Make Your Home More Inviting

We’ve all heard the theory that if you paint your front door red, you’ll attract more people, right?  That’s because color has a profound effect upon us and it can either raise or lower our energy.

If you want to make your home more inviting, start with the front door.  Make sure it’s freshly painted, any glass on the door is sparkling and you hang a seasonal wreath on the door.  A welcoming doormat is attractive and functional.  Use one that is approximately 2/3 the size of the width of the door.  Make sure your door opens all the way and doesn’t squeak.  Make room for guest coats and have an umbrella stand.

In your living room, arrange the furniture so that if you stand in the entrance of the room, the sofa and chairs are arranged to have you walk into that space and sit down and look at one another while you speak.  This is called a “conversational grouping”.  Many people make the mistake of arranging the furniture against all the walls which creates a “ballroom effect” and doesn’t encourage anyone to enter or stay in the space.

If your living room is small:

Consider painting the walls the color of the sofa so that the sofa blends into the wall.  It really works!

Hang your drapes just a few inches from the ceiling and have them go down to the floor.  It lifts the eye and makes the space seem elegant and spacious.

Get a glass coffee table so it seems to float in the space. You can also have a glass table with a wood border if you wish.  It should be placed about 18” away from the sofa so that people can place a glass on it while in a seated position.

Remove excess furniture and place an artificial (or real) tree in the corner of the room to lift the eye.

Hang an artwork lamp over a painting over the sofa or the mantle to create more visual interest and make the space cozier.

Anchor the seating with an area rug big enough to fit under at least part of all the seating.

Use a colorful “throw” blanket and pillows to add texture and color to the space.

Happy entertaining.  You’ll soon see that no one will be in a hurry to leave your home.  Please share your success with us on Facebook.

Get more organizing, redesign, home staging and productivity tips at http://staging.kirnaconsulting.com