10 Steps to an Inviting, Cozy, Sexy Home

Ever wonder when you walk into some people’s homes and it just has that vibe that inviting coziness or even sexy feeling, how the heck they do it? Well Internet, Lifestyle Divine is here 

Here are some simple steps to creating an inviting, cozy, harmonious and yes, even sexy home.

1 – CLEAN UP

This seems like stating the obvious but it must be said. No fingers pointed but some of you have some very unclean homes. I’m talking about tidy, I mean CLEAN. Get behind that desk that hasn’t been moved in years and clean out the dust and dirt. Mop the floors. Clean all of the places you don’t normally see as well. Get in there and do the work. This is clearing the air. Try to use environmentally friendly/green products. They are so common place now they really don’t cost much more than the standard brands and the leave you with a cleaner air and not one where everyone eyes are watering and they are gagging. Not so sexy.

2 – CLEAN OUT

As your cleaning up, lean out. Remove ALL clutter. This is a vital step in creating harmony in your home.

Cutter creates tension. You may not be entirely conscious of this because you used to the clutter but once you clear the space your entire body will relax from the release. Clear off side tables and coffee tables. They should only contain any or all of the following: a lighting source, a book, a vase of flowers. Clear out every area of your home. In general, if you haven’t used it, looked for it, wondered “where did I put that…” in the last year, dare I say 6 months, toss it! This includes old clothes, magazines, food, toiletries, and even furniture. If that old comfy chair that only you appreciates is cluttering the space, out it goes. The great thing is if the clothes and furniture are in good order there are local charities always looking for things so they won’t go to waste.

Let it go and breathe

3 – OPEN THE WINDOWS

Yes, breathe FRESH air that is. If you’re in a four season country and its winter you can still crack the windows a bit. If its summer where you live, open those windows wide and let the fresh air in. You’d be amazed and how the gentle flow of breeze coming in your home actually adds life to it.

Now that you’ve cleaned up and cleared out and your windows are open letting the fresh air in stop and take a moment to just feel the difference. Amazing isn’t it?

4 – THE LAYOUT

This article isn’t about Feng Shui but I will use one or two points from it. Feng Shui is a very complex science and one that I won’t pretend to be an expert at but I will cover arranging your furniture for harmonious flow of energy and life. In Feng Shui there is a very specific way your furniture should be laid out.

In your living room, make sure your back is not to the entry. Move the couch and chairs around so that you can clearly see the entry and the window from where you are sitting. The logic is that when you cannot see these areas your mind will automatically not be focused and therefore you will not be relaxed.

If the layout of the home is one where this is not possible invest in a beautiful mirror and place it in the right spot to allow you to see these areas form the couch ad chairs

In your bedroom, the same applies. You must be able to see the doorway when lying in bed.

5 – GET THE ENERGY FLOWING IN YOUR BEDROOM
For the bedroom, we’ll apply a bit of Feng Shui again. If you are like most of the people, you probably have at least one alarm clock, TV, stereo and even a computer in your bedroom. What about the under the bed clutter? Remember I asked you to remove clutter? Did you move it to under the bed or did you simply ignore under the bed? This was a challenge for me when I de-cluttered. My home doesn’t have much storage space and even after clearing out bags of old clothes I was still left with a very small amount to store because of the many seasons where live. I figured one of those under the bed storage containers would be fine, after all, it’s for” under the bed”. Well, it’s actually not so good. If you’re trying to create that harmonious space where things just flow this is a hindrance as energy is unable to flow freely in a bedroom with clutter under your bed and electronics all around. This type of bedroom is actually unable to support a good night sleep, and to promote health and happiness. Relationship wise? It is even worse. Of course there are solutions. Start removing as many electronics as you possibly can; place the ones you must keep, far away from your head. If it’s SO painful to remove the TV, cover it with a decorative fabric. Make sure is placed against a solid wall. According to Feng Shui, you are to also avoid water elements and mirrors. This is up to you. Again, this article isn’t about Feng Shui, I’m simply using small elements of it here and there. I think mirrors in the bedroom are, required .

Ensure all of the fabrics touching your skin are soft and cozy and your pillows are plush. Buy the best sheets and pillows you can afford. Use a scented linen spray or your favorite perfume and iron your sheets, nothing fancy, just a quick once over.

6 – BRING IN LIFE
Fresh flowers add so much to a home. Keep fresh flowers on the table and in the front hall. One flower stem in a bud vase in the powder room is all it takes. Also at the kitchen table your desk and the coffee table would benefit from a simple arrangement of fresh flowers. You don’t need a full bouquet for each. One standard bouquet can split into two. When that special someone sees you like fresh flowers as well, he may get the hint and start buying them for you. Men actually like buying flowers for women, they just don’t do it because they thing we don’t appreciate because it’s too simple. Then we get annoyed that he doesn’t remember the simple things. Misunderstanding of the genders I call it! Sometimes men need to be guided, show him that the simple things matter too.

7 – SERENADE YOUR HOME

This is a HUGE part of having an inviting atmosphere. Play soft music on low, ALWAYS. Yes when you leave home, leave the music on low. When you walk through the door after a long day of work the sounds will be so inviting and instantly begin to relax you. When you keep the music on, the energy infuses into your home. Guest will love the vibe. Be careful you’re not playing break up slow jams as you are setting energy here. Just because its slow and melodic, doesn’t mean it’s good energy. Skip Chante Moore’s “Bitter” and go for her “Love’s Taken Over” instead. Keep the music always on, switch it up as you see fit but just let it play.

8 – THE COMFORT DETAILS

Adjust the sounds, reduce noises, lighting. Make your place as comfortable as possible. Close that bathroom door and the toilet lid, oil squeaky doors. Keep the space clean and clutter free. Burn lavender essential oil for a restful sleep. If you didn’t have the will power to remove the TV, while in the bedroom, focus on your partner or a favorite book, instead of the TV. Keep fresh, soft linens in the bathrooms and make sure it’s clear of clutter from product bottles. Look at what hotels do to create comfort.

9 – THE SEXY DETAILS

Add a few candles for soft lighting, put all light fixtures and lamps on dimmers and if possible, change your bulbs to the most flattering shades.  Use soft luxurious fabrics if possible (they last longer anyhow). Have a sexy scent wafting through the air. You can actually use your old Glade Plug In scent bottles with your own favorite perfume or cologne. Here’s an article on how to do it:  http://www.ehow.com/how_5012011_make-house-smell-sexy.html

10 – Relax and enjoy! A harmonious, sexy and inviting space is not only great for when you have guests but more importantly it’s essential for your spirit. It relaxes you and helps you focus on you.

Hope this helped. If you have any other suggestions or tips on what you’ve tried, let me know!