MAKING IT YOUR OWN SPACE

In this modern world people are more transient than ever. It seems wherever you go lately you see homes with “For Sale” signs in the front yard. It’s not the norm anymore for people to stay at one job for their whole career, sometimes they move several times to climb that corporate ladder. More and more people are downsizing, moving to different climates or re-locating to be by family.

Even if the move is positive, we are all creatures of habit and no one likes to leave the familiar. Many times homeowners will either completely or partially remodel their place before putting it on the market to make it more enticing. So, new owners are finding themselves moving into a perfectly lovely home that doesn’t feel like home.

Even though it seems a shame to “undo” a remodel, there are subtle things you can do to make it your unique space when you settle into a new abode. After all, a man’s (or woman’s) home is his (her) castle and home should be some place you look forward to coming back to. Here’s a few things you can do to make that castle your space:

11.  Paint. Even though it isn’t always cheap anymore, it is one of the more inexpensive fixes to give a room a totally different look. Don’t be afraid to change it up. Gone are the days when all four walls have to be the same color. It makes a room come alive when one or two walls are painted an accent color compared to the other two. Don’t forget about special effects. Ragging or sponging one color on top of another can give you the look of wallpaper without the struggle. 

22. You don’t have to be an accomplished artist to be a little creative. With a little black paint you can paint a simple tree on one wall. Just start with a basic trunk and go wild with the limbs, making each branch a little thinner as you go. Be sure to go big. When you are done, you can put family photos on the branches, creating a “family tree.” Guaranteed this will make at least one room very personal, after all your family tree is unlike anyone else’s!

33. Speaking of photos, there is not a better way to individualize space. Just by hanging some family photos on a wall will create that cozy atmosphere that everyone wants to come home to. Think outside the box on this one too by not always making them the usual “headshot” family photos. Vacation photos can be enlarged and grouped to remember a special time or dig out your funny face photos. These will be sure to pick-you-up no matter how dreary the day.

44.  Some people think new home equals new furniture. Provided you have money for both, this is a great idea. However, be sure to bring at least a couple pieces of the old, maybe that favorite chair that is sooooo broken or that little table that sets at the end of the hall that catches everything. By doing this, you will be bringing a little of the familiar and making the transition smoother. After your new home really feels like home, you can always ditch these older pieces if you want.

55.  The same holds true for accent pieces. That cookie jar that always sat on the old counter will be just fine on the new counter even if the colors really don’t match. For us, it is a pumpkin dish kept full of M&M’s. It’s orange, our kitchen is red and white with apple décor, not a designer combination. But that orange pumpkin jar is the first thing the grandkids go for when they come over. The dish stays.

The same holds true outside the house, it’s not too hard to make that personal too. First, take a       look at the landscaping. Even if it has been upgraded recently, you can always find a spot to add a shrub or flowering plant. By the same token, you can always pull out a shrub or tree if it doesn’t suit your liking. Many times this decision will have to do with how much maintenance the plants require. Some prefer a maintenance-free yard while others like to “dink” with things. A great low-maintenance choice is ornamental grass. It comes in many different varieties to suit your individual tastes.

 

Sometimes a little goes a long way. Maybe a new, but small, flower garden will work to add a little “pop” in an otherwise large lawn. If you are feeling brave, try a installing a fish pond. But be warned, this tends to be a project that keeps on growing. First you have the pond, then you add fish, then you add plants around the pond, then you add a bench to sit and watch the fish…guys be careful when your wife asks for one of these. I really think they are responsible for many a divorce!

Yard accents like rocks and driftwood can be fun to collect and make for unique landscaping.  The new solar-lit yard art is a fun and easy way to personalize a yard. It not only looks great at night when it is lit up but also by day.

A while back, my cousin Vicky and husband Dick decided to paint their dining room. They chose “Autumn Royal” to give the room a nice fall ambiance. I stopped in after they had painted just one wall. Whoa! Bright orange jumped out at all of us. Being the adventurers they are, they decided to go on and try it since they already had the paint. Amazing! It brings out the warm glow of all their wood furniture and actually adds a homey, autumn touch to the whole room. Who would have guessed!

This just shows that anything goes when it comes to personalizing your space. Sometimes it can be fun to live a little on the wild side and see where it takes you. The best part is that there are no right or wrong choices when it comes to making your home your home. What makes it right is what feels right to you.