How to make your home look more "homey" without spending a fortune?

Question

Hey everyone! I just got married a couple months ago and my husband has been in California for a little over a month (hes a marine) He comes back in a few days and I am so excited... but I want to do something that makes our home look a little more...like a home...if you know what I mean. But I don't want to have to spend a lot of money. I just bought a new living room suit. Any ideas??? Thanks.

Answer 1

This project will be fun because you can find all kinds of things without spending a lot.

First, think of pillows, cushy ones. Our local Chinatown had beautiful pillow shams on sale like 2 for $10.

Then look around for some favorite photos and have them enlarged and buy inexpensive frames from Ross for Less or Costco. Think about painting something like one wall.

Buy fresh flowers from Farmers' Markets or a store like Albertsons where they good prices. Don't leave out the house plants. Instead of buying expensive vases for your plants, use odd items.

Lucky Bamboo is great because it requires dim or no light at all to thrive.

Stores usually have a department where they put below price merchandise. Check there for rugs and such.

When I was hosting the Superbowl Party, I was kind of broke but the house needed sprucing up. I looked around and picked out a couple of things I could do to add some pizzazz. Lucky me, all I had to do was change out plastic lightplate switches and change them to brass. Then I determined it was a good time to change the cheap doorknobs on the bedroom doors so I bought matching brass knobs. Easy, easy and cheap!

I found some really colorful throw rugs for the bath and kitchen at Anna's Linens and things.

The dollar store had nice candles and odds and ends that worked well.

One other thing you can do is find colorful or earthtoned heavy fabric to throw around on the sofa and chairs.

Answer 2

I agree with Robert A, it's hard to advise you with so little information. If it's an older home, I'm sure the ceilings are higher than eight feet, so it's important to make the rooms look cozy. Nice curtains on the windows, soft lighting and throw rugs will help to make it look more homey and comfortable. Don't be afraid to use color in the rooms. One thing that makes a home look stark and bare is little or no color. A good look is contrasting colors. I have green carpet and dark green and burgundy accents. I envy you for having the opportunity to put your personal stamp on your new (old) home. Older homes are so much more fun to work with. Good luck and God bless.

Answer 3

Well, of course, you'd get rid of any clutter -- don't mistake "clutter" for "knick-knacks." A few knick-knacks -- especially momentos of your dating days or your wedding -- makes a house *yours*. Too many knick-knacks -- especially those that don't particularly make you smile -- are clutter.

Flowers really help freshen up a room -- a bowl of flowers on the dining room table, or maybe in the foyer. If you choose something like bedding plants, you can put them in a pretty basket for a couple of days, then plant them outside so you keep getting flowers until frost. I don't know about your area, but five bucks would buy five or six bedding plants in my area. Red salvia, white alyssum and blue lobelia or nemophilia would look very patriotic and fresh. Balloon flower is also blue, and after you plant it outside, you can cut flowers from it.

Another cheap way to make the house your own is to take some of your favorite pics of you two, and blow them up on a color copier or black and white copier. You can get cheap frames at Goodwill (or other charity shops), and put your giant pics inside.

I think throw pillows are very homey, and you can make them out of old shirts (and stuff with rags) if money is very, very tight. This can look very cute.

But actually, your husband isn't going to be looking at the house for the first two or three days -- he's going to be looking at you! Make sure the house is clean and fresh-smelling, then pamper yourself with a nice bath and home facial.

Congrats on getting your hubby back! Hope it's a wonderful homecoming!

Answer 4

Garage sales and community bulletin boards! I moved to Florida and left everything behind in Texas. I have some of the coolest stuff now and almost everything was either free of next to nothing. I got a handmade cedar jewelry box made out of a stump and it looks like a log but is full of felt lined hidden compartments and the old man who made it must have spent weeks on it...five bucks! The whole apartment is full of this kind of "one of a kind" items and would probably be worth a fortune on E-bay but it just took time and patience with very little cash.

Answer 5

Yay! Ok so here's what you do.
When you think of a home, what comes to mind? Alot of picture frames on the wall, linen- rugs, wooden tones...
so you get a couple of frames, hand them up, a couple of flowers in some nice looking vases, a few rugs from the 99cents store, put up curtains, put placemats on the dinner table, centerpiece, buy a lamp for the LR... but most importantly close your eyes and write down what images come to your mind when you say "home" "homey" "comfortable" and "warm" worked wonders with me!

Answer 6

Put A comfy soft blanket over the back of the sofa,with A couple soft pillows, then bring in A few plants(flowering are nice) and don't forget some candles for the right mood when he comes home.
Another homey touch is to frame pictures of yourselves and family and put in A grouping on A table. (to save on this go to thrift stores to get frames on the cheap -they don't have to match)
just before he gets home bake some cookies- he is in the Marines so when is the last time he smelled that ? (will remind him of his childhood)

Answer 7

u can put pictures on the wall and u can also do like the artificial tree,a nice size one to go in a corner. If u have tables in ur living room u can put like candle holders on them with an picture with u two on it. Ur curtains can be like pulled back to the side like a swoop, u could also do borders around the wall.If u have end tables do lamps and if not buy an floor lamp.The most important thing is that u do not want to have it over crowded. I always go with the homey but cozy feeling for my place.

Answer 8

Pick your colors and follow them through your downstairs living areas. Find inexpensive items for accessories, like rugs,pillows, and even pre-made drapes that carry your color through. Choose other accessories to match that you can buy at any inexpensive department store like Target. Choose a theme and carry it through. Arrange your furniture to create some intimacy and comfort appeal. Print off some of your great pictures together and frame them for a wall theme. Buy some candles and candle holders of different sizes to arrange on a table or mantel and always have a vase of fresh flowers....anywhere.

Answer 9

Go to Target, they have great stuff for home decoration and accenting. Personally, I'd say curtains, they'll really define the room. You could also search for an area rug, it defines the living space. Candles and small ornaments would be great too. Congrats!

Answer 10

When in doubt make a collage. Take old pictures and put them in a frame neatly.

Paint a wall you alls favorite color.

Play with the lighting. Try something low and romantic.

Buy sexy underwear and become par tof the decorations.

Congrats - Have fun!