It’s always great when your primary residence during a trip gives you the same calming, safe and secure comfort of a home. Even if it’s a two-week trip, it’s important to have a haven for rest, relaxation and privacy.

In this article, we will share some great ways to make your temporary space feel like home. These tips will have you feeling ready to embrace the full life of a traveller, with the comforts of home.

Photo by Patrick Perkins on Unsplash

Here are some guide highlights:

• Lighting
• Plants
• Art Pieces
• Colours
• Pillows

1. Plan your lighting

For you to feel all warm and toasty, you have to create a suitable lighting strategy. I know, it sounds like a lot of effort, but lighting is a powerful tool that can physically change the appearance of your living space. Sometimes, lighting is something that evokes different emotions.

How? Well, have you ever walked into an office on a dreary Monday morning? You’ve probably noticed the long rows of bright fluorescent that stare at you all day, almost forcing you to keep your head down.

Now, compare this to some subtle, charming rows of fairy lights along the wall of a room. Just this simple difference would probably leave you in the mood to brew a cup of tea and start reading a new novel you just grabbed from the bookstore.

So, choose the right type of light and be ready to see an immediate difference! How you can do this is by deciding to separate your lighting in zones. Because different lights invoke distinct emotions, you should choose how you want to use the different areas in your apartment.

Do you have a dull window and a lonely chair in the back room? Dust that chair, move the coffee table, bring them closer to the window and purchase a warm and gentle lamp. There! Now, you have a great reading and journaling spot. You’ve got to get creative!

If you are ready to appreciate what you like, you’ll get a better idea of your comfort levels; which is the ultimate goal.

Your apartment could look more like this. Warm fill lights and soft down-lights make for a welcoming feel. Take into account the amount of natural light that your apartment gets. This apartment features large floor-to-ceiling windows – no need to flood it with too many lights. Just a few to do the trick!

Click here to view more images of this apartment and get more lighting inspiration!

2. Bring your apartment to life with plants

Plants and foliage give any space a homely feeling. Plus, it’s a fool-proof way to make any bland or empty corner come alive. There are some places plants shine the most – these are usually areas with good natural lighting. So, be ready to visit a local plant nursery to find the right plants for your living room or any pocket of space.

Plants are a fun way to liven your place. And the best part? There are plants for every situation. If you’re not okay with plants that depend on the sun, you can get plants that are favourable towards colder and darker conditions. Also, if you don’t have a green thumb, you could always get a faux plant. With the many great options out there, some are even hard to distinguish from real ones!

Can this be applied to co-living in Singapore? Have a look at this co-living apartment. With the use of faux greens on countertops and in the bathroom, the white walls and pastel furniture have allowed this apartment to pop with a clean fresh vibe.

Find out how greens can truly bring a place to life, with more images of this apartment!

3. Personality on display with art on your walls

Artworks are a great insight into a person’s mind. It’s also a brilliant way to add some colour to your apartment! Art is something subjective, so, when deciding on artworks, you should choose something meaningful to you. This could range from your framing your favourite movie posters for a ‘gallery wall’ to creating a mural of your own.

With art, what you appreciate is subjective. So, use this as an opportunity to explore your creativity and appreciation for the world around you. It’s not limited to your walls alone. If you want to take the extra step, get a lovely sculpture or artwork that serves as a meaningful part of your journey outside work purposes.

Allow your creativity to flow here. Choose pieces that make you happy. If it speaks to you and sparks something the go for it! Avoid trying to emulate spaces you’ve seen before. Make the space your own and choose a unique art piece that best resonates with yourself.

Remember, you will be seeing it every day so don’t hesitate to spend a bit more time choosing the perfect piece.

Here’s a great example of how a couple of art pieces here and there can make an apartment, a cultured home. The splashes of yellow and cream in the painting will give your living room identity and the two adorable sculptures in the bathroom serve as fun focal point.

Click here to take a look at more images of this Singapore co-living apartment and notice how your eyes will be drawn to these creative pieces.

4. Use a calming range of colours around you

Using different colours on your walls is an important way to get your apartment feeling more ‘homey’. When decorating and creating your apartment, it’s a great idea to paint the walls or use the appropriate wallpaper. You can set a particular theme for your residence to make it feel like home. What’s the best way to create a theme? By doing ample research!

Check Pinterest for some inspiration when creating your colour palette. Most importantly, be ready to create something that resonates with you.

If painting your walls is too much a task for you, why not choose an apartment that already features beautifully coloured walls!

5. Gather more throw pillows than you need

Home is nothing without comfort. Ever heard the saying ‘home is where your bed is?’ Well, that’s because its where we get to enjoy ultimate comfort. Stock your apartment up with all things soft!

Throw pillows, soft blankets, smooth drapes! Populate every nook and cranny of your apartment with them. I’m not even exaggerating.

Business travellers often see long working hours so nothing beats coming home to a pile of soft and fluffy wonders, ready to just swallow you up. Imagine sinking into your couch after a long day.

Have this ready and you’ll be saying, ‘Oh man, I can’t wait to get home’, more often.

6. Invest in ‘quality of life improvements’ for your basic needs

At home, comfort is your priority. So, if the showerhead is splitting in ten directions, the vacuum is coughing up a storm, and the lights are twitching in morse code, then you need to improve your quality of life immediately.

Although it might seem like extra costs, it’s the little things that make your whole experience better. So, be ready to do what it takes to have a fully furnished and welcoming home.

Also, you don’t have to be the one doing all the cleaning. If possible, invest in a weekly cleaning service or possibly a deep clean that will keep your home ready for relaxation at all times.

Thankfully, MetroResidences provides you with the option for weekly cleaning services. Drop an enquiry and find your perfect apartment here.

7. Host a party

Our final tip to turn your cold apartment into an inviting home is to have a house warming. Several, in fact. Nothing makes a home more lively than a party. Parties are a great way to introduce the world to your world.

After putting all that work into making your place feel like a home you would love to come back to, what better way to show it off than to invite some friends over. Bask in the pride of homemaking and make that home feel lived in.

This serviced apartment in Singapore features ample space and a welcoming vibe that is great for parties!

Having to move away from your home can be a stressful thing to handle. However, if you follow these tips and tricks, you’ll be in a home away from home in no time. Once you succesfully make your apartment feel like home, you’ll be happy to travel the world and build a new nest every chance you get.