You may never have thought about it this way, but your car and your home have a lot in common. Both are essentially practical items and both come with costs (e.g. mortgage/rent and car finance). You should, however, be able to enjoy spending time in them. With that in mind, it can help to take interior design tips and apply them to your car. I was lucky to get a loan of Abarth 695 Scorpioneoro 70th Anniversario for a couple of days, and this car was my inspiration for this post. The car’s exterior is beautiful but also the interior is just stunning and so cosy. So, here are four ideas. 

Take care of the practical stuff first

Learn basic car maintenance and make sure that you get professional help when you need it. Stay on top of cleaning and decluttering. Clutter in cars is arguably even worse than clutter in homes. Cars are smaller spaces so the clutter is more noticeable.

Deal with function before you start looking at aesthetics. Have a think about how you actually use your car and how you plan to use it in the future. Think about what you need to make your plans work. Then allocate space for that and, if necessary, budget to buy the accessories to make it work.

Prioritize your seating

If you’re furnishing a home on a budget, you prioritize seating and beds. You can make do and mend with everything else until you have a bit more spare cash. In a car, from the inside, seating is pretty much all there is. What’s more, it varies widely in comfort.  

Ripping out your car’s seating and starting again isn’t likely to be an option for most people. The good news is that there are a lot of ways to make your car’s seating (even) more comfortable without spending a lot of money. For example, you can add booster cushions and lumbar support. There are also covers to add heating and/or massage elements. My Abarth 695 Scorpioneoro 70th Anniversario has already super comfortable seats, and I have already featured the car in my post life of travel. 

Remember your seatbelt too. Seat belt covers definitely aren’t just for children. They can make adults a whole lot more comfortable too. They’re especially useful when you’re wearing light clothes and a seatbelt can rub against your skin.

 

Make sure your car smells good

 

That “new car smell” will only last for so long but you have plenty of options for making your car smell good. You can go for budget-friendly options like sprays, jellies and scented cardboard. It is, however, definitely worth investing in a proper car scent diffuser.

Scent doesn’t just make you feel better. It can make you drive better too. Make use of the power of aromatherapy and choose a scent to fit your needs and wants at any given time. For example, use citrus in the morning to help you wake up or lavender if you need to stay patient in bad traffic.

Allow space for your creature comforts

Travel accessories aren’t just for your holidays, they can be great to have in your car too. Arguably, the number one accessory to have is a waterproof blanket. This not only keeps people warm inside but also gives you more options for taking breaks from driving. As a bonus, it can also protect your car seats if you need to put something wet on them.