I have made no secret that my home is my haven. To me a home is all about a space you feel nurtured, loved and inspired by.
I believe to be truly happy you need a sanctuary, a space to recharge, to rest, and a space that reflects who you are. I want you to walk into your home and feel safe, loved and inspired to live the happiest life you can.
Part of creating a beautiful, nurturing space is by filling it with things that reflect your own unique style and personality. Latest trends are great, but filling your home with them simply because they’re in a magazine does not make for an authentic home, or a happy you!
You don’t want to live in a show house, you want to live in a home! I can not stress enough how important it is to style for you and your loved ones you share a home with.
Do not style for friends who visit, or to please fussy relatives, this is your haven so make it feel that way.
Only you can decide what makes your house feel like a home. My biggest tip is to only keep the things that mean something to you. Keep the
- things that nurture your soul,
- the things that make you smile,
- the things that bring you happiness, even if they are outdated or considered ‘ugly by others’
- the things that offer comfort, and warmth,
- the things that inspire you to live fully,
- the things that reflect your authentic self.
Things that you resent, dislike, that conjure bad memories, or cause you stress DO NOT belong in your home.
Like I said above, only you can decide what brings you joy, and what nurtures you. But here I will suggest a few decor’ changes that can make your home feel more beautiful, and comfortable.
Frame artwork. Framing favourite pieces of art, sentimental photographs, or even your child’s drawings, and getting them up on the wall can instantly make your home feel happier and more personal. Don’t go out and buy a stock standard poster, or artwork because you have seen it on a renovation show, or every store has it. Art work is highly personal, and open to interpretation. So choose things that reflect you, that inspire you. If you are a talented artist paint your own unique piece, frame your own photos from favourite moments in your life. Like we have in the photo below.
Plants. Again it is no secret that I am a huge fan of greenery in a home. Bringing nature inside is the best way to add a pop of colour, freshness and happiness indoors. Whether it is an indoor plant in a gorgeous pot, mini succulents in pots, fresh flowers, or garden foliage you can’t go wrong! It really is an instant ‘happy mood’ booster, and even helps purify the air in your home.
A pop of colour. So many pole think we need a black and white palate to be classy, or stick with neutral tones of creams and browns to play it safe. These colours are fine as a base, but adding pops of colour will make your home brighter and happier. There are always trends of “in colours”, but don’t get obsessed by that. Think about the colours you are drawn too. And think about the mood you are trying to create in your home. Add some yellow cushions to lift your mood. Reds can add warmth, or blues for relaxation. Consider what colours affect your mood. There is plenty of colour chart information on the internet to help you get an idea about how colours affect mood. And don’t be afraid to ask for help and advice in stores. For me adding a bold wallpaper in my powder room, and kids bathroom made such a difference to an otherwise boring room.
Rearrange. If you can’t afford new furnishing, rearrange what you have. I am always moving things around, it gives everything a fresh feeling! Even just by rearranging books, plants, and flowers on your coffee table you can make a room feel more interesting, fresher, or vibrant.
Cushions, and throw rugs. A quick way to improve a daggy old piece of furniture is to cover it with a gorgeous throw. I love throw rugs and beautiful blankets as they add such a cosy feeling to a room, or piece of furniture. By swapping out some old cushions for new ones you can instantly lift a room, and make it feel more comfortable too. If your budget is larger you can recover furniture with new fabric.
Yes and even the dog enjoys a throw rug.
These are just a few tips that I hope help set you off in the right direction. Remember if you don’t know where to start don’t be shy to take some photographs of your room and take the shopping with you, that way you can ask the shop assistants for advice. I know many people say they can’t add things like candles, or vases with young children around, but just by adding a cute little pot plant and a lovely throw rug you can make a huge change. As a parent we often end up with rooms in our homes looking like a toy store, that’s OK they grow up fast and we should enjoy that stage of play and fun. But don’t forget that you matter too. So add some things that you love too, pop a few favourite books on your coffee table, or try and keep your bedroom a toy free zone. There are little spaces we can create amongst the beautiful chaos of parenting.
Feel free to share any tips you have in the comment section, I love to hear from you xx
Thanks for joining me, love Mac xx
Don’t forget you can follow me on Youtube Reflectionsfromme where you can find extra videos that I don’t always share here .
32 comments
Beautiful photos & fab ideas. We have a wall in our dinning room which is like a raspberry pink & I love it for its pop of colour. Totally agree about cushions & throws, it can completely change the look.
Your house is beautiful! I need to have a re-shuffle. I get bored of things quite quickly so a change around saves me lots of money haha!
#TheList
Superb ideas .Love the thought beind using throws and fresh cushions .It does make the home appear cozy .
I love this Mackenzie and we are decorating our apartment in grey tones. You certainly have inspired me as I’m not very creative. On the other hand why not come and help me LOL:) Have a great week, beautiful. xx
Lovely post and photography. I’m a huge fan of flowers/plants and soft furnishings to give my home but if loving. Right now I’m obsessed with getting some of these gorgeous family photos I take off the computer and up on the walls x #TheList
Oh I adore interiors and I can see you too. Beautiful books, personal artwork, candles and flowers all add to the vibe – I love that grey throw you have – I need to find myself one of these for sure. I so agree that if something conjures a bad memory then don’t have it in your home – definitely not good for the soul. Gorgeous home lovely #mg
Hi Mac, your home looks very restful. I am totally with you on the artwork and flowers. I buy myself a bunch of flowers every week. It brightens the place up and lightens my mood. My artwork is an eclectic mix hung in an unusual style. Others don’t get it. I love it. Pen x #mg
Some lovely affordable tips out here MG. And yes, your Home is beautiful. I would love to have a spiritual space in my House which reflects me, my beliefs. Happy to linkup
These are such wonderful touches, simple ideas everyone can work with. It really does feel like that time of year, starting a fresh page, making things new, lovely inspiration (: #mg
I feel the same about my home. We can’t afford to redecorate, so I often pick up bits in charity shops or try and find alternative options. Most of our furniture is second hand, some has come from the dump! I try and re-paint things and I love to accessorise with bright cushions, blankets and art work. Sarah #mg
Welcome back Mac, and what a great post about home and sanctuary. Someting we need now more than ever. lovely photos too. Oh to stop by and have a cuppa together! <3 <3 <3 #mg
I love your realistic suggestions. Now that my girls are older we are trying to cut down on the toy clutter, to start!
~Jess
#mg
Absolutely gorgeous and I love flowers and plants. I got some daffodils last week and they’re now flowering and look gorgeous…a little bit of spring! Thanks for hosting #mg xx
Beautiful photos and ideas. Particularly the last one! Your dog is so sweet 🙂
Home envy – your home is beautiful!
There are some great ideas here, I’m feeling inspired 🙂
Love that chunky grey throw!
This is a truly sumptuous post! I love your home and agree wholeheartedly with all your sentiments. Don’t just follow trends is good advice. My home is my sanctuary, but to others it would just look like organised chaos! Btw, I am in love with your wooden side table – wow! Alison x #mg
Welcome back! I’ve missed you! Your home is absolutely beautiful, mine is a bombsite at the moment, I need you to come and sort my décor for me!! #mg
I am always rearranging my furniture and painting walls new colors. There’s nothing quite like a $40 gallon on paint to switch things up.
Great tips and now I am totally in love with your home. I love that vase with the quote on x
#Mg
Mac love the rearranging idea to freshen things up without busting the budget. Glad you are back running #mg link. I discovered a very funny blogger through your link named Pen at @thesingleswan. Hope you enjoyed the holiday with your kids.
Some beautiful touches there Mac, I also like that you mention that anything that has bad memories or things like that just do not have a place in your home. I’m sure that I’ve stored some bits in my attic that should really just go as they are from the distant past whos memories have no place in my present.
Mainy
#mg
I whole heartedly agree with you on your view of what a home should be. #mg
I love your style hun and have massive coffee table envy (is that a thing? 😉) would love to join you for a cup of tea and a chat not that sofa. #mg
*on that sofa
Some brill tips here… I find it hard as we are currently in a small 2-bed London rented flat so decorating is a no-bland storage is a nightmare!! I tend to ‘decorate’ with accessories anyway, so I’m not fussed by the wall colour, but having places for all the kids stuff is a big issue here..! #mg
Your home is so gorgeous hun. My home definitely resembles a toy shop or even a nursery, there are toys everywhere. I desperate to have a big clear out and do some decorating xx #mg
Love this post and that coffee table. I need more plants in my life! #mg
I love interiors and spend most of my spare time at fairs or antiques markets looking for unusual items for our home. I love to mix contemporary items with old to make it interesting and like you have to have a pop of colour somewhere and loads of flowers. Your home looks delightful. #mg
All of the above!! Our house is a mishmash of splashes of hippy, colour and quirky pictures and ornaments. And we love it. I’m very interested in feng shui, and I’m all for a regular move around. thanks for hosting #mg
Your home looks lovely! I love to buy fresh flowers, they really brighten up a room. We might be moving soon as we’ve put our house up for sale, which makes me sad as our house is now finally how we want it, but I’ll be excited to redecorate if we ever find somewhere! xx #mg
I was just saying how lovely it is to have tulips and daffodils flowers in the house on Catie’s blog, diaryofanimperfectmum. And it is so lovely to see it on here too! I am always moving furniture around. I get board quite easily. I also love love love that throw rugs! I must learn how to hand knit! It looks so gorgeous! xx
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