural materials such as wood

Nature inspired elements in the design immediately bring a sense of calm to any area of the home and can influence the overall atmosphere for your guests. The colors that indoor plants bring to a space are often enjoyed by everyone though we recommend selecting ones that won’t cause allergic reactions such as aloe vera plants. Lighting is a key element for influencing the mood, with natural light sending happy vibes throughout the space. When natural light is limited, make sure to incorporate plenty of other lighting such as floor and table lamps, these accent lighting can help keep an ambient mood in the room. Including some of nature’s materials into the design also helps create a welcoming atmosphere. Wooden shelves or coffee tables are a great example of this but there are multiple ways this can be achieved. Your designer will have many helpful insights to assist you in creating a beautiful nature inspired style.

Strive for balance

Balance is an important element in design as it helps you form a space that makes everyone feel at home and at ease. Weight, color, and style all need to be kept in balance of one another in order to have the perfect atmosphere. Balance does not mean everything has to match or line up just so, rather it is about everything having a place, a purpose in the room. If a guest enters your living room which is awash in a rainbow of colors or every piece feels like it does not blend with the others, it can leave them feeling a little overwhelmed and their eye does not know where to go first. Think through the overall layout of the room and even the foot traffic, make sure there are places for people to walk through easily and ample room to be seated. Keep colors in some type of order such as complementary or contrasting, both serve a purpose. Don’t let one side of the room look or feel heavier than the other such as using dark colors on only one side. Strive for balance in the overall design of the room, any style or color scheme can be created with balance and an experienced designer can assist you in doing just that.

Use accent pieces correctly

Often it is the final details that can have the greatest impact on the atmosphere of the room which is why we always say that details matter. Some of them include:

• Backsplash
• Rugs
• Window treatments
• Flooring
• Artwork
• Pillows

These elements can assist you in extending an invitation of welcome to your guests, such as rugs that add warmth to a room and window treatments that elegantly finish a window. The things you choose to decorate your walls, and tables with do make a difference but don’t forget to let them have meaning for you as well. Accent pieces are meant to highlight the features already in a room and just like a piece of jewelry, can enhance a room.

Create a welcoming atmosphere

What guests see and feel about your home can influence their view of you, so be sure to take the time to create a space that makes them want to come again and again. Design is merely a tool meant to help you tell your story and turn your house into a home. Our team has helped so many of our clients create a home that they absolutely loved and where they looked forward to hosting family get-togethers and parties for friends. Our service areas include Mecklenburg, Gaston, and even Greenville county. Connect with us today and let us help you create the welcoming atmosphere for everyone.