Whether for holiday guests this year, or just your own household, make your home inviting with these 15 ideas:

• Have inviting smells that can be added in a flash. Diffusers, candles, or let dinner set the stage to welcome friends and family in. Clean smells are great for every day, but warm smells which we often associate with the holidays can help the space feel inviting almost instantly. 

  

• Start right when you or your family walk in and make the entryway inviting. Make it the prelude to the rest of your home with a combination of comfort and functionality. For example, have somewhere to sit and put on your shoes, and have a place to put your keys. 
• Before you even enter your home, set the tone by personalizing the front doorstep or door. Maybe that is with a wreath or family monogram, but personalize your space so you and those who visit feel invited right in from the get-go. 
• Add art to your walls that adds to the atmosphere you want to create. Check out a few of our tips on hanging art in this blog post here. 
• Add family photos that not only introduce others to your family but also remind you of what matters most, every day. There is nothing like the smile of a loved one to warm up a space. 
• Designate places to keep the clutter, like mail or keys, out of the way. It also cuts down on the stress of losing items when everything has a place. Even if it is a clutter basket that you can go back and go through later, it is nice to know there is a spot for things to be placed when company is on the way! 
• When shopping to make your home inviting, pay attention to textures. Find things that are soft and comfortable, whether that is your throw pillows or your blankets and rugs. Make your space a place where grabbing a blanket and curling up with a book both feel natural.

  

• When decorating, especially placing your furniture, make sure getting around the room is easy, with obvious walkways. Make it a space you WANT to spend time, not just visually appealing. 
• Think about the flooring. Is it a place you want to kick off your shoes in? Area rugs tie a space together by helping to distinguish a seating area or a walkway. Coming in an endless variety of textures and patterns, you can make your home inviting by picking out rugs that encourage people to congregate. 
• Have some go-to snacks in the pantry, and the option for a spontaneous treat with family, or when guests pop over. Maybe it’s some popcorn you can pop in the microwave, or maybe cookie dough in the freezer, or a muffin mix or two in the pantry.

  

• Have coasters available so drinks are welcome in most places of the house, and/or have comfortable seating at the bar, with chairs that are easy to pull out. 
• Have games on hand that can be stored away or part of the decor, and easily brought out when your family needs to take a much-needed break at the end of the day.
• As a general rule of thumb, when you want to create an inviting space, use warmer colors. They lend themselves to creating, well, more warmth! This doesn’t have to be a year-round thing, but even warmer whites make the space more inviting than cool tones. 
• Set the tone, literally, with music. Have go-to playlists for when you’re having a Sunday morning in or winding down for the evening. 
• Look at the lighting, and set the ambiance. Add lamps and other accenting lights beyond the light fixtures. This allows you to choose the amount of light in each room. Also, pay attention to warm and cool-toned light bulbs. Warmer toned lightbulbs are a fast way to make your home feel far more inviting. 
• Add a little life with some green. Not only does it freshen up the air, but it doesn’t have to require a ton of maintenance. 

Ready to try one of these ideas this weekend? Tag us on Instagram @newvillagehomes and we’d love to see how you’ve been able to do it!

All of these things are small changes you can make, today, but picking the right floor plan for your family, and choosing your design details sets the base for creating an inviting home. Come explore our new home design center during Saturday browsing hours, or give us a call today to learn more about all the design features New Village Homes has to offer!