Full article first published on Houzz

Nicola Sanders, Houzz contributor

Whatever your style (and regardless of whether you rent or own), probably one of the most vital things in your life is that your house feels like home – a place where you, and your friends and family, can relax.

The results of the following suggestions may be different from person to person, but the importance of ‘home’ is universal.

Start by seeking inspiration everywhere

Not sure of your style? Try to tune into your surroundings as much as possible to find inspiration from lots of different sources. Visit design shops, fabric showrooms and art galleries, or pull ideas from books, on holiday, or the countryside.

Over time, you’ll start to hone your eye for colour and proportion, and approach your decorating projects with confidence and a tangible knowledge of what you love.

Find more living room ideas

Invest in everyday items

The things you touch and use each day should be of good quality and bring you a little bit of joy on a daily basis. That doesn’t mean splurging on expensive taps, but investing in a new set of linen sheets, a pretty soapdish, a good pair of kitchen scissors or a well-made, wood-handled broom. These small things will make a difference to how your home looks and feels, and are a quick fix before you start the decorating.

Add some artwork

Making a considered choice about what you put on your walls – and then actually getting on and putting those things up – is key to making your house or flat feel like home.

It doesn’t need to be expensive, as family photographs, posters, favourite cards and children’s drawings in inexpensive frames make for an eclectic, yet instantly familiar, mix. For a relaxed, comfortable vibe, vary frame size and material, and intersperse with the odd unusual object as they’ve done on this landing.

Check out a range of artwork and prints

Shed some light

The great thing about lighting is that you can take it with you when you go, so even in a rented space it’s a good investment.

It’s useful to think of lighting in terms of layers and atmosphere. The ceiling pendant is a room’s workhorse, which is important in decorative terms so choose a fitting to suit the size and style of the space.

Floor and table lamps are likely to be the light sources you use most, so arrange them next to seating to create different areas for reading, relaxing or watching television. Don’t underestimate, either, the importance of candlelight for adding atmosphere and cosiness.

Discover ‘instant’ wall lights that don’t need wiring in

Inject colour

Introducing colour with a few choice pieces will elevate your home immediately from run-of-the-mill to inspirational. In this eclectic living room, the warm grey backdrop is transformed with hits of bright yellow, jewel-like blue and rich red.

If you’re not sure which colours to use, try using your pictures as a jumping-off point, pulling out your favourite colours and tones.

Add some vintage character

Whatever your decorating style, it’s a good idea to complement your practical items with the odd piece of antique furniture. A vintage piece will add variation and interest to a room, and will give it a sense of longevity even if you’ve only just moved in.

Whether your antique item is inherited, bought at a junk shop or acquired at auction, there’s a style and a piece out there for all tastes and all budgets.

Check out the best vintage pieces to look out for at second-hand sales

Upgrade old furniture

Reupholstering furniture isn’t always cheaper than purchasing new items, but it’s a great way to use pieces that you like, but that don’t look right in your new home. Here, a sofa has been updated with a contemporary fabric that complements the living room scheme.

Decorate with books

Your collection of paperbacks and hardbacks – whether modest or grand – is one of the biggest reflections of your personality and can bring instant colour to a room, so ensure that it’s one of the first things you unpack.

There are so many creative ways to display books, for example the ingenious fitted shelving in this living room not only provides plenty of storage space but also serves as a frame to the entrance hall beyond. Get creative with invisible shelves, wall-mounted wine or apple crates, and even colour-coded arrangements to create a large vignette.

Warm things up with greenery

As this elegant plant box shows, you can incorporate greenery into the smallest of corners to instantly make a space feel more welcoming and lived in. As well as their obvious decorative effect, plants also help to purify the air in your home and are known to be beneficial in reducing stress levels.

And if you think your fingers aren’t green enough, try the descriptively named mother-in-law’s tongue. It thrives on very little water and light, and is therefore almost impossible to kill.

Layer fragrance

One of the most disconcerting things when you move to somewhere new is that it smells like someone else’s home. Fragrance, like music, is incredibly evocative, so consider the importance of fresh flowers, reed diffusers, room sprays and candles to add an extra layer to your decorating scheme.

Creating a sense of your own place is a multi-sensory thing, so consider your home in terms of its holistic characteristics, as well as its aesthetic ones.