Entering a home or a room in a home should be an experience, I’ve always said. And, I don’t mean a bad experience either! I’m referring to the kind of experience that provides a good ‘ole feeling; a feeling that makes you smile, whether it’s inwardly or openly.

That kind of feeling is what you might experience as you walk a path along a beautiful botanical garden, or enter the room of a glamorous hotel suite, or visit an art gallery with stunning art, or any number of places or spaces that would bring a smile to your universe.

I once said to a client after organizing one of their living spaces., “This room is smiling at me.” This concept got me so excited at the time, I even wrote a whole article about it in the early 90’s, and have been aiming for “smiling rooms” ever since.

What reminded me of this was a recent article about how to make your home more welcoming, or inviting. The tips were to get rid of clutter, lighten up the room with better lighting, create fragrant aromas, have tasty treats around, and balance your home design.

These are great tips, and I’d like to elaborate on the two that I’ve focused on to create that welcoming effect.

De-cluttering Spaces

Getting rid of clutter will not only free up the space, but it will generate a more peaceful surrounding.

The mere act of collecting up anything that doesn’t belong in that space and putting it into a basket or receptacle to sort later will open up a room to new possibilities. Now that you can actually “see” the room, creative juices may begin to start flowing to bring it into harmony with you.

It’s easier to collect up items in sorting bins at first to make categories for the final sorting process. This is like a “clean sweep” of an area to get everything out of it that doesn’t belong.

Then, in the next stage, these category bins can be dealt with, and decisions can be made on what to keep or get rid of.

Creating Atmosphere

Atmosphere is very important in creating a happy room that smiles at you when you enter it.

By creating the kind of atmosphere that is pleasing to you, that is soothing or peaceful, and that aligns with your sense of design taste, you’ll be able to experience tranquility and harmony in your home area.

Things like changing the color of a room or giving it fresh paint, and adding decor touches here and there, maybe even some new furniture, will contribute to the creation of a harmonious atmosphere.

And that, my dear folks, will give you that safe haven you want!

The thing about creating a happy space that smiles at you when you look at it is that it isn’t just confined to a room. It can be a drawer that smiles when you open it. It can be a happy closet. It can be the interior of your car.

If you’re happy with it, you can rest assure that it is happy with you. Enjoy the feeling.