With a warm and welcoming home an aim, I'm thinking about the specific items that make a home warm and welcoming.
Light
Fortunately our home gets a lot of natural light which warms up the home in many ways. Also, we have a few nice lamps that add light, and during the holidays, we've placed lights all over the house to make our home festive.
Photos and art
We have a number of framed photos and paintings that bring us good cheer, wonderful memories and warmth. I'll likely update some of these photos over time and add a few more paintings, collages or other works of art.
Pillows
Pillows warm up the rooms of a home.
Color
There's a fair amount of color in our home that also makes the home warm and welcoming.
Uncluttered spaces
It's always a challenge to unclutter a home, but when we do that, the home is more welcoming and spacious.
Organization
A good goal is "everything in its place and a place for everything."
Books, games, craft/drawing supplies, technology
Items that entertain us also make a home welcoming and warm. Tech brings the music, movies and connections. Books, games and art supplies provide activities too.
Mugs
I love having a collection of mugs for hot coffee or cocoa. A sufficient supply of dishes, utensils and cooking supplies allows you to entertain others with good food and drink.
Furniture
Choosing pieces that provide comfort is always a good idea.
As I continue to work to make our home warm and welcoming, we'll likely save up to replace a few uncomfortable pieces of furniture, improve the in-out flow of our house, and continue to purge or make space for a number of items that are squished into the garage. I'd love a game room and one more bedroom too to make our home a bit more able to accommodate all our family members, but I'm not sure if we'll ever get there, and it doesn't matter that much. Musical instruments would be a good additon too. Onward.