With the holiday season soon approaching, you can likely expect guests to make their way into your home. But does your space give off an inviting and welcoming feeling? If you’ve never asked yourself this question before, it may be time to consider what the answer would be.

Nobody wants to step into a home and feel like they have to tiptoe around. Put your guests at ease with a space that smells great, has a warm, cozy appeal and makes them want to sit back and relax.

No matter if your style, whether it’s country rustic, sleek minimalist, or bold and eccentric, there are several tips and tricks you can use to make your home feel inviting.

Set the Tone

Your entryway is your guest’s first impression of your home. Make your guests feel instantly welcomed with just a few simple tricks.

A welcome mat is an overlooked yet simple way to invite people to your home! As its name suggests, not only does this mat welcome guests into your home, it also offers an area to politely wipe dirt and debris off of shoes and boots.

Another great idea is to have drop zones available for your guests as soon as they enter the house. Whether it’s hooks to hang their coats or bags off of, shoe storage, or a decorative shelving unit to place their belongings, having easy access to storage in the home will make your guests feel welcomed right away.

Cozy Fabrics and Colors

One way to make your home feel more welcoming is with the use of texture and fabrics. Stick to fabrics such as faux fur and suede to give off a cozy appeal, and use plenty of textiles to draw the eyes of your guests that’ll make them want to explore further into your home.

The color wheel is another great way to choose which colors will put your guests at ease. According to the wheel, colors can trigger feel-good emotions to the brain. Soft neutrals, browns, and pale blues reflect calm, serene, and friendly atmospheres.

Candles and Scents

When trying to get a homebuyer to feel at home, real estate agents use the power of scent when staging a home. Why? Because scents may trigger feel-good emotions that cause individuals to feel happier. One study by the Journal of Retailing found that customers spent 30% more time in a store when there was a fruity or spicy blend of scents present.

While you’re not trying to get your houseguests to buy anything off of you, you do want them to feel right at home. Fill up your wax melts or set out some scents candles to do the trick. Stick to warm and cozy scents like apple pie, cedar, cinnamon, and vanilla, which are coincidentally perfect for the holiday season. If you can bake it, your guests will want to smell it!

The Right Feng Shui

In Chinese culture, Feng Shui refers to everything being in harmony. When it comes to setting up your home to look and feel inviting, finding the right Feng Shui for your furniture is a must. Avoid complicated designs or setups that make navigating to your couch feel more like a maze. Stick to easy, open-concept designs when setting up your furniture. Learn more about how to make this look possible, with this beginner’s guide from Vogue.

Keep it Clean

It should go without saying that a clean house is a happy house, and a happy house is warm and inviting to guests. While you likely take obvious steps to clean your home before guests arrive, such vacuuming floors and washing dishes, leaving items like mail or books scattered throughout may be overlooked. Keep your home clear of clutter by strategically using storage spaces to your advantage. Clutter can make a space look messy, hard to navigate, and unclean. Give your guests the gift of floor and tabletop space by clearing your clutter and making sure your home is kept neat and tidy.

Creating a welcoming atmosphere in your home is easier than you think. Don’t forget, creating an inviting home for your guests means a more inviting home for you to enjoy as well.