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What makes a house look lived in?

Bring in life Plants and flowers are the easiest way to bring life to a new home. Every home should have at least one large potted plant, like a rubber tree or a fern, but maintaining a steady stream of seasonal flowers will also help create that "lived-in" feeling.

housebeautiful.com - How To Fake A Lived-In Look For Your Housewarming Party

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Passports & Pancakes

1. Don't think "perfect"—think YOU

It's a housewarming party, not a photo shoot—your guests are there to see the home you live in. That means stay away from stereotypical catalog accents. Bowl full of twine balls? Skip it. Couch with more throw pillows than seats? Pass. Instead, make things you love the focal point of your home and don't hide them away. It makes your home look sterile, not inviting. If you have an amazing board game collection, find a unique way to display them. It's the cheapest way to make your apartment feel occupied.

2. Focus more on the apartment than your tablescape

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The temptation to go gung-ho with your party planning—an elaborate menu, a carefully-assembled tablescape, or banners and invitations—can be overwhelming. But resist the urge. If you want to put up party-specific decor, keep it simple. We like this super-easy spread from Passports & Pancakes (pictured above), which can be summarized as: Just put everything on the table. Housewarming guests want to see you in your new space—not stressed out about getting all the details juuuust right.

3. Bring in texture with a brand new blanket

A room filled with similar, monotonous textures feels sterile, more like a hospital waiting room than a well-loved home. Adding texture can be a big, expensive job, but there's a secret shortcut that takes much less time and effort: Drape an extravagant blanket over your couch or purchase a sumptuous throw pillow cover in a contrasting texture. Is your couch velvet or leather? Pair it with a chunky knit throw, like West Elm's Double Rib Throw ($79), or a fur, like the Luxe Faux Fur Throw from Restoration Hardware ($99). Or add in a textural, embroidered throw pillow, like this Sunburst Stitch pillow ($32), available at Nordstrom.

4. Bring in life

Plants and flowers are the easiest way to bring life to a new home. Every home should have at least one large potted plant, like a rubber tree or a fern, but maintaining a steady stream of seasonal flowers will also help create that "lived-in" feeling. No need to go overboard: Pick a few empty spots—your bar cart, the kitchen table, a bathroom window nook—and fill them with bright, sunny flowers. Don't feel bad about getting them from the supermarket. What's more important is that they're flowers you love.

5. Make space for small details

Part of living in a home is understanding the little details that day-to-day life uncovers: You need somewhere to put your coat. Umbrellas have a tendency to drip all over the floor. Keys, trinkets, and odds and ends need a home. If you think ahead and focus on the small details, it will not only help your housewarming party run more smoothly, but it will transform your house into a home.

6. Get a lamp

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Even if your living space has extensive built-in lighting, leaving it all on feels more clinical than homey. Small, unobtrusive table lamps are the key here for a quick, we-really-live-here-promise fix. Pick up a few simple lights—we like CB2's Aggie lamp ($80), or this Akio table lamp from Home Decorator's Collection ($89). Your housewarming party will feel more intimate, and your home will look far cozier.

7. Figure out your bathroom

Often, it's the bathroom that's left out, even when the pieces that make up the rest of the home have been assembled perfectly into place. But if you live in a home, you live in the bathroom, too. We get it. The bathroom is far from your first priority when you're mid-move-in, but if you want to convince your guests that you actually live in this space, get it set up now. It's an easy fix: Bring in some high-humidity plants, like aloe (Apartment Therapy has a longer list of appropriate plants here). Purchase decent guest towels so your guests aren't wiping their hands on your old hand towels—The Sweethome found Pottery Barn's hydrocotton hand towels ($16.50 each) the "most luxurious." And throw up some art and trinkets. If you're looking for inspiration, we love Young House Love's cheery yellow guest bathroom.

8. Try Themed candles

Resist the urge to go candle-crazy—there's a fine line between lighting a few candles and your guests thinking you're gearing up for a totally inappropriate overture. But a few well-chosen candles with a coordinating scent can mean the difference between a stale and unused apartment, and one that has been loved and lived in. XOJane's guide to creating your home's signature scent could be our Bible, but when you're crunched for time and budget, getting a few candles in a scent you adore is just the ticket. Just make sure to keep the cats away.