There are people that have to be away from home for a few months at a time. It could be for work or some other obligation but the result is the same. It is hard to feel at home when you are not in your own home.
When you are going to be out of your home for a while, then it is important to feel comfortable in your new surroundings. Stress can be a big factor when you make a change like moving houses or even if you’re on a business trip. Which is why it’s actually very important to try to make your temporary lodgings feel like a cozy home that you enjoy spending time in.
There are a few ways that you can turn a sterile, impersonal space into your home away from home that you look forward to coming back to after a long day.
Rent a furnished apartment
If you are on a business trip and plant to be there for over a month then you should rent a short or long term rental apartment. This is a much better situation than staying in a hotel suite. There are plenty of companies that have these types of apartments for rent for whatever reason when you need a place for longer than a typical trip.
There are furnished apartments Toronto for example that are luxurious and very cozy with a lot of details taken care of to make people feel at home. These places don’t feel like temporary places to stay but actually feel like a home.
Move the furniture
The flow of a space is highly personal. The way you move from one room to another, how you use the space and the type of furniture you use more often is going to be different than the person who laid it out.
Take some time to see how you interact with the space and then move the furniture around to fit the way that you actually live in the space.
It could just be that you want to sit on the couch and be able to see out the window so it changes position. Or, some furniture blocks a smooth transition from one room to another so you change the layout.
Bring personal touches
Like a toddler brings his security blanket wherever he goes, you can bring some of your favorite things from home to make it feel like you are living there. Bring some pictures that you can put around the apartment. If you can’t hang any pictures, you can at least put some on the bureau in the bedroom or on end tables.
A favorite blanket should also come along so the bedroom looks more similar to what you are used to.
Add plants
Plants have a natural calming effect so adding a few around the apartment will bring some life to the space and make it feel less sterile. Even if you didn’t have plants in your old home, adding some to your temporary one will make it feel much more like home.