Building a place that makes you and your partner feel like you’re experiencing newlywed bliss is not out of reach. But to get there, you must make it personalised and homey. If you just follow trends and pretty furniture pictures you see online, you will end up with a beautiful home, but not necessarily one that evokes all those warm and positive feelings. That feeling you’re after requires you and your partner to hit pause and envision the future based on your habits and taste. That said, here are some pointers to help you get there faster.
Stop Decorating Like You're Expecting Guests Every Weekend
When cleaning and rearranging, we all sometimes get the urge to set our homes up for imaginary visitors. But a lounge room that looks untouched is just that - something empty with no warmth or personality whatsoever. Someone might pop over, but you should still put the comfy throw where you use it. Leave your favourite mug on the coffee table if that's where it always ends up. Homes that feel loved usually have little signs that people live there.
You should let your habits shape the space. A display home is great for inspiration, but it doesn’t evolve or match your and your partner’s habits and lifestyle. If one of you reads every night, make that reading corner ridiculously comfortable. If you both end up chatting in the kitchen while dinner cooks, don't fight it. Add a couple of stools and make that your favourite place to catch up. Essentially, you want to make it a reflection of you two.
Keep One Tiny Tradition That Belongs Only to You Two
A home that feels like newlywed bliss is built on romantic gestures and cute little traditions that you look forward to. For some couples, Friday night means homemade pizzas, while others love to start their Sundays with a trip to the farmers market. You might make eggs on the weekend or use your days off to explore new nearby restaurants.
That said, don't overthink it. If you don’t have an Aussie family tradition just yet, it’s best not to force it. The best traditions usually happen by accident anyway. But once you find something that makes sense and makes you feel warm, implement it into your routine. Both you and your partner will love it.
Choose Things That Age Well With Your Relationship
You don't need everything to be perfect on day one. Most of the nicest homes look better after they've been lived in for a while anyway. Don’t try to keep everything as neat as possible. Of course, you should take good care of your things, but find a balance because wear and tear is normal, and once you accept it, you will be able to relax a little.
If you're still searching for your first place together, don't rush. A good real estate agent in Applecross can help you find a neighbourhood where your everyday life feels easy. When your everyday life has the least amount of friction, you will have more energy to focus on each other.
Give Every Room One Excuse to Spend Time There
Sometimes a room feels empty because it lacks furniture, and sometimes it’s because nobody has a reason to walk into it. In case of the latter, it’s helpful to ask yourself what would make you stay there for twenty minutes. If you’re knitting in the bedroom, but prefer the cosiness of your living room sofa where both of you can enjoy your hobbies, it’s time to set up a station in the living room.
When every room quietly invites you to linger, you end up feeling more content, regardless of where you are. You stop treating parts of your home like storage zones. You get room to breathe. That's a much nicer feeling than squeezing everything into one corner of the house.
Leave a Bit of Empty Space on Purpose
Not every corner needs filling, so don’t rush. Empty space isn't unfinished. You have your entire lives to fill it with memories and new reasons to be excited about. So what if you don’t have marble benchtops? You will buy them together one day.
Empty space can look like you've forgotten something. You haven't. You've left room for life to arrive, and it will arrive, and you will both feel the bliss you feel now. Don’t rush it. Instead, prolong it as much as you can.
Conclusion
A happy home doesn't appear after one shopping trip. You shouldn't try to make it perfect as soon as you move in. Instead, focus on creating the life you want to live and showing up for yourself and your partner because the rest will naturally follow.
