The Importance Of A Great First Impression

Did you know that 99% of our lasting impression of anything we experience is made subconsciously in the first 9 seconds …!

For example, think of when you last met someone for the first time: youhad never met each other before and approached the meeting as strangers – what was the first thing you noticed about that person? Would you like to meet them again or rather steer well clear and hope your paths do not cross anywhere in the near future? If you would like to meet again the chances are that the first thing you noticed about them was positive – maybe you liked the way they had done their hair, maybe it was their smile, maybe it was the way they dressed, but whatever it was you came away from the meeting with a positive impression of this person you had never met before.

Realising The Subconscious Decision

Without realising it, you subconsciously pulled together all the things you first noticed and made a decision that went something like ‘yes, this is my kind of person, I like them’. Having made this almost instant subconscious decision, it is very hard for your brain to accept anything different in whatever your ongoing relationship is with this individual. This same process is true for every new experience we have in our lives, whether it is a new school we assess for our children, the first Thai curry we ever tasted, listening to a new song or visiting a new home for the very first time.

So What Does Your Home Say About You?

When it comes to the first impression of your home, how do you want your guests to remember it? In working with so many different homes and interiors certain trends become clear that give a first impression of luxury and affluence to most individuals when they visit your home and this breaks down into several areas. Clearly a well landscaped driveway / entranceway to your home sets a grandiose tone before your guests even arrive at the frontage of your property. Not everyone is fortunate enough to have a driveway to their home, so this article explores some core components that you need to be aware of inside your home to help give the highest value first impression possible: we like to call them ‘The 4 S’s”

Space

This may be the most obvious statement but nothing exudes restfulness like a spacious, tidy interior. Stepping into a hallway to be welcomed by an open floor space ideally filled with natural light can create a breathtaking ‘wow’ first impression. Couple this with accent lighting, maybe a signature sculptural piece, large mirror or exclusive artwork and a sweeping staircase to amplify the instant feeling of spaciousness and welcome. A very comfortable armchair or chaise lounge provides a convenient resting point and the perfect complement piece to round off the thoughtfully designed, impressive reception room to your home – and all this if just the first of 4 key points!

Scent

It’s very true that you can smell a good meal long before you actually enjoy eating it, and the same can be said of walking into a home for the first time – the fragrance your guests are greeted with the second they enter your abode subconsciously prepares them for the unfolding of the inner beauties of your home. Subtlety is important here, you do not want your guests to be greeted with an almost unbearable wall of fragrance; rather a gentle, welcoming background scent that reinforces all that they are seeing and hearing is what you need to aim for. The ideal fragrance selection depends on who your guests are and what the event is you are hosting, but if it’s friends and family how about cooking some fresh cookies 15 mins before they arrive and letting that irresistible aroma linger through your home? for more formal occasions, it seems simple clean fragrances like vanilla, cotton and the so-called ‘mountain breeze’ type are considered the most welcoming and unobtrusive fragrances in any interior setting.

Sound

Total silence can be the most unsettling welcome to any new interior, so it is recommended to have some background sound/music playing when your guests arrive. Should this be classical custom piano or heavy rock though? Again it depends on who your guests are and the type of event, although our experience suggests that ‘smooth jazz’ type music gently playing is one of the most relaxing audible welcomes any one of us can experience as a guest to a new home

Style

We trust this provides some inspiration for steps you can take to ensure your guests all leave with a lasting, positive impression of your home: and if you need any support creating a unique, feature Edelweiss self-playing piano our team would be delighted to help. Call us on +44 (0)1223 881691 or email sales@edelweisspianos.comand let’s chat!

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