Have you ever walked into someone’s home and felt immediately at ease? There was just something about it that made you feel comfortable, and welcome? What if I told you there’s a really simple way to make your home feel inviting?
Want to know the secret?
APPEAL TO THE 5 SENSES! You may be thinking, what?! That doesn’t make any sense. What does taste have to do with home decor? Stay with me. I’ll explain:
I want you to close your eyes and imagine one of your most precious memories. Take a deep breath, and try to put yourself back in that situation.
Notice what you’re remembering. What sounds are you hearing? Maybe the waves crashing onto the beach. Maybe the leaves rustling in the wind. Maybe your toddler’s perfect little giggle. What does it smell like? Maybe the salty ocean air. Maybe the most delicious corndog from the county fair.
Ok, come back to me. Are you starting to get the picture? Our core memories are shaped by the sensory experience they created for us. If you want to make your home feel inviting, and give you and your loved ones an experience, you have to consider ALL of the elements that matter – and how it looks, or your decor, is just 1 of 5.
By incorporating elements that appeal to sound, smell, touch, taste, and sight, you can transform your home into a place where you and your guests feel instantly at ease. Want to know how? Let’s break it down.
Sound
Imagine walking into a great party. It’s lively, glasses are clinking, people are laughing…there’s music playing too, right? The playlist you create sets the whole tone of the evening. Is this a dinner party with smooth jazz playing in the background? A relaxing barbecue with everyone’s favorite classic hits? People immediately pick up on the vibe when they hear the music. Now imagine this same party without music. When there’s a gap in conversation, SILENCE. When someone clinks their knife on the plate? DEAFENING. I may be exaggerating slightly, but music fills the gaps, creates a flow, and tells people what to expect before they even say hello.
Smell
We’ve all walked into someone’s house and been hit with a wave of, “What’s that awful smell,” right? It’s the only thing you can think about. It’s all consuming – how long until I can get some fresh air?! If you want people to settle in and stay a while, get rid of stagnant air, open the windows (if you can) and fire up your favorite scent! Burn a candle, turn up the Pura, and make sure people remember how your house smells for good reasons. Smell is one of the most important considerations if you want to make your home feel inviting!
Touch
This is where your home decor starts to come into play. Studies show that people feel most comfortable when they are surrounded by natural elements. In home decor that means wood, stone, leather, linen, cotton, and natural light. It’s a chair that’s draped in the softest looking linen blanket; a soft pillow near the fireplace that makes them want to sit. It’s the feeling that they can sit down with a cup of coffee, put their feet up, and chat. Textures, fabrics, and colors all work together to create a sense of comfort. Play around with the fabrics and textures that make you feel most at ease, and start incorporating those into your home over time.
Taste
Is this where I lose you? I promise, taste matters! Think about that party you were imagining up above. You likely had a drink in your hand, or a plate full of food, right? Here’s another example. Think about your grandma’s house when you were a kid. Did she always have chocolate milk, or fresh, homemade cookies? Did she bake the most delicious pies that make your mouth water just thinking about them? Those little details may not seem like they made a permanent imprint on your memory, but let’s dive into this a little deeper.
Grandma’s pie. Imagine yourself eating a slice of her heavenly pie. Where are you sitting. What are you hearing? What are you smelling, other than the sugary berries and the perfectly crispy crust? You see, it’s not just the pie that made your grandma’s pie so memorable. It’s the experience you had when you were eating it.
Let’s translate that to your home. You’re on your way home after a long day of work, and all you’re thinking about is putting the kids to bed, pouring yourself a massive glass of wine and sitting in your favorite chair to binge your favorite show. Your tongue starts tingling just imagining what you’re going to taste, and you can feel yourself curled up in your favorite spot. You’re looking forward to it. THAT’S the impact taste can have. Maybe you want to be the house with the best chocolate chip cookies that are always on the counter. Maybe you want to have fresh lemonade and tea on hand so people feel like they are getting a treat when they come over.
Paying attention to those little things, like having a few drink options on hand or keeping your pantry stocked with great snacks, can make all the difference with how someone experiences your home.
Sight
Wait, I put this one last?!? Yes. YES. And here’s why: sight is actually the last sense that people notice when they’re walking into your home. They don’t see those dusty baseboards. They don’t gasp at the pile of mail on the counter. They hear the lovely music playing, and they’re looking around to see where that wonderful smell is coming from. They’re noticing the deliciously cozy blanket just asking them to come and curl up in it. Only then, once their other senses have a chance to explore, do they start to notice things like the fresh flowers on the table, or the new art that you hung last week. Sight is definitely important if you want to make your home feel inviting, and obviously my favorite sense to appeal to as a designer, but it’s not the only one to consider.
If you start putting effort into the whole experience of your home, rather than just how it looks, I think you’ll start to realize that not only do you feel more comfortable and relaxed at home, others will as well! Do you have any tips for appealing to one of the 5 senses at home? Let me know!
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