Making a House a Home: Tips for Personalizing your Abode!

 My home is certainly not an ode to Instagram or Tumblr-worthy, but I like to think my partner and I have given it some quirky little touches over the last few years to make it, well, ours. I spent most of my 20s living in basic rented accommodation (i.e. bedsits and small flats), therefore I know it can be difficult to make a white-washed, clinical space, or an out-dated rental into something that feels like it's personalized to you and your tastes. I still don't own a place, so it is important to me and my partner that our rented home can at least feel like it belongs to us, even if we can't decorate it how we might want.

This post is dedicated to those that want some tips to make their room or home look cosy and personalized:

If your bedroom decor is quite plain, patterned bedding is a great way to give your bedroom a focal point and inject some colour. On the other hand, if your room has patterned walls and/or curtains, plain bedding can look classy and avoid giving an over-cluttered look to the space. I bought this bedding from Debenhams in a sale; it's by Ben de Lisi.

Allposters.com is a great place to find interesting prints to frame. I love George Hughes pictures prints (one pictured above) and was lucky enough to get some last Christmas. 

Textiles like rugs and even laundry baskets can be juxtaposed for a kitsch, homely style. Again, blank rooms can benefit from patterned items.

You may have seen my 'favourites' bookshelf in another post. I got this narrow shelving unit from Ikea for a good price and it's great to have a bookshelf right by my bed, so I can fill it with books I am reading or want to read soon.

Don't you just love the photo frame my brother got me last Christmas? This adorable present is a lovely addition to a room and the frame is transparent to give a modern look.

I love these framed Penguin Classics postcards! I bought my partner a box of these popular classics postcards for Christmas and he has framed this set and another set for a different room. This is a lovely way to customise a gift for someone, as there are so many different types of postcards you could frame- from vintage prints, to seaside resorts, or even comic book characters. Waterstones, Paperchase or even TKMaxx are good places to look out for boxed postcards.

For an interesting way to store small items, boxes, pots, jars and even baskets can be used or re-used to add interest to a room. I bought this mini shopping basket from TKMaxx for about five pounds and it stores my hair brushes (and usually my straighteners) neatly. For more tips on make-up storage, click here.                                                                                                                                            Finally, you can't beat good old candles to add cosiness to your home in the Winter. I recently purchased the 'Season of Peace' Yankee Candle in mini size. It's quite a subtle, but calming scent. For the ultimate in home fragrance, I'd recommend getting a tart burner and some Yankee Candle tarts, which melt over a tealight and fragrance a whole room (if not two!) 

How do you make your house a home?