What's So Funny? How to Make Space for Humour in Your Home
Polish up your sense of fun for a home that hums with good vibrations
Building or renovating a house is serious business – as it should be. But once the important stuff is done, the bills are paid and the dust settles, you can let the fun begin. It’s very clear from Houzzers’ comments that you enjoy putting your personalities on show in your homes. Expressing ourselves through humour is one of the most enjoyable parts of personalising our castles.
There is plenty of anecdotal evidence to suggest that physical, emotional and social blessings flow from looking at life from a lighthearted standpoint. Today’s world is not always easy to come to grips with, but at least we can give one small patch of it a warm and happy glow. Our homes are not only about beautiful design, they are about us and about how we live. Here are some ways to enhance your lifestyle and your home through the best medicine of all.
There is plenty of anecdotal evidence to suggest that physical, emotional and social blessings flow from looking at life from a lighthearted standpoint. Today’s world is not always easy to come to grips with, but at least we can give one small patch of it a warm and happy glow. Our homes are not only about beautiful design, they are about us and about how we live. Here are some ways to enhance your lifestyle and your home through the best medicine of all.
Put a grin on your front door
Carry the easy-going vibe to your door. With some of the exciting and whimsical door hardware now on the market, visitors will be smiling by the time they step inside. I would be, after seeing this fabulous custom-designed handle.
Carry the easy-going vibe to your door. With some of the exciting and whimsical door hardware now on the market, visitors will be smiling by the time they step inside. I would be, after seeing this fabulous custom-designed handle.
Post funny house rules
Humour helps put people at ease. Sometimes there are things you’d like to remind visitors about, but you want to do it nicely. There’s nothing like making it into a joke to get the message across without offence.
Humour helps put people at ease. Sometimes there are things you’d like to remind visitors about, but you want to do it nicely. There’s nothing like making it into a joke to get the message across without offence.
A lightbox moment gives good family advice with a humorous edge.
Laugh while you lather
Remember that ‘soap is to the body what laughter is to the soul’. Enhance your aqua therapy with humour – it adds an extra dimension to the pleasures of the bathroom.
Can you imagine anything more joyous and comical than this blissed-out elephant? He’s sure to cause bathtime giggles for waterbabies of all ages. Just looking at him makes me want to splash and sing!
TIP
You might love a steamy bathroom, but linen or cotton canvas prints don’t. Put them behind glass.
Read more: Funny Dunnies: 14 Weird and Wonderful Loos
Remember that ‘soap is to the body what laughter is to the soul’. Enhance your aqua therapy with humour – it adds an extra dimension to the pleasures of the bathroom.
Can you imagine anything more joyous and comical than this blissed-out elephant? He’s sure to cause bathtime giggles for waterbabies of all ages. Just looking at him makes me want to splash and sing!
TIP
You might love a steamy bathroom, but linen or cotton canvas prints don’t. Put them behind glass.
Read more: Funny Dunnies: 14 Weird and Wonderful Loos
Get a pet
Dogs are the natural clowns of the pet world. The humour they bring to a home is infectious and can diffuse arguments and distract us from stress. We feed them and keep them safe and they reward us with laughter and joy.
This family have put a giant Jake where it’s impossible to miss his gorgeous funny face and beautiful brown eyes. Most print shops will make stretched canvas prints of your pet photos.
Show us your dog at home
Dogs are the natural clowns of the pet world. The humour they bring to a home is infectious and can diffuse arguments and distract us from stress. We feed them and keep them safe and they reward us with laughter and joy.
This family have put a giant Jake where it’s impossible to miss his gorgeous funny face and beautiful brown eyes. Most print shops will make stretched canvas prints of your pet photos.
Show us your dog at home
Share humour with family
Shared humour strengthens relationships and encourages teamwork. As well as providing a place to organise household appointments and activities, a big noticeboard gives the whole family their say and can be a great source of running in-jokes.
Make a place where everyone is free to express their inner comedian, such as a giant pegboard, or a wall, tabletop or kitchen cupboard door painted with blackboard paint. Blackboards aren’t just black anymore – they can be custom-tinted for your décor.
See more blackboard ideas and how to make a framed blackboard.
Shared humour strengthens relationships and encourages teamwork. As well as providing a place to organise household appointments and activities, a big noticeboard gives the whole family their say and can be a great source of running in-jokes.
Make a place where everyone is free to express their inner comedian, such as a giant pegboard, or a wall, tabletop or kitchen cupboard door painted with blackboard paint. Blackboards aren’t just black anymore – they can be custom-tinted for your décor.
See more blackboard ideas and how to make a framed blackboard.
Put the ‘fun’ into ‘functional’
Take a basic object – like a kitchen cabinet handle – and be a little funky with it. Look at the way ordinary things are designed to work and do something creative and different. Using them daily will give you pleasure.
These custom-made copper cabinet handles add a frivolous touch to the kitchen – the arrow on the end is pointing out the wine refrigerator. I recently splurged on two bronze kitchen cabinet drawer knobs in the shape of Brussels sprouts, which have caused much comment and mirth.
Take a basic object – like a kitchen cabinet handle – and be a little funky with it. Look at the way ordinary things are designed to work and do something creative and different. Using them daily will give you pleasure.
These custom-made copper cabinet handles add a frivolous touch to the kitchen – the arrow on the end is pointing out the wine refrigerator. I recently splurged on two bronze kitchen cabinet drawer knobs in the shape of Brussels sprouts, which have caused much comment and mirth.
Every cat owner knows that cats rule, OK? So a boring old cat flap is out of the question.
An original mind with a great sense of humour saw the potential in an old ship’s porthole and gave the family cat, Gobi, a witty way to go in and out. A friend of mine has adorned her cat door with a gorgeous over-the-top picture frame – only fitting for an uppity cat.
An original mind with a great sense of humour saw the potential in an old ship’s porthole and gave the family cat, Gobi, a witty way to go in and out. A friend of mine has adorned her cat door with a gorgeous over-the-top picture frame – only fitting for an uppity cat.
Relax your office
Routine chores are more enjoyable in a light-hearted environment. A sterile cubicle is a depressing place to face the realities of life like paying bills, dealing with correspondence or meeting deadlines. Introduce some humour to make it more user-friendly, such as a funny screensaver or photos of friends and family enjoying themselves.
Routine chores are more enjoyable in a light-hearted environment. A sterile cubicle is a depressing place to face the realities of life like paying bills, dealing with correspondence or meeting deadlines. Introduce some humour to make it more user-friendly, such as a funny screensaver or photos of friends and family enjoying themselves.
Use designer humour
Humour in design can come from an injection of the unexpected. A seriously polished room often benefits from the inclusion of something not so serious, like the pizzazz of this flamboyant feathered lightshade. It reminds me of a flirty fan dancer and offsets beautifully the refinement of this room.
Humour in design can come from an injection of the unexpected. A seriously polished room often benefits from the inclusion of something not so serious, like the pizzazz of this flamboyant feathered lightshade. It reminds me of a flirty fan dancer and offsets beautifully the refinement of this room.
Why is it that bottoms always make us laugh? This is derrière humour, Paris-style – c’est trés drôle, oui? An impeccably sleek room can be intimidating, but not this one!
Cement friendships
Make memories with silly fun. Have a ‘Dab-A-Deer’ party. Invite friends to bring a deer or other animal head (faux) and sequins, glitter, paint, ribbons, make-up, odd buttons, costume jewellery, coloured paper, fabric scraps and other decorative paraphernalia. Provide hobby glue, paint brushes, scissors, aprons … and wine. Then stand back! You’ll all come out of it with some very entertaining wall art to hang and a feel-good memory.
Make memories with silly fun. Have a ‘Dab-A-Deer’ party. Invite friends to bring a deer or other animal head (faux) and sequins, glitter, paint, ribbons, make-up, odd buttons, costume jewellery, coloured paper, fabric scraps and other decorative paraphernalia. Provide hobby glue, paint brushes, scissors, aprons … and wine. Then stand back! You’ll all come out of it with some very entertaining wall art to hang and a feel-good memory.
Find the child inside
We sometimes forget we all started life as children. Remind yourself by hanging kids’ art where you see it every day. Why can’t the sky be orange or the dog blue? Taking a bit of childish lateral thinking into your adult life may brighten how you see things. Children teach us all there is to know about laughter – they are the experts.
TELL US
How do you think humour helps the atmosphere of your home?
MORE
Play Houzz: 16 Rooms That See the Silly Side
A Dozen Novel Ways To Display Your Favourite Photos
20 Ways to Make Your Home a Happier Place to Be
We sometimes forget we all started life as children. Remind yourself by hanging kids’ art where you see it every day. Why can’t the sky be orange or the dog blue? Taking a bit of childish lateral thinking into your adult life may brighten how you see things. Children teach us all there is to know about laughter – they are the experts.
TELL US
How do you think humour helps the atmosphere of your home?
MORE
Play Houzz: 16 Rooms That See the Silly Side
A Dozen Novel Ways To Display Your Favourite Photos
20 Ways to Make Your Home a Happier Place to Be
Let the gate to your paradise hint at what is in store beyond. An entrance that announces ‘fun within’ is a great way to set an informal tone. Give it character with a quirky sculpture, wrought iron design or sign.
A giant fish as a welcoming committee says ‘sense of humour ahead’. Corrugated iron is a popular material for gate art – it is relatively cheap and develops rusty battered charm as it weathers. Can you see EE I EE I O Sid the Sheep, handmade from 44 gallon drums, as a guardian for your gate?