8 Ways to LOVE Your Home (Not Just Live in It)

Are you constantly gawking at beautiful pictures of spaces and dreaming until the day you will LOVE your home? Well here are a couple of tips to get you started NOW!
My parents are fantastic. Every time they take the 4.5 hour journey to come visit us, I immediately take out my Master List on what projects I would like to work on while they are here. Either it’s for them to help me, or just to watch the little guy while I finish a project.


One day my Dad mentioned to me, you have/want a lot done in here. My reply – “I want to LOVE my home, not just live in it.”


For so many years we rented and I couldn’t wait until the day we bought our forever home and I could make it OURS. My goal is to love every square inch and walk into a room and not see things I want to change, or things I have to do.


So while we have been here for over a year and a half already, I have some rooms which I love and some rooms I see projects. But, we are getting there.


In the time being, I have come up with 8 simple ways to love your home, not just live in it.


1. Make your bed – Now, if you know me and have been to my house, you might say, you don’t make your bed. True, I don’t make it all the time but, I make it periodically if the mood strikes. It’s one of my resolutions this year is to try to make it everyday! When I do make it, I love it! There is something about walking into a bedroom with a freshly made bed that just makes you want to to tidy up the rest of the room or just lay on the bed with a book. Am I right?


2. De-Clutter – I wrote a blog post a few months ago about turning railings into built in shelves, and there were a TON of comments about my after picture, how it was too cluttered. I define clutter as items that are not useful or loved. I love everything on the book shelf and I love everything in my home. If you have tchotchkes, clothes, books and gadgets that you don’t love or use, get rid of them! They are taking up space! On a side note, I feel everything has an energy. If there is way too much stuff in a room, all of that energy is bouncing around making it feel chaotic. The less stuff you have, the calmer you will feel.
3. Only Use Meaningful Art – In our home I didn’t want to hang anything on the walls that I didn’t connect with or love. I know so many people that just go to the store and pick up a piece of art or picture because it was “pretty” and needed to fill a space. I think it’s a waste. I have been very picky of what is displayed in our home. It is mostly pictures, art I have made, paintings from our honeymoon or something that we connect with. Yes, some of my walls are still bare because I haven’t found or figured out what I want to hang. But I like that option over creating wall holes that might have to be patched!


4. Paint – When you have a paint color that you don’t love, the whole room is on hold. Do you find yourself saying, when I paint I will…get new pillows, buy a rug, hang some art and so on? Painting is the first thing I did when we moved in. I didn’t want to be in limbo where I couldn’t get started on a room. There is nothing worse than walking into a room and feeling blah because the color is bleh. Paint it and love it!
5. Bring in Nature – Nature adds life to a room. It’s soothing and neutral. Whether it’s a plant, a collection of rocks, fresh flowers, driftwood or even just a mini water fountain, bring the outside in!


6. Clap – Yes, clap. My husband always laughs at me when I do this but I truly feel a difference! Clapping around a room, in the corners, under furniture, up high etc moves stagnant energy around and brings new life to a room. I have done this for many years. One day a friend of mine walked into our apartment at the time and said, “Did you do something? It feels different in here.” – I had just clapped the whole apartment! It’s easy and you can do this while you’re waiting for your coffee to brew or water to boil. Give it a try.


7. Lighting – Did you know that lighting can change your mood? Different intensities of light affect the feeling you have in your home. When soft light is used, shadows are reduced and you feel more at rest. But, too much soft light, can make items dull, blah and even depressing. Make it a mixture of both. Try having overhead lights on a dimmer but make sure you have lamps or pendants for focused working/reading lights.


8. Be Grateful – The best way to love your home? Be grateful for it. We often (myself included) have grandeur ideas of where we want to live and it has to be perfect. I call it the Pinterest effect. We are constantly bombarded with perfect images of homes styled, staged, and edited for us to drool over. It’s not realistic. But, when you are grateful for where you are, that’s where the love begins.


What do you love about your home?
Tara Boettger
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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  • Hannah V Hannah V on Jan 23, 2015
    Aw such great tips! I totally agree with all of these! Especially the lighting, changing the lighting effects a space and its coziness so much.
  • Elleprimeau Elleprimeau on Jan 25, 2015
    I LOVE the idea of clapping around the room to move stagnant energy! Brilliant! And on my to do list.
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