30 Simple Ways to Add Beauty Around Your Home

Here are 30 creative ways to add beauty to every corner of your home! Your space can be warm, welcoming, and homey–even if you’re on a budget! These are the little things that make a house a home.

Your home is your little kingdom, no matter where in the world it’s tucked away, or what it looks like. Or, I might add, no matter how permanent or temporary it may be.

Now, how are you going to make it feel like yours, like a haven you want to spend time in and draw others to?

Our first tendency may be to feel like we need to do major remodeling–tear down walls, install new counters, raise the ceiling. Home renovations are a national hobby, it seems.

But personally, I think making your home beautiful starts small. Not big, and certainly not expensive! When I think about the homes I cherished from my childhood, they weren’t homey because the floors had just been redone or crown molding added to the ceiling. First and foremost, they were special because the people who lived in these houses made me feel loved and comfortable.

Secondly, I loved them because they were aesthetically rich, with attention to detail. These homes were filled with items and furniture that told stories, added gradually over time. The effect was layered, meaningful, authentic.

I’ve been thinking about small, simple, but thoughtful ways I can add beauty and character to my own home. And there are many! Sometimes it takes thinking outside the box a little and training yourself to see and find beauty. But I want to make this kind of thinking a habit…where I curate the details, not just the big and obvious. This is what makes a house a home.

What follows is my list of ideas to fill your home with beautiful touches. Some of these we’ve already done; others I’m still dreaming and planning for. It’s important to consider how we can speak to all our senses when beautifying our homes, and this list reflects that. Go beyond visuals and think of ways to be tactile, to engage your senses of smell and taste…even what you hear! Enjoy the ideas below, and please add your own in the comments section(:

30 Small Touches to Add Loveliness and Personality to Your Home

All of these are inexpensive, and many are free!

1. Hang wind chimes on the porch or deck (or anywhere there’s an overhang!)

There’s something so pleasant about hearing this sound drifting through the open window on a lazy summer afternoon. Or equally alluring–hearing chimes shake in the wind as a storm rolls in!

2. Place candles throughout the house

I like to put a candle near the point of entry when guests come over, and then I have others–at different heights–to draw their eyes around the room and invite them further in. It’s good to have a lightly-scented candle in the bathroom (not too heavy a smell or it will overwhelm the space). Put an unscented beeswax or soy candle on the dining table for ambiance without a competing fragrance. And add a candle to the bedroom for coziness!

3. Make the living room and other reading or TV zones cozy with extra blankets

Think creatively here, as you don’t need to limit yourself to the traditional throw blanket! Grab any spare bedroom-style blanket from the linen closet, like a quilt or afghan.

4. Hang string lights from the patio, deck, or front porch

These will entice you to spend more time outdoors of an evening! I’m looking for a good globe-style option (possibly like these?)

5. Choose beautiful cloth napkins

Maybe you can’t afford a kitchen remodel, but you can still enliven your space with some beautiful new table linens!

6. Put up a bird feeder

Choose a spot where you can watch your visitors from the window.

7. Bring nature items indoors

Flowers, of course, but you can also gather pinecones, branches, interesting seedpods, rocks, acorns…anything available. Collect them in jars or vintage bowls and dishes to display on the mantel, windowsills, or bookshelves.

8. Install pretty light-switch plates

I think a patterned light-switch plate would be a fun way to add some unexpected personality to a room!

9. Tuck lavender sachets in with your spare table linens or bed linens

You can search online for tutorials to make these.

10. Hang old magazine and calendar pictures

Talented photographers and graphic designers fill [good] calendars and magazines with beauty, so why not tear out your favourites? This may sound a little college dorm-y, but if you frame them, they can look very different! Or, if you don’t want to frame just tape them inside your closet, above your desk, or somewhere special for just you to look at.

11. Sprinkle flowers throughout the house

You can buy one bouquet and break it up. There’s no need to buy additional vases–use empty jars, bottles, pitchers, tea cups, etc.

12. Put up decorative fan pulls

Keep your eyes open at thrift stores and souvenir shops for unique or quirky fan pulls! The children who visit your home will especially enjoy staring up at these. (I speak from experience.)

13. Use your own photographs, enlarged

Find some of your favourite “artistic” shots and get them enlarged at an office supply store. You can cluster them or line them up for a gallery wall.

14. Hang a wreath on the front door

Think beyond Christmas. Someday, I would love to have a different wreath for each season!

15. Pull out beautiful book editions for decor

Comfortably-occupied bookcases are beautiful in themselves, but if you have any particularly lovely volumes, why not give them a special spot on the mantel or a side table?

16. Use mirrors

Hang a small mirror in a place that needs some extra light and “bounce.”

17. Change out the knobs on your bathroom or kitchen cabinets

How about something colorful, or patterned (like these), or translucent? This is another way to re-energize a space without doing something large scale.

18. Make use of items you already own

I have gorgeous shells, souvenir figurines, and decorative boxes that I put around the house for both form and function–like the shell that holds my lipstick on the bathroom counter! Go through some of your boxes in storage and see what you can discover.

19. Add indoor plants to windowsills, the mantel, or counter tops

This will improve air quality and makes for a more soothing atmosphere.

20. Hang unusual items

Beyond pictures, you can also hang maps, framed fabric, old windows, chalkboards, iron work, baskets, plates, poetry, and literary quotes, to name a few!

21. Install porch brackets

Porch brackets add some old-fashioned whimsy and makes your home look inviting. It’s on my home improvement list for the year!

22. Display something tasty to eat

Nothing says warmth and welcome like food–and food aromas! You may not always be able to have them on hand, but when you do, a jar of homemade cookies or doughnuts is soul food! Or if baked goods aren’t your thing, leave out colorful fresh fruit or even just a jar of candy, like lemon drops.

23. Turn on a diffuser with a blend of essential oils

Try using a blend that evokes the season or the mood you want to convey (energetic for a party, Christmasy, calming/soothing in the evening, etc.) Here are some popular essential oils and what they’re good for.

24. Put a new accent pillow on the couch, window seat, or bed

You don’t need to replace all the cushions or bedding, just grab one unique pillow to add a punch.

25. Hang a suncatcher

Hang one (or a few) of these in a window to catch the light and create prisms.

26. Put a “fancy” soap in the bathroom

Unwrap a beautifully-sculpted or scented soap for a small and inexpensive luxury.

27. Add an accent lamp to a thoughtful place

Think about where your household or guests would like to read. Put a lamp near a chair, above the bed, by the desk, etc.

28. Fill your home with music

Choose according to the activity and time of day. We like to have Beatles playing on Saturday morning, Jars of Clay while we get ready for church, jazz on any given evening, or Master and Commander-inspired music for background when guests are over for a meal.

29. Find an analog clock

There’s something so old-fashioned and homey about the rhythmic tick of a clock! Find one to put in the kitchen, entryway, or living room.

30. Bring beauty to hidden places

While it’s lovely for your home to display beauty for all to enjoy, don’t neglect beautifying the hidden, out-of-sight spaces–even if you’re the only one who sees them. This could mean taping favourite postcards inside a closet door, lining dresser drawers with pretty liners, or pinning a quote inside your pantry. You’ll be greeted with these small touches throughout your day!

What are your favourite ways to add beauty to your home?

What to read next:

6 Ways to Be a Better Homemaker When You’re Waiting for a Better Home

How to Make Any Apartment Feel Like Home

11 Things to Resolve for Your Home

19 Things Your Guests Wish You Had in Your Guest Room

You might also enjoy my book, Your Simple Home Handbook, and this tidy home cheat sheet.