A bike parked in the living room. Books stacked on the floor. Polaroids taped to the wall. All of these things are actually wonderful, and you don’t have to give them up to have a more “adult” house. (Growing up’s a trap, haven’t you heard?) But seriously, it’s more about adding thoughtfulness to the space than it is about removing objects that seem juvenile.
What makes a space feel mature isn’t so much the things contained within, as it is a sense of tending to the space with love.
This can be as simple as adding a scented candle to your guest bathroom, clearing off your dining table, or adding fresh flowers to the kitchen counter. Scroll down for 7 small ways to make your home feel more adult, and take your house from kid to fully grown.
photo by kristen kilpatrick
photo by kate zimmerman turpin
1. Establish an entryway.
Even if your front door opens straight into the living room, establishing an entry hall area will help your place feel more grown up. It can be a bench with a mirror hanging overhead, a narrow table with art leaning against the wall, a floating shelf, or even just a series of hooks on the wall. Check out how Chanel styled her small space entryway here.
photo by kristen kilpatrick
2. Dress up the guest bathroom.
Small touches in the guest bathroom can go a long way toward making a place feel more adult. A pretty scented candle or personalized paper napkins are easy ways to instantly make your space more mature. See all the details of one of our favorite glam guest bathrooms here.
photo by kate zimmerman turpin
3. Stock your bar.
It doesn’t get more adult than offering to mix your guest a drink from a well-stocked bar. You don’t need to be able to make every drink under the sun — having a few key ingredients on hand to make 3 or 4 basic cocktails is enough. Check out this list of how to stock a home bar on any budget.
photo by nicki sebastian
4. Clear off the dining table.
This actually may be the hardest task on our list. Stop using your dining room table as a loading dock — that means no stacks of mail, no laundry, no random phone chargers. A clean and clear dining table will instantly give your space adult vibes (and might even inspire you to host your first dinner party!)
photo by kristen kilpatrick
5. Decorate with fresh flowers.
Fresh flowers are a fun and easy way to elevate your space and make a home feel more grown up. Try placing them in the guest bathroom, on the kitchen counter, or even as a centerpiece on that clean and clear dining table.
photo by chad wadsworth
6. Create a “family” photo display.
It can be photos of your pets, your friends, your actual blood relatives, whatever and whoever you consider to be your “family.” But having a dedicated grouping of photos for the important people in your life is definitely a sign of adulthood. Honor the people who matter most to you somewhere special in your house.
photo by jenn rose smith
7. Have a signature scent.
This one is really fun — choose a signature scent for your home and stick with it for a while. You can achieve this by burning incense, lighting scented candles, or using your favorite room spray. Guests will come to associate the pretty scent with your place, no matter how many times you have to move.
