If you wish to improve the comfort and hospitality of your home but don’t want to resort to anything electronic (you probably already have too many appliances and gadgets in your space) why not go for what Mother Nature gave us? Consider filling your home with natural and nature-inspired elements to create a friendly and welcoming home.

Beautify your entryway

When you enter your home you want to feel like you’ve just stepped into a perfect retreat for health and relaxation, not a haunted hotel, and that feeling starts with your entryway. Your foyer will set the mood for your entire house and tell a lot about you to your first-time guests. Make sure to fill your space with life, art and light with plants, sculpture, pictures and mirrors. Mirrors are not only super practical for entryways, but they will also open up these usually smaller spaces and make them feel less cramped and claustrophobic which is always a good thing. If you can position your mirror to reflect your beautiful outdoor view, a plant or a piece of nature-inspired art, you’ll achieve an even bigger effect.

Opt for warmer colours

Colours are so much more powerful than we think, so make sure to choose wisely. If you want to achieve that warm, inviting and welcoming vibe, fill your home with warm and natural colours. While cool and neutral shades look elegant and luxurious, they are not inviting and energizing like warm ones. So, make sure to go natural and warm with your palette or fill your space with red, yellow, orange or pink accents to provide little splashes of happiness and warmth.

Choose balanced furniture

And by balanced, we mean beautiful yet comfortable. It’s actually really hard to find a piece of furniture that has both those qualities, but if you look hard, you will find something that fits your space. If you just can’t settle on a balanced piece, choose comfort and natural materials. At the end of the day, this is what truly matters when you come home after a long day.

Boost softness in your space

Creating a welcoming space often means adding some soft textures to your place—people are just that simple! Interesting textures will definitely soften up the space and make everyone feel cozy and relaxing in your home. So, think about adding some items that invite to be touched like wood, plants or fluffy cushions. If you can only incorporate one soft natural detail in your space, opt for a rug. If you choose a textured natural rug you’ll kill three birds with one stone. You’ll add softness and warmth to your space, boost its aesthetic appeal and introduce nature to your home. Additionally, rugs have always been used as a great way to anchor and finish a room, so your place will look much more presentable.

Improve your lighting

Lighting is often neglected even though it’s key to creating a pleasant and welcoming atmosphere. If you want to invite people inside, start by inviting warming sunshine inside. Natural light will improve your mood and fill you up with energy, so ditch those heavy drapes and replace them with something light and airy. Most modern window treatment materials let the sunshine in while providing enough privacy so you can relax in your home.

For the evenings you’ll need something artificial after all. But, you can still put a hold on harsh overhead lighting and choose something softer like sconces and accent lights. These will be much kinder on the eyes while giving you enough light in the evening. For tasks, you can use floor or table lamps that look amazing and provide you with focused and bright illumination.

Create a relaxing corner

We live in this crazy busy world where we’re connected 24/7 and constantly bothered by smartphone chirps, TV action and electronic noise. However, you can create a perfectly relaxing and cozy corner in your home that’s completely unplugged—no digitalization there! Choose a corner to fill with pillows, naturally scented candles, greenery and natural lighting and enjoy your digital detox whenever you need it.

A house that’s comfortable and warm will be super welcoming and inspiring. It will not only make you proud of the aesthetic aspects of your space, but also of the retreat for the soul you’ve created.