9 Cheap and Easy Tricks to Make Your Home a Haven
Is your house a place that you love coming home to? Are you able to relax, get refreshed and be filled with joy there? Or is it a place that causes you stress because of your endless to do list? Or where you cannot relax because of the mess?
Having a home that is a safe haven from the crazy world we live in is so important. A place where you and the ones you love can relax, build relationships and find joy. As women, we tend to get bogged down in our long list of chores, responsibilities and errands, making our home the opposite of a haven. What if there were a few super simple and cheap tweaks you could make to your home that would change the environment for the better? Start with small changes to your home and see how much it can change not only the physical space, but the entire feel of your home.
What is a haven?
Haven: a safe harbor, shelter, a place of safety
I think most people want their home to be a Haven for their loved ones and for themselves, they just don’t know how to make that happen.
Why are our homes so stressful?
Life is stressful. Parenting is stressful. Relationships can be stressful. We bring all of that stress into our homes, and add to it the task of keeping a home tidy, making dinner, doing laundry, and paying the bills. It can be overwhelming and create an environment that is the OPPOSITE of a haven! I used to be so overwhelmed by the clutter and mess in my house that I couldn’t see past it. I would spend all my time fighting the mess and missing out on the life that was happening at home. By changing or adding a few simple things to my home, I have created a much calmer and happier feel to my home.
9 Cheap and Easy Tricks to Make Your Home a Haven
Tip 1: Tidy Up
There is something magical about the simple act of tidying things up. I am not talking about a week long decluttering purge or even a full house deep clean. I am simply talking about putting things where they belong so that you have some blank space in your home. A clean counter top can make an entire kitchen feel fresh. An uncluttered coffee table can help you relax. Toys off of the floor and in their proper basket can make your room feel bigger.
Take a few minutes (and recruit the family for help) to put things away. Don’t get caught up in trying to reorganize the entire kitchen…just put the dishes away and wipe down the counter tops!
Start in the common areas of the home or the place where you want to be able to relax. It will probably take you 15 minutes at the most and it will change the way everything looks and how you feel. It will be the best spent 15 minutes of your day, I promise!
Tip 2: Embrace the Season
I love that every few months the outside world changes with a new season. I think that embracing that season inside your home is not only fun, but helps move us through the year in a more natural way.
I am NOT saying that you should decorate for every season! Growing up we decorated for EVERY season and holiday, and as a kid I loved it so much. But as an adult I realized that my sweet momma unpacked and repacked all those decorations over and over. I am in a place of life where that is just not my jam, so instead I “roll with the seasons” and do small things in my house to embrace each season in small and easy ways.
- Candles, chunky blankets and lovely light neutral colored decor in the winter
- Plants, lightweight blankets and clean, open windows in the spring
- A bowl of lemons, fresh cut flowers and bold pops of color for the summer
- A unique “statement” pumpkin, warm earth tones and soft throws in the fall
It doesn’t take much to make your home feel special and “in season”. Plus, by minimizing your seasonal decorations, you are also cutting down on clutter and storage needs. It is a win all the way around!
Tip 3: Prayer of Peace Candle
I got this ideas years ago from a Bible Study that I was going through by Courtney Joseph. One idea she gave was lighting a candle every morning in an area of your home that you will pass by over and over throughout the day. Each time you pass the candle, it is a reminder to pray for peace within your home. Peace between your kids, peace in your relationships, peace as you head out into the world, peace as you navigate life.
I loved this idea so much that I adopted it. It started as just something I did in December as I prepared for Christmas, but now it is something I do throughout the year. Not every day (I don’t want it to become so familiar that it looses it’s impact), but many times throughout the year I will grab a beautiful candle and light it so that I am reminded to pray for peace from the only ONE who can give it.
Tip 4: Lighting
I love light. I want every light on and every window open. My husband feels the exact opposite. He loves closed drapes and most lights off. What I have finally figured out is that the TYPE of lighting you use helps set the mood of your house. You need 3 types of lighting:
- Overhead lighting: great for projects, cooking, anything you need to see well
- Lamps: they add a warmth and coziness to spaces and can be used for reading or other “chair” type projects
- Natural Light: this is my favorite. This lets the outside world come in and can brighten up an entire house. Open those windows and enjoy the view
I have spent so much time testing out different lighting combinations and like to change it up based on my mood and what we are doing in our house. Don’t be afraid to move lamps around, put dimmers on your overhead lights or use lighter weight curtains. Light drives the mood of your room…make sure it is a good mood!
Tip 5: Plants (real or fake)
Adding green to your home creates a calm, fresh and peaceful feeling. A beautiful plant can fill a void space with life. A small potted plant can make a coffee table seem more welcoming. Living plants have tons of health benefits that can positively impact your home, but even if all your plants are faux, the aesthetic is still lovely and calming.
I personally have a mix of real and fake plants. I have miraculously kept a stunning Peace Lily alive for over 3 years and it is one of my favorite items in my house. I have also killed several living plants…oops! Many of the plants in my house currently are of the fake variety because I am in a season of life that is crazy busy and I cannot commit to keeping anything else alive!
Tip 6: Music
Have you ever been to a coffee shop and noticed the music they had playing? Or to a sporting event that blasted music to pump up the crowd? Music can usher in all sorts of different emotions and create specific atmospheres. What type of music would you like to fill your home?
I have to be honest, my answer to that question depends on the day, the time and the circumstances in my life. Some days I have Praise and Worship music filling the air. Other days I have some 60’s and 70’s jams pumping through my blue tooth speaker. I have also been known to have an 80’s sing along while cooking dinner!
There is no rule about what you listen to, but just be aware of the environment that sound creates. Are you needing some clam before the dinner storm? Some Praise and Worship or smooth mellow easy listening may be what you want. Need to get your house up and going before a big day of errands? Pump up some classic rock or epic dance tunes. Need some alone time in the bath tub? Find some moody ballads or coffee shop mixes.
My advice is to make several different play lists and have them ready to go any time you need to set a mood or just want to fill the air with some happiness. Do not underestimate the power of music!
Tip 7: Create a “spot” just for you
So much of our homes are common areas or areas that are devoted to specific tasks like the kitchen, laundry room or bathrooms. I want to challenge you to find a spot (it can be a corner, a comfy chair, or even a closet!) that is “your spot” for doing things that you love or bring you joy. It may not get used every single day, but it is there and waiting for you when you have a pocket of time to do something you love, like
- Sewing
- Reading
- Journaling
- Crocheting
- Knitting
- Crafting
- Cooking
- Editing photos
- Crosswords Puzzles
- Listening to Podcasts
Whatever activity brings you a little bit of happiness or satisfaction, make a spot for you to do it. A spot just for you and your thing. I can promise you that you will do your hobby more often if you have a place for it already set up.
Tip 8: Have Items that Bring You Joy
I tend to want to maximize the impact of the items in my home, and this is the perfect way to do that. I love to use items that have a special meaning or story to them in my decorating. Not only does it help to make my house more curated, but they are great conversation pieces that also bring me joy. Here are the types of things I like to use in my home:
- Sentimental items. I have my grandmothers childhood piano in my home. My grandmother, mom, sister and myself all learned to play on that piano. It is a little beat up and will never be in perfect tune again, but it brings back so many memories and listening to my son play on it brings me so much joy.
- Beautiful items: Each person has their own idea of beauty, but whatever it is to you, use it in your house. For me it is all the framed mirrors that are on the wall leading up the stairs. It is a random collection of old mirrors, but all together they sparkle and catch the light in the most perfect way.
- Repurposed items: This might be my favorite type of item in my home because I love a good rehab project. My list is shockingly long of all the repurposed items I have, but one of my favorites is my kitchen table. It was handed down to me by a friend because the finish on it had become sticky and it was dated. Sanding, stain and new paint was all it needed to be given a new life. It was my first official rehab project and I still love it and the memories that have been made around it.
- Style and Decor that suit me: It has taken me years to stop trying to jump on the newest trend bandwagon. I would see the newest trend and immediately want to do all the things to my home. Trends are not bad, but nothing ever felt quite right for my style. I am FINALLY starting to embrace my own personal style and with each new project I complete I am feeling more and more “at home”. Embrace and use the style and decor that you love, even if it is not the newest trend out there.
Tip 9: Focus on Your Home’s Purpose
Who lives in your house? What do you like to do? Where do you spend a lot of time while at home? All of these questions will help you determine what you need your home to do to serve you well. I used to want to have a grand foyer and entry way in my home. You know, the kind that you see on movies with a big floral arrangement, marble floors and enough space to do cartwheels. However, I have 2 boys, a stinky dog and a husband who all value comfort far above fancy. Plus, they all tend to drop all of their possessions onto any flat surface the minute they walk through the door, which means my immaculate entry way would be full of stinky shoes and backpacks!
My home needs to be comfy and inviting, because what we value most is relationships and fun within our home. We need a big table for shared meals, comfy couches for long conversations and a “drop zone” for all the stuff that doesn’t quite make it up the stairs to the bedrooms! I need my home to serve me and my family, not fight against us every day. And I need to reassess every year to make sure that it is still working for us. If not…we will just change things up!
To Wrap it Up
Creating a Haven is so much easier than you would expect. It just takes a few small and intentional changes that can be made this week for super cheap. The effort is so worth it. Imagine the feeling of relaxation, safety, peace, joy and comfort every time you walk into your home. Imagine what that type of environment can do for you and the people you love. It is about so much more than just some cute or trendy decorations. You can create a life-giving environment for all who walk through your door.
Leave a comment and tell me how you are going to start today!
