Ways to Cosy Up your Home
Today – Ways to Cosy Up your Home
Our home is our castle; the peaceful retreat we turn to for warmth and relaxation; the place that encloses everything we cherish the most – our dreams and loved ones. Whether winter or summer, we need it to be as inviting as possible – I know you are looking for ways to cosy up your home. Of course, the warmer months get us into a more laid-back mood, so our homes are breezy and minimalist. We ditch heavy rugs and duvets and let the place slip into its lighter self.
However, when it gets chillier, a few extra layers here are there sound particularly appealing. With the temps dropping by the day, making spaces a bit more comfortable and cosy is in many homeowners’ wish list. The good news is that you don’t need something too big to make your home exude a snug sensation.
Add a Little Pile
Besides infusing a homey feeling, woollen rugs (a timeless classic appeal) with a thick pile placed on top of your cold floors can make the home look cosier. You may choose a full carpet installation (ideal for rooms with doorways), carpet runners placed down walkways, and/or area rugs under the coffee table, next to your beds, in front of the seating or other strategic spots to help provide warmer footing.
Swap Your Sheers with Heavier Curtains
Most homes usually have sheers on the windows, which is a great choice for the summertime but a rather ineffective window treatment when the goal is to warm up the home. From a practical standpoint, trading sheers (or any other light curtain) with a heavier, lined window treatment (i.e. velvet drapes) will help prevent heat loss.
Bring a Touch of Nature in
To inject instant warmth to your home, try bringing your interior to life with indoor plants. Depending on your personal preferences and the décor of your spaces, you could choose:
- Rubber plant (Ficus elastica) – An excellent idea for rooms with a monochromatic colour palette and areas with a minimalist style. Another good option is smaller, low-maintenance plants (i.e., the chain of hearts) that can adorn your shelves.
- Fiddle leaf fig – It gives a pleasant vibe to modern homes; plus, filters toxins from the air.
- Cactus – Cacti fit boho homes beautifully and come in a variety of shapes and sizes.
- Monstera Delicosa (Swiss cheese plant) – Ideal to make a statement via your indoor plants – it looks great in homes with a mixed modern/retro style.
- Palm tree – Hands down the best indoor plant for beach houses.
Invest in Bi-Fold Doors
Although adding bi-fold doors is a costlier option of this home improvement project, it is without a doubt an investment worth making. Bi-fold doors will help you connect the outside space with the inside of your home (can you think of anything better than sipping your morning coffee treated with unobstructed views of the snow from your plush living room!) and also provide you with flexible opening options that will enable you to control just how much you want to open them to, say, create some ventilation.
Now, before you say that bi-fold doors are not energy efficient, you might be surprised to know that the new generation bi-fold doors come with double or triple glazed glasses and excellent U-value; in many cases, better than that of a solid brick wall! All that aside, even the amount of natural light entering your home through your bi-folds will be enough to make everything look cosier and much more inviting.
Play with Colour
Although mixing warm browns, beiges, reds, and greens is particularly favoured in winter and does deliver the desired result, you could consider pulling off a tone-on-tone look and create depth and visual interest in your décor. It may sound complicated, but it really is easy to achieve. All you need to do is use varying textures of similar colour palettes. Natural materials like textured artworks, knitted throws, and sheepskin can also work wonders.
Extra Tips to Create a Cosy Atmosphere
- Practice layering – The easiest way to cultivate that warm feeling in the colder months. It takes some effort to layer textures successfully, but you can start mastering the art of layering by throwing the lowest pile first – then build on it. A pair of textured throw pillows there will add points to your style too.
- Slip into jersey sheets – Crisp cotton, sateen, and linen sheets are the best picks for the summer. But, when the cold starts to kick in, your body (and the interior decorator inside you) will find supreme satisfaction in jersey or flannel fabrics.
- Use light to your advantage – Now that it is getting darker earlier, you can create a beautiful ambience with soft lighting from, say, a set of table lamps. They will allow you to enjoy more of your night in a cosy atmosphere, instead of rushing to bed by 7 pm!
Truth be told, sometimes, all it takes to make a home feel inviting and warm is a pair of slippers by the entrance and lots of photos on the mantel showcasing your memories.
I do hope you have enjoyed this post on Ways to Cosy Up your Home
featured post
If you have enjoyed my post on ways to cosy up my home You may also like my posts on 5 interior design trends for 2019 and lighting trends in 2020
as well as the history of Christmas plants and tips to help your indoor plants thrive in Winter
