75 WAYS TO MAKE A HOUSE A HOME
since 1947, we present to you 75 Ways to Make a House a Home. Filled with visual inspiration and warm sentiments, we hope this heartfelt memento fuels your creativity and motivates you to tell the story of the place you call home.
In honor of our celebration of Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty serving Arizona
Display Pictures
Hanging pictures of friends, family, and places you’ve visited throughout your home creates a feeling of belonging and is a great way to relive happy memories with the people you love the most.
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Display Pottery
Pottery seems to be all the rage right now and understandably so. This decorative clayware can really shake up your décor as it comes in multiple shapes, sizes, colors, and designs.
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Not only are they comfortable, but throw pillows are the perfect way to add a pop of color or bring a room together.
Display Decorative Pillows 3
Whether you’re trying to keep warm or just snuggling up to watch a movie, a throw blanket adds the perfect cozy touch.
Wrap Yourself in a Comfy Throw 4
Make
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Create an inviting atmosphere with seasonal plants and flowers.
Landscaping a Priority
Hang Curtains
Not only do curtains provide privacy and the ability to block light, but they add color, texture, and a bit of drama to any room.
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Treat Yourself to Luxury Bedsheets
Investing in great bedding is the best way to ensure a good night’s sleep and the ultimate comfort and relaxation.
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Who says you need to book a vacation every time you want to sunbathe in the lap of luxury? Adding outdoor furniture to create a resort style ambiance is the perfect way to achieve complete relaxation.
Create Your Own 5-Star Resort
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Learn How to Properly Set a Table
Step up your food presentation and let your guests know you care about them. They’ll be excited before the food is even on the plate.
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Demanding attention in whichever room they’re in, a mantle should not be ignored. It’s the perfect place to display decorative pieces and can be changed seasonally.
Decorate Your Mantle 10
Create a Memorable Backyard
In the warmer weather months, backyards are the perfect backdrop for a get-together. Create a cozy space for entertaining guests or spending time with family.
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Add a Little Sparkle
Add a bit of elegance into your dining room or foyer with a chandelier. With so many styles to choose from, you can pick the perfect one to compliment your style.
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Go For Gold
Gold accents add the perfect finishing touch! Whether it’s a picture frame, hardware, or a light fixture, a touch of gold can transform a room.
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Create a Space That's Yours
Whether it’s a comfy chair with a lamp that gives off the perfect amount of light for reading or a draft table where you sketch out designs, it’s important to have a place to comfortably do the things you love.
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Get a Bar Cart This practical item with an upscale look gives a fancy place to display wine and liquor bottles, decanters, stemware, and bar accessories all in one place. 15
coding your closet can save time and makes choosing an outfit a little easier and more organized. Color Code Your Wardrobe 16
Color
Send guests a special message or tell them a little about yourself without saying a word. Make a Statement 17
Show Off Your Personality
Bohemian, eclectic, contemporary, industrial—with so many different styles to choose from, show off your personality with a style that reflects it.
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Get that good energy flowing by baking some cookies, spraying your favorite perfume, buying fresh flowers, doing a load of laundry, or lighting some scented candles. Fill Your House with Your Favorite Scents 19
Make Use of Your Dining Room 20
The perfect spot to be surrounded by friends and family while enjoying a meal and having great conversation.
Decorate for the Holidays
Cue the positive emotions and nostalgia that’s brought on by festive decorating.
Decking the halls is proven to be emotionally energizing, reminds us of happy childhood memories, and makes us appear friendlier to our neighbors.
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Adding bronze throughout your house creates warmth and depth. It balances natural wood and creates a beautiful contrast with soft hues while pairing perfectly with deep blues, greens, purples, and black.
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Add Bronze Accents
Add a Fresh Coat of Paint
Over time walls can show signs of aging from chips, scratches, and holes. Adding a fresh coat can cover up all imperfections leaving your room as good as new. Want to change the look of a room? Go for a completely different color.
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Befriend Your Neighbors
There are many reasons to befriend your neighbors—someone to look out for you, a feeling of community, mail pick up when you’re out of town. Having a mutual respect with the people living next door makes for a more enjoyable living environment.
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Display Memorabilia
There’s a reason it’s called memorabilia—it brings back good memories. There’s no reason to hide such important keepsakes in a box. Display these items throughout your house with frames, shadow boxes, and shelving.
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Roll Out an Area Rug
An area rug isn’t just the perfect finishing touch of a room; it provides a sense of comfort and warmth.
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Go Green
On top of being aesthetically pleasing, house plants have a slew of health benefits such as improving mood, lowering stress, and enhancing air quality.
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Make a Mess
A home is made for living. It’s the ideal place to take part in your favorite hobbies or to try something new. Build something, create art, or cook something delicious, but don’t worry about the mess. It’s part of the experience.
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Bring extra happiness into your home by saving a life and giving a pet a loving home. They will become part of your family.
Adopt
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a Pet
A Holiday
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Host
Make a dinner menu, put up all the appropriate decorations, and revel in the fact that you’re bringing all your favorite people together.
Put a special touch on all the meals you love to cook with your own homegrown, fresh herbs. Not only will they add an explosion of flavor, but they’ll add a pop of color and an enjoyable scent to your kitchen or backyard.
Grow Your
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Own Herbs
Make Your Bed
Set the tone for the day with a simple act that will look and feel good. Plus, is there anything better than pulling back the covers and climbing into a smooth set of sheets at the end of a long day?
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Break the Rules
The best thing about decorating your space is that there simply aren’t any rules. It’s yours to do what you want. Your very own blank canvas that you can paint any color, decorate in any style, and place items wherever you choose.
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Keep it Simple
You know all that stuff you can’t seem to get rid of? Let it go.
Decluttering helps clear up space in your home and your mind. Plus, it’s a great opportunity to donate.
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Adding a pop of color gives a neutral-colored room a “wow” factor. It will make your home feel a bit livelier.
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Add a Pop of Color
Let Your Kids Decorate Their Rooms
Allowing children to have a say in what their room looks like gives them a sense of ownership and belonging. It’s important to feel happy in our own spaces.
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Let in the Light
Natural light will make your home look bigger and more open and will give you a natural boost in mood and productivity.
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Make Time to Travel
Whether you’re taking a day trip to get to know the areas where you live or traveling out of the state or country, travel provides the perfect opportunity to remember those moments at home. Through pictures, mementos, and stories, you can relive these special times for years to come.
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Spruce Up Your Office
Pick out a desk you love, a comfortable chair, and add anything that makes you feel happy to spend time in that space. It’s the ideal way to separate work from your personal life.
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need to buy new furniture to change up the look of your home.
rearranging the placement of pieces can give each room a whole new look. Rearrange Your Furniture 40
No
Simply
Collect Things That Make You Happy
Whether it’s matches from restaurants you’ve eaten at or a vintage record collection, personalizing your house with things you love will make it feel a little bit homier.
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Utilizing storage properly and designating specific spots for items keeps clutter from building up and ultimately makes for a more comfortable environment within your home.
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Stay Organized
Create a consistent and cohesive design with matching appliances. Your kitchen will look aesthetically pleasing and is sure to inspire culinary excitement.
Get Matching Appliances
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Get a Cozy Couch 44
A comfortable place to sit is a top priority. This extremely versatile piece of furniture is where you can relax, take a nap, hangout, or watch TV.
Stock up on Your Favorite Foods Our favorite foods bring us a sense of happiness. Fill your kitchen with all the things you love to eat. 45
A simple and impactful way to update the look of your home. The addition of new fixtures can cast light in a more unique way throughout your rooms making areas brighter for daily activities.
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Upgrade Your Lighting Fixtures
Display Fridge Magnets
Hanging things on your fridge is a personal touch to make any house feel like a home. From your kid’s artwork to party invites and inspirational quotes, fridge magnets provide a way to display meaningful items.
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Invite Family and Friends Over
Getting together with our loved ones is the perfect way to catch up, share stories, make new memories, and show people you really care about them.
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Mirrors don’t just add a bit of class to a room, they reflect light, making your room and your mood a bit brighter.
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Add a Mirror
Use What You Have
Spruce up the look of a room by revamping something you already own. Adding a coat of paint and new hardware can take a piece to a new level and transform a room.
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Create Traditions
Friday pizza nights, fall dinner with friends, fresh cut flowers in the spring, nostalgic movie Sundays with your favorite takeout— creating traditions gives us something to look forward to.
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Confine your kids toys to one area of the house and give them a space of their own where they can really let loose.
Give Your Kids a Playroom 52
We all need to make time for self-care. A warm, relaxing, shower or bath is the perfect place to start.
Upgrade Your Shower or Tub
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Loving the neighborhood you live in is so important. Get out and explore all the things that make it great.
Pick Your Perfect Location 54
Fall Asleep in a Comfortable Bed
Considering we spend about one-third of our lives in bed, it seems justified to get one that checks all the boxes.
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Welcome Positive Vibes
Our home is our safe place. A relaxed and calm vibe makes for happiness in the home.
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Bake Something
There’s nothing better than the smell of something freshly baked. It’s a fun experience on your own or shared with someone, but the best part is enjoying the finished product.
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Sit Around a Fire
Firepits are enjoyable all year long and serve as the perfect setting for sipping hot cocoa in the winter and making s’mores in the summer.
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Pick Furniture That Speaks to You
That piece of furniture that stops you in your tracks— a chair, table, desk, etc.—get it.
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Honor your family with recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation. They will make for a special meal.
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Preserve Family Recipes
Enjoy Each Season
Winter: build a snowman, drink hot chocolate, cuddle up and read a book, sit by a fire. Spring: fly a kite, plant a garden, have a picnic, pick strawberries. Summer: go swimming, attend local fairs, roast marshmallows, eat ice cream. Fall: go apple picking, drink hot apple cider, bake a pie, carve pumpkins.
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Display Heirlooms
Whether it’s a vintage set of books that were your grandmother’s or a tie clip passed down from your grandfather, heirlooms hold a special meaning. Show them off and share their story.
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Give Your House a Deep Clean A good cleaning session can
you feel
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reduce stress, help
good, and think more clearly.
It’s always nice to have that go-to dish that you love cooking, eating, and sharing with friends and family. A signature dish is something you could make from memory and will remind people of you when they eat it.
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Master a Signature Dish
Show off your personality through a signature drink. This unique cocktail can be your go-to when hosting.
Master a Signature Drink
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Host a Game Night
Take a break from the busyness of life by bringing your friends and family together for game night. It’s a break from electronics and the perfect time for bonding, laughing, and creating new memories.
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Be Yourself
Your home is the one place you can completely be yourself. You can do, say, eat, and wear whatever you want.
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Picking art that speaks to you is a useful way to express yourself while aesthetically enhancing your space. These pieces can bring you happiness and make for great conversation starters.
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Dress up Your Walls
Fire up the Grill
Barbecuing has a way of taking an average meal and turning it into a social gathering. Give yourself a reason to enjoy dining al fresco.
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Wear Comfortable Slippers
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Give your feet the pampering they deserve with a cozy pair of slippers.
Create new memories by having friends and family over for a cocktail, a dinner party, a home cooked meal or even Sunday brunch.
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Gather Around the Table
Bring on the Books
While you may be an avid reader, you don’t have to be a bookworm to enjoy collecting books. Books can further a theme of a room, add some personality, or simply be there for enjoyment.
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Invest in Tools to Support Your Hobbies
Instruments to play music or gardening tools to plant your favorite flowers—whatever your hobby is—invest in the necessary items so you can fully enjoy doing the things you love.
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Let
Air 74
Enjoy a cool breeze and feel a bit happier while you remove stuffiness and naturally circulate the air.
in Fresh
75Be Proud
It’s the place you long for after a tiring day. The place you lay your head on your pillow each night. The place that holds a unique address that belongs solely to you. It’s where you’ll watch your kids grow up, invite friends and family over, host holidays, and play with your pets. The place to make new memories and reminisce about the old. A place where people know they can find you, a place to call your own. A physical expression of your personality. A place to relax and unwind. To be as loud as you want or sit in silence. The place where YOU make the rules. A place where you belong, where you can unapologetically be yourself. A place of total comfort, safety, and privacy. Your safe haven, your refuge, your sanctuary. It’s not just a house…It’s your home.
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