A house isn’t really a home until you’ve added little personal touches to make your spaces feel cozy, warm and inviting. This goes a long way, especially during times when you find yourself needing to stay at home for long periods. If you’ve checked out our previous article on the ultimate guide to decluttering your house, then you’re ready to go from clean and pristine space to snug and comfy surroundings with little corners that call you to snuggle up with a good book and a cup of joe. Trust us, even minimalists will love our tips as we make sure you accomplish the “lived in and loved” vibes without too much clutter. Here are Amintro’s top tricks to turning your place into a comfy little abode.
1. It’s All About the Lighting
Lighting is the first step to inviting warmth into your house and the importance of good lighting in creating a cozy atmosphere cannot be undermined. Avoid a single, overhead lighting that creates a harsh environment. Rather, opt for table and floor lamps and task lighting. Creating these illuminating sources when it’s sunset and after the sun disappears adds a whimsical touch.
Now, you don’t have to go crazy right away and splurge on a variety of new designs of lights and lamps. You can easily change the entire look and feel of the rooms you want to cozy up by simply making sure all the bulbs in those areas are of warm temperatures. What does this mean? Warmth of a light bulb refers to how yellow (warm) or blue (cold) the light coming from it is. Candle lights emit very warm light, and that’s another idea of items that create that cozy feeling. Get rid of those cold light bulbs that turn your living room into an interrogation room and watch the difference it’ll make!
2. Bring Nature to Your Rooms
It’s no surprise that plants (being living things) bring lots of life, as well as a cozy sensation into your home. Go all out with some long, leafy, trailing plants in your balcony, or even hanging from living room ceilings or bathroom shelves. Even smaller, potted plants perched on windowsills bring tons of life and calmness into rooms. Another secret tip is to have the plants propped in natural woven baskets or pots with warm tones like terracotta or brass metallics.
Next, add some wooden accents into your house. Incorporating wood immediately adds warmth to your rooms. To give you some ideas, hardwood floors, wooden furniture pieces such as coffee tables and dressers, or wooden shelves are all good options. However, you really don’t need to spend much to add wooden elements in your home. Accents like wooden bowls and trays add the perfect touches to bring that warmth. You can even DIY some handmade wooden crafts from dollar stores and hang them in your kitchen or living room.
3. You Can Never Go Wrong with Rugs!
Give your feet a treat by adorning your floors with cozy rugs. Rugs don’t only add texture, but instantly add warmth and a certain charm. Plush rugs are always a good idea, and placing these rugs next to a fireplace or at the foot of your bed are even better ideas! Feeling a bit fancy? Go for a stunning Moroccan or Persian rug! Otherwise, you can even layer different rugs to add a little more texturizing and a lot more comfort! It creates an even more inviting effect and is great if you’re not willing to spend on a large carpet. Hardwood floors are great, but trust us when we say it pays to have warm rugs keeping your toes comfy in cooler seasons. We believe that there is no single room in your house that won’t benefit from having a beautiful, cozy little rug.
One more thing, is there anything worse than stepping out from a nice shower onto cold, hard tiles? Time to treat yourself to those bathmats!
4. Add texture!
Textural objects are those things in your home that you just feel so compelled to touch! This includes throw blankets, faux fur, linens. Honestly, you can never go wrong with piling on blankets and pillows. This can be done on your couches, armchairs, on top of bedroom duvets, and even on the floor next to a pet bed, or fireplace. Textures aren’t limited to soft items, though! You can bring cool and appealing sensations by mixing up materials in your home such as leather, ceramic and wood.
5. Stack Your Books
Books can add different charms to a house when placed on coffee tables and bookshelves. From elegant fashion magazines bringing elegant and glamorous vibes to old, antique classics giving your bookshelf that homely look, books make a world of a difference to your spaces. (Oh, and a bookshelf that’s styled well definitely adds more texture!) Add to the satisfaction by stacking them very neatly!
6. Create a Cozy Corner
Now that you’ve got the basic elements in check for a cozy home, it’s time to gather some of those up and create a designated cozy corner, to really reap the rewards of a warm and lovely home, made by you for you. It’s simple to make one!
This is a place for you to retreat, rest and have your own calm and quiet time. To make this possible, your corner should have a comfortable place to sit. Perhaps that armchair near the window of your living room? You can place some cushy throw pillows and a blanket on it to snuggle up to something soft and fluffy when you need to. You might want to add an ottoman or something to rest your feet up on. Lastly, a coffee table for your cup of tea, and this is optional, but a candle and some of your favorite chocolates sets the mood for you to unwind and enjoy!
