If you’ve ever worked with an Interior Decorator or Designer, one of the first questions you’ll get asked is “How do you want your home to feel?” And if you’re like 90% of my clients, you’ll respond with “I want it to feel warm, inviting, and cozy.”
Having a cozy home isn’t just for winter months!
There are so many ways to achieve this. Here we’ll give you an easy break down and simple steps you can implement in your own home. We’ve taken the unique approaching using a person’s senses including sight, smell, touch, and sound to create a cozy home. Using the senses are a good way to evoke the feel of a comfy home to avoid a trip to the store!
Use Lighting and Color
Create intimacy through lighting and color is a great visual aid.
Using warm lighting whether through the bulbs themselves, candles, a table lamp, or up-lighting, creates a soft gentle touch in the home. During evening hours, this is further amplified using task and ambient lighting. Not only is this lighting functional, but it adds a touch of romance to a room creating that cozy feel.
Warm paint colors or metal finishes can also work wonders on softening and cozying up a space. A marbled bathroom can be warmed up by the wall color or incorporating brass fixtures.
Add Aromas
Using smell, is another great way of warming up a space. I always use natural elements such as plants or flowers in a home to create a cozy feel. Not only is it good for the air quality, but adding a beautiful floral bouquet can really soften an otherwise harsh room. The smell of fresh flowers is always inviting no matter what space you’re in.
“Exposure to flowers first thing in the morning can be powerful enough to help counteract stress, depression, fear and anger.”
Recent studies at Harvard and Rutgers
Another way to use smell would be with aromas in a room from candles, cookies baking in the back ground, even a cracked window letting in a fresh breeze will all enhance the cozy factor.
Add Textiles
Textiles are such an easy way to cozy up a room really quickly! Using tangible items such area rugs, throw blankets, accent pillows and using soft fabrics can really add warmth and coziness to any space. Window treatments in particular create instant warmth up against the harsh lines of a window and surrounding trim. Textured elements can even be incorporated into the furnishings itself including leather, rattan and velvet. Even items you wouldn’t think of, like wood, can create a hint of texture and warmth. Whether it’s in the stain or the a touch of wood in a room can create visual interest and relay a message of inviting warmth.
Here’s a list of textiles that you utilize in your space:
- Area rug
- Textured wall paint or plaster
- Wallpaper
- Artwork
- Fireplace material
- Wood furniture or shelving
- Light fixtures
- Window Treatments
- Leather
- Wicker
- 3D Decor
- Throw pillows and blankets
- in fabrics, such as velvet, silk, etc.
- …. and so much more!
Use Sounds
Sound is another way to create an intimate atmosphere, but one that often gets missed. I recall walking into my Grandfather’s ultra modern home as a little girl. Hearing the soft old-school Italian music in the background brought instant comfort. Hearing the rain during a storm, or the ocean wave crashing in the background, or soft music in my case can create a sense of content.
If you take a look around your house, you’ll realize that a lot of these items are already in your home. Try using them in different ways if you still don’t feel a sense of comfortability. Add some more texture in a room could help too. Make sure you swap out items regularly to keep it feeling fresh.
The most important thing to note here is that while these aspects can lead a comfortable and cozy home, that not all items should be implemented at once. This will lead to room feeling too heavy.
I can picture a lush throw on an oversized sectional, soft shag area rug underneath my feet, textured pillows adorn the couch and window treatments in a room. Now that’s a room I want to be in! That is what I bring to my clients: a sense of “home” in a house.
I hope you found this article helpful!
Follow us on social media
Hi, I’m Kimberly, the owner of KH Home Design serving Connecticut. With my streamlined process, exceptional customer service, and impeccable design sense, I’m here to transform your home into a stunning reflection of your personal style and needs. As a multi-award-winning Interior Designer with a passion for design and a deep understanding of psychology, I create spaces that not only look amazing but also feel amazing to be in. Book a Complimentary Call today to get started on creating the home of your dreams.
