When you return home after a long day, do you feel immediately more relaxed when you walk in the door? Is your home a place you are comfortable in and enjoy spending time in? Do you feel like your home properly reflects your style and personality?
If you answered no to any of these questions, it might be time to “cozify” your space. Luckily, these 5 very simple changes don’t require replacing all your furniture or remodeling any rooms and will quickly transform your home into a soft, interesting, and inviting space.
1. Play with textiles
Adding texture and softness into your home is the simplest way to instantly up its coziness factor. Think about it. Would you rather sit on a bare couch, or be surrounded by fluffy pillows and wrapped in a soft blanket? Having textures around that feel pleasing on the skin make your mind and body feel more at ease.
So, how do you play with texture? Focus on combining different materials in one area. If your couch is leather, choose some velvet pillows and a chunky knit throw blanket to decorate it with. Add comfort with an ornate rug on top of the hardwood floor in the bedroom. Throw a plush bathmat and linen shower curtain into your tile bathroom to make it feel less sterile.
2. Bring the outside in
Incorporating potted plants or fresh cut flowers brings so much life into your home. It makes your space look renewed and lush. If you’re a novice plant parent, consider succulents to start with! They add the same fresh green touch and require much less care.
If you’re truly uncomfortable with the idea of having live plants, consider adding natural elements in other ways such as natural wood floors or wall art depicting nature!
3. Add wall art
Speaking of wall art, that’s the next step to creating the ultimate cozy oasis. Being surrounded by photos of your loved ones and art that you enjoy will make your home much more inviting and peaceful. Not to mention it’s an opportunity to show your guests who you are and what is important to you.
The key to achieving this look is choosing wall pictures that mean something to you. While big-box store art can be great, it is mass-produced and usually not very personal. Include photos of family and friends, frame your favorite poem, or find art prints online that speak to you.
4. Warm up your lighting
Lighting is a key element to creating a comfortable space that is often overlooked. There are three different temperatures of lightbulbs available for your home. Soft White (2700K-3000K), Bright White (3500K-4100K), and Daylight (5000K-6500K).
Daylight bulbs are very bright and blue toned, and are typically used for schools and doctors’ offices, not homes. Bright white bulbs are best for rooms that primarily serve a functional purpose such as a kitchen or home office. Soft white will be the best choice for any room you want to infuse with that cozy feeling.
5. Use curved lines
Contemporary interior design is all about sleek, strong lines and edges. While this creates a very striking look in the home, it isn’t ideal when trying to create a peaceful sanctuary. To soften the look of your home, opt for curved lines over straight.
Some examples of curved lines would be round tables instead of rectangle, dining chairs with an oval back rest, or a couch with soft corners instead of pointed.
Story by Meg Blair
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