Showing off our homes is something we all want to do at some point.
Maybe it was after you bought your first home, and you felt like you had “arrived” to adulthood. Or maybe it was a night you had the “big wigs” over from work and pulled out all the stops! Or maybe it was after a remodel that you felt reflected your personality better than ever.
Even if you don’t think of yourself as someone prone to “showing off,” you sure feel TERRIBLE if someone sees your home in an especially rough state, don’t you?
How many times have you apologized for “the mess?!”
If it’s important to you that your home DOESN’T look awful, then it’s natural for it to be important to you when it looks GOOD. But you really aren’t a show-off, so how do you enjoy exhibiting the best of your home without coming off wrong?!
Keep reading to find out…
5 Ways to Show Off Your Home with Tasteful Pride (Without Making It Look Desperate)
Create an Irresistible Entrance
What do a sales letter, an investor deck, and a call from a university admissions rep all have in common? They arouse interest and admiration for what is being presented.
You want to make the entryway of your home JUST as irresistible. That involves thinking of the “entryway experience” starting outside and moving into the receiving space.
Have you discovered what “first impression” your home gives?
Tips for a jaw-dropping entryway:
- Make sure the paint and finishes around the external door are always clean
- Consider your front door an “investment piece” and choose the style of door that REALLY fits your design aesthetic
- Always, always ensure the entryway is well lit, including any stairs, the door and house number, and the space immediately inside
- Inside, treat yourself to one “eye candy” wall-hanging or artwork that gets conversation started—make it your goal for everyone who walks in for the first time to have a reaction!
Appeal to the Olfactory Through Scents and Aromas!
Often, people limit their house’s appeal to visuals. But you can show off your house in more ways than one!! One of the subtlest ways of showing your house off is through carefully selected scents and aromas.
Inviting and appealing scents and aromas can also get your guests talking! They’ll be interested to know what you chose and why, and where you got them.
If you really want to diffuse some jaw-dropping appeal, use scents and aromas that are connected to the other aspects of your home’s aesthetics. If you have a bamboo floor, for instance, add a tropical scent to truly transport people to exotic places.
Homey Sounds
Sounds can also help you show off your home.
Homes always have sounds associated with them. Maybe there’s a light “creak” under one of the floors. Maybe the soft, padded thud thud thud of children’s feet down the stairs are a constant percussion. Maybe voices bounce off the walls in the kitchen a bit differently than they do in the living room.
Stop to listen, and then build off of the natural sounds in the space. Add some soothing, ambient noise where it’s needed to cover up more stressful noises. Consider relaxing ocean sounds for the bathroom.
What else can you think of? Just stop first and listen!!
Playing Good Hosts and Hostesses
Playing a good host or hostess is one of the top ways to show off your home. It’s like they said in Top Gun: “it’s not the plane, it’s the pilot.”
When your visitors enjoy a comfortable and pleasurable experience visiting your home, they’ll find it a natural segue to relax notice the beauty around them. There are SO many ways to make your home enjoyable for your visitors…with the little “extra” touches…this includes stacking their bed with extra pillows for added comfort; making sitting arrangements easily accessible; ensuring your bathroom gives off a spa-like feeling; and providing easy storage for articles you know they’ll have, like coats or luggage.
Noteworthy Selections
Picking just one selection to go “all out” for in each space is all you need to do to leave a brag-worthy impression.
As visitors come and go, you’ll see how they naturally congregate around these pieces to get a closer look…we’re all naturally inclined toward uncommon things, so try treating yourself to one of the following in each highly-visited room of your home:
- A unique piece of furniture
- A stunning art piece on the wall
- An elaborate antique
- A daring paint color
- Window coverings with tech upgrades
Showing off your home in a tasteful and totally deserved way gives you a feeling of satisfaction. Enjoy ALL the fruits of your time and creativity invested in your space…it sure beats apologizing for “the mess!!”
Not sure where to start to bring your home up to scratch?! Walk through your home and view it as a visitor, as though you’d never been there, and take notes. Then tell us what you find!!
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