Create A More Comforting And Personal Space With A Clever Design Trick

We all feel the pressure to make our homes adhere to certain norms, whether it's the unrealistic standards set by HGTV or the polished homes of friends or family members. But succumbing to those pressures can lead you to miss out on an important decorating trick that will make your home more comforting. Rather than copying other people's spaces that don't reflect your needs, why not design for how you live to create a home that is not just beautiful, but also functional?

When you design for how you live, your space will feel more personal, and you will be able to flow throughout your day more comfortably. Whether it's effortlessly arranging décor on a bookshelf or setting up your work-from-home office, a truly functional home isn't the same for everyone, but needs to be individualized. Personal touches can also help bring character into a home that has been feeling a bit drab. An advantage of taking this approach is that you may end up being happier and more relaxed in your home for longer without the need to update or renovate.

When you embrace the intention of designing for how you live, you'll need to start by examining your space. Look for areas you don't use or where you feel uncomfortable and try to find out why. Where do you need to create separations from the rest of the house? Would it suit you better to hide an unsightly laundry room with a screen or move your at-home workspace to a quiet room so you can better concentrate? If you're finding a lot of clutter in certain areas, you might need more storage there. You should also consider whether you really want a home full of mass-produced knick-knacks or if you would be happier prioritizing personality over aesthetics.

As you go through your home, you'll no doubt start to question your assumptions about rooms and come up with new ideas. If you do have visitors in your home often, then you might need a guest room. But if you don't, there are probably other uses you could put that space to. Have you always dreamt of having a craft room? Or, maybe you could turn that formal dining room into a games room where you can bond with your kids. What about the kitchen? Is there any point in having expensive kitchen appliances if you hate to cook and prefer to eat out? Reworking your ideas about each area in your home by asking questions like these is a trick that may lead you to some fun and creative decisions that make your space feel more like you.