5 Easy Ways to Personalize Your Home

I’m sure we’ve all heard this so many times, a home should be made as welcoming a sanctuary as possible and be a reflection of who you are as a person. Le Corbusier said “The home should be the treasure chest of living.”
Coming home to a space filled with unique little quirks and familiar reminders of your life can be comforting after a long stressful day. Here are five easy ways to brighten up your home and make it a little more you.

1. Build a collection from your travels. 

Make it a habit to get something- no matter how small it is- from each of your travels and display them around your house. They don’t have to be the cliché souvenirs with the name of the city printed across it- actually it’s better if they’re not. Each piece in your home should be carefully curated with a story behind it- so whether it was a small hand-carved box that happened to catch your eye as you walked past a street market or an old book that was well-thumbed through and dog-eared- those are the pieces that will build a story around your living space. How wonderful would it be to look around your living room and frequently get random flashbacks of your travels? Over the years your home will tell a beautiful visual tale of your trips.

2. Frame lots of photos.

In this age where we are super-dependent on technology, we tend to neglect the value of print photos around us. Most homes I visit always have photos framed- and what a wonderful sight they are. But the pity is, and I myself am guilty of this, is that the pictures are outdated. Every year, make it a point to print photos from the most memorable occasions over the past twelve months and frame them on the walls of your entryway or keep them on your bedside tables.

3. Display your hobbies.

We all have something creative we like to dabble in. For some of us it’s sketching, for others it’s cross-stitching, or glass-painting. It doesn’t have to be the neatest, more professional work but it would make you proud to have a few pieces of your own creative efforts displayed around.

4. Get a couple of hand-me down pieces from older relatives. 

It’s beautiful to own things that were once very special to your grandmother or uncle when they were growing up. Why keep those pieces tucked away and hidden? Add them as accent pieces around your house.

5. Paint a wall- or part of one- with chalkboard paint. 

Having a wall handwritten with your long and short term goals or inspiring quotes can do wonders for your mood. There’s something so nostalgic and real about a chalkboard and some chalk. The best place to do this is ideally in the kitchen. The kitchen is always a hub of activity around the house and it’s a great place to reflect while you’re waiting for the kettle to boil or the pasta to cook.