Sure, it’s easy to fall in love with a new home; people do it all the time. It happens online quite a bit these days, but it still happens in person, too. Well, so what? Big deal. It’s time to fall in love again with your home. You know, the one you already live in. The one that’s always been there for you, keeping you warm, safe and dry, housing all your favorite people and stuff, and creating just the right spot for so many magical moments. Yeah, that one! You’ll notice this article is not titled “10 ways to fall in love with your home,” even though we considered it. It’s just that those numbered lists create so much pressure to rank things. Do we really need everything in life to be ranked in lists of 10? Nah.
We almost called it “fall in love with your new home,” which sort of applies to what we’re trying to say here. But it’s more about your existing home, not a new one. This isn’t to say that folks who just purchased a new home won’t get anything out of this article, but our general intent is to help you reintroduce yourself to what you loved about your home in the first place, before it became so familiar. Sometimes rekindling those initial feelings requires a little effort, but we think it’s more than worth it. Valentine’s Day just happens to seem like the perfect day to fall in love all over again with your home — even if you never fell out of love. Here are some ideas to get you started, in no particular order. After all, love can get messy, and it rarely follows an orderly checklist.
Inventory
If you’re serious about digging deep into that well of lost (or perhaps only slightly obscured) love for your home, start with taking inventory. Don’t worry, this doesn’t need to involve pen and paper, electronic devices of any kind, or even any lists whatsoever. You just need to decide on three categories. We suggest: donate, trash and keep. Take your time, go room to room, put everything you see that’s not nailed down into one of those categories, and act accordingly. You can use garbage bags, storage bins, cardboard boxes or Aunt Edna’s musty, ancient suitcase collection (which may end up in one of those first two categories). Whatever works. You just need to be able to focus on decluttering and simplifying, and recognize the importance of making quick decisions on the fly. You hold the power to make your home more appealing by starting this way. Can you feel that love seeping back in with every pile of stuff you assemble? It’s happening! Don’t forget to recycle any recyclables that managed to sneak into your trash category.
Cleaning
OK, so it may not be your favorite step, but once you get everything out of the way with that incredible inventory job you just completed (congrats on that), your natural next step is to clean. Just look at it as your chance to get the jump on spring cleaning, which is just around the corner. That way, when your passions are aflame for your sexy new home, you’ll be max relaxing in its warm embrace and not grabbing mops and donning rubber gloves. You’re on a roll, and although you’re not reading a guide to spring cleaning at the moment, you can find one on this site. The point is that after you’ve dealt with the clutter, it’s time to transform into a cleaning machine. Get to it! But first finish this article because we’re not even through with this inspirational, love-rekindling rant.
Painting
You’ve cleared the clutter. You’ve completed the cleaning. What’s next? New paint, of course! There’s no better way to spark your passion for your home than by dousing its rooms with a vibrant new coat of the most beautiful color in your imagination. Who cares what the season’s style guides have to say about cool and warm and hues and earthiness. This is your home, your moment, and your falling-in-love-with-a-building story, so tell it in your colors of choice. Celebrate your feelings all over those walls with whatever makes you happy.
Decorating and designing
Congratulations, homeowner! You’re making real progress now. After your new paint job has fully dried and your home has exhaled any residual fumes, you’re ready to start thinking about decorating. Since your rooms look so different now, and you’ve gotten rid of so many trinkets and doohickeys and old furniture and such, you might want to reorient the entire setup of each room. You’ve essentially created newly blank canvases. Embrace minimalism. Get a new lamp. Put up some glow-in-the-dark stars. Make a lookbook, whether online or with magazine clippings. What inspires you? Start collecting again, and decorate with a newfound flair. Call it designing, if it inspires you a little more. You’re in charge here, so fly free!
Renovating and upgrading
It’s clear that your home is appreciating these efforts. Can’t you feel it? Are you swooning yet? It’s like you’re getting back together after never really having been apart, and remembering what was so special about each other when you first met. By now, you might be ready to go to the next level. While it may be tricky to tell your spouse they need a nose job, it’s a lot easier to tell your home it needs a new hardwood floor in the living room. It probably won’t be offended in the least, so start thinking about upgrades and renovations. They can really spice things up. By the time it’s all over, you’ll both feel a lot more attractive.
Bathrooms and kitchens
Bathrooms and kitchens are locations we long for — places we practice and perfect rituals that entertain, sustain and improve us — and we want those spaces to look fabulous and function beautifully. They’re where we create our best versions of ourselves, where we pamper each other when we’re sad, tired, hungry or cold, and where we heal, create, gather and share — or do very private things that must be done alone. Either way, these two rooms are among the most essential in our homes and serve as a gateway to our hearts, where all sorts of magic happens. We spend a lot of time in these sites of inflamed passions, in good days and bad. Why not make them great and rekindle a little passion for the home they’re situated in along the way? Sounds like a great idea to us. Happy Valentine’s Day! We hope you fall in love with your home all over again.
Thanks for reading our guide on how to rediscover a love for your home. Speaking of that, you may also want to read other posts here, like love letters to your home, our New Year’s home improvement resolutions or a handy new homeowner checklist. Thanks for stopping by!
The information in this article is intended to provide guidance on the proper maintenance and care of systems and appliances in the home. Not all of the topics mentioned are covered by our home warranty or maintenance plans. Please review your home warranty contract carefully to understand your coverage.