[EssentialBludger]

Do you have "stuff" on display? Flowers? Plants? Lamps and rugs? Etc.

Looking for ideas to make my home more homely, warm, cozy, inviting...

Heading off to Ikea today, hit me with your ideas!!

[Blueberrymummy]

I think a nice photo frame with a picture of your family and definitely a nice cosy rug for the family room.

[EssentialBludger]

We have lots of photos everywhere, I do need to put some more hooks up to hang some on the walls though, they're very bare ATM!

[Brownie22]

I think cushions and a nice rug help. Bonus is it is not "stuff" you have to dust or lift up and dust under. I also like a nice print on the wall. You will no doubt get plenty of inspiration at Ikea.

[ILBB]

I think soft furnishings like rugs and cushions are good, as are photos (particularly in photo frames that go together). However, what I think really makes a home "homely" is stuff that tells a story of your life, your travels, your family. That stuff can't be bought from Ikea. Oh, but bookshelves can and I love bookshelves full of books and bits and pieces picked up over the years.

[economist99]

yeah rugs; flowers; books; personalised stuff - so the house doesnt look like a showroom. I think childrens gear everywhere certainly makes homes TOO homely!! Ikea should be able to provise storage solutions too for all those shoes, toys etc!

[Kiki M]

Personal touches, photographs, objects that have some personal meaning. But not too many, otherwise it just looks cluttered.

I always feel that carpet is more homely than boards or tiles, even though I prefer the look and maintenance of hard flooring in living areas. A rug is a good compromise.

I think it's just about finding the right balance of "stuff" so that it is welcoming and not stark and empty feeling, but not cluttered and overwhelming. Proportion and colour choice has to be taken into consideration. I'm not a big fan of house plants but that's just a personal taste thing.

Lamps are great for cosy, soft lighting.

[Gudrun]

Old stuff. Cushions. Books. Magazines. Things on the walls eg shelves, a framed print or two, framed kids' pictures. Mosaic of interesting cuttings/printouts affixed with blu-tac. A throw or two. A standard lamp. Pot with fabric florals/leaves. Metal 'sculpture' or kids' or grown-up pottery pieces or something sculpted from wood. A vase or two that look good both empty and full. Anything that is you and not everybody else!

This post has been edited by Gudrun: 24/02/2013, 11:40 AM

[tiggywinkle]

Lamps are great for cosy, soft lighting.

this. I think good lighting is incredibly important.

[countrymel]

I have inherited my ideas of 'homeliness' from my Mum.
While adherents of a stark minimalist aesthetic probably find my home an eyesore, for me the eclectic array of 'things' and 'treasures' artworks, antiques and comfortable unusual furniture, bright rugs and cushions and natural materials make it comfortable and welcoming. (we actually have very few photographs on show though! I do have painted portraits of my both my parents though.)

I don't think anyone has ever come to my home for the first (or second, or third) time and not spent time asking "What is this?" "Who made this?" "What does this do?".

My kitchen is also filled with jars of preserves (many on display, along with the kitchen ephemera) and my biscuit barrel full!

But honestly?

A home is a home because people can feel the love and the welcome offered.

Have fun at IKEA OP!