Your home should be a safe haven from everything else taking place in the world around you. When you can achieve this, both yourself and your family members will be able to find peace and comfort in this environment. But when your home doesn’t feel like this, it can be hard to truly feel safe and secure in this space.

So to help ensure that your home feels like a true home and not just a building when you live, here are three tips for making your home feel homier. 

Bring In Some Plants

While it might seem counterintuitive, bringing in some plant life and other forms of nature can actually make your home feel more welcoming and alive. 

According to Adrienne Breaux, a contributor to Apartment Therapy, leafy, green plants can really help make a space feel fresh, natural, and relaxing. While having real plants makes this much more pronounced, fake plants can also have a similar effect on people. So if you don’t currently have any plants in your home, consider getting a few trees, crawlers, or window plants to liven up your space and make yourself and others feel more relaxed. 

Install A Fireplace That You Can Use

Another natural element that can make your home feel more like a home and less like just a house is fire.

If you’re lucky enough to have a fireplace already installed in your home, get it in good working order so you can use it both for its ambiance and for its actual heating capabilities. If the fireplace you have won’t work, Macy Cate Williams, a contributor to PopSugar.com, shares that you can still use it as a display for things like candles. And if your home doesn’t have a fireplace, you may want to consider getting an insert so you can begin to make your home feel warmer and more welcoming. 

Keep Things Soft And Warm

Just like how having a fire in your fireplace can help make your home feel warm and cozy, you can create this feeling in other ways as well. 

According to Laura Mueller, a contributor to Moving.com, adding more softness to your home, in the form of snuggly blankets, thick area rugs, and squishy throw pillows, can also make your home feel more comfortable.

When thinking about the lighting in your home, try to avoid fluorescent lighting as it is often harsh and bright. Instead you could use mood lighting or dimmers to help you achieve the perfect ambiance in each room of your home. If you want a bit more color in your lighting you could try colored LEDs or even a neon light from home decor companies like Neon Mama. If you get a light in a complementary color to the room then that could add character as well. Overall, adding warmth through good lighting can help you feel like your home is a welcoming and loving place.

If you home doesn’t feel as homey as you might like, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you get to this point.