If you haven’t heard the news, seven seconds is something of a big deal when it comes to first impressions.
Psychologists believe that this is the time it takes people to cement their first thoughts. In other words, if things don’t start well, you’ll have a difficult time turning them around.
This could most definitely be said when it comes to the comfort of your own home. There’s a reason why curb appeal is so widely talked about – it all plays into these elusive first impression rules.
However, once a visitor has bypassed the front of your home and entered it, how can you make the most impact? Today, we’ll showcase several ways.
Make your hallway clutter-free
Clutter, or more specifically a lack of it, has grabbed the headlines a lot over the last few years. Unfortunately, our hallways are areas that grab the most of it.
Whether it is shoes, coats strung across the floor or anything else – the hallway is a magnet for clutter.
As such, this first tip doesn’t involve any expense whatsoever. In a nutshell, it’s all about tidying up.
Sure, some people might prefer to invest in shrewd storage solutions, and there are plenty out there that can transform an intricate hallway space. However, to make the most of first impressions, simply clear the hallway and stand out from the crowd.
Make a key focus on accessories
Another key tip comes in the form of accessories.
What defines an accessory? The list is infinite. It might be mirrors, ornaments, paintings, photo frames or flowers.
In the case of the last example, let’s turn to Avas Flowers. The images on the Avas Flowers website hopefully show how accessories can make a monumental difference in a hallway. These Avas Flowers products are placed in a clutter-free zone, and, in simple terms, steal the show. Any visitor who ventures into the home sees a simple room, bursting with freshness and life courtesy of the flowers.
Ultimately, your accessories can work almightily hard for you – it’s all about choosing the right ones.
Where should you invest?
As you can see, the first couple of options we have spoken about have talked about relatively low-cost interventions.
We’re going to wrap things up by now venturing towards ideas which cost a little more money to implement.
The first is the floor. Again, we’re going to assume that most new visitors land in your hallway, and over time this means that the flooring receives a lot of traffic. Carpets start to wear thin, and marks begin to emerge on harder flooring.
As such, make this a priority. The flooring is the biggest area that a person will set eyes on, and it can make or break a room. If your space is tight, you can turn to a shiny surface and create the illusion that it is bigger than it is as well.
The second point of investment surrounds lighting. Sure, some might argue that this doesn’t fall in the category of “extravagant expense”, but when you factor in the cost of fitting, costs can certainly escalate.
By investing in the right lighting, you can immediately start to focus on all the positive areas of your property’s entrance, and also disguise those which aren’t quite as glamorous.