Do you ever get that feeling?
If you ever find yourself sitting in your home and looking around, feeling that something is “off”-maybe not as cozy as you’d like or as if something is missing — then you’ve come to the right place! We’ve all been there. We may think that our home feels a little too austere or having that blank space on the wall or the corner of the room is driving us a bit crazy. Maybe the colors are all wrong and feel a bit too bright and white in that yucky LED way – way too cold of a white versus soft and warm. No matter what area of your home is frustrating or feels off you can give your home a cozy feel with these five easy tips.
Five Easy Cozy Home Edits
Fall is officially here as of this week! Fall is all about the cozy feelings, especially in our homes. When it starts to get cold outside we want a warm and comforting place to hide out in, but fall is not the only time we want a comfortable and snug home. We generally all want that home that not only feels nice but looks social media worthy of stylistic perfection with that comforting, soft, and warm appearance.
Let’s break down the five simple edits that you can easily implement today to give your home the perfect and comfy look and feel we all crave.
The Five Edits
1. Change up your lighting
Adjusting lighting is a super easy and relatively inexpensive way to quickly make your home feel ten times cozier. Warm lighting can instantly bring a cozy vibe and make all the colors in your home appear more warm-toned. There are even smart lightbulbs that allow you to dim your lighting or change the cool or warm tones to your perfect and preferred liking. When in doubt a soft yellowy glow is always the way to go.
2. Textures
Adding different textures, especially to areas like your bed, couch, chairs, or even areas like window seats or walls can bring a lot to a space. I don’t like having thousands of throw pillows in any one space but I do like one or two with a throw blanket here and there. Utilizing different fabrics like a knit throw laying against a cotton throw pillow and even adding in an additional lightweight muslin blanket adds a lot of beauty to a bed or couch.
Choosing pillows or blankets with subtle patterns that match your home makes a big impact too. I would keep things balanced by adding in things with bolder patterns and color here and there but focus more on general textures for the rest. Layering materials can bring a feel of luxury or even an old-world feel to a space.
Curtains are a great way to add a lot to a room but you can go even further with the walls. Using fabrics on the walls beyond curtains is a unique way to bring in textures to a room especially if you want a softer feel for a room like your child’s bedroom or nursery. Embroidered or felted artwork is perfect for this.
3. Don’t be afraid of a little fire
A lot of modern homes started getting rid of fireplaces in recent years but I think that is such a shame. Not only does a fireplace bring in beautiful decor as it is but it also allows for an extra space in your home to add further decoration like candlesticks or picture frames on the mantel or even the perfect place to hang stockings at Christmas.
Other than the simple addition of décor lighting a fire in the fireplace operates a lot like warm lighting in tip number 1. It brings a literal warmth but also a visual warmth to a room. You don’t have to have a fireplace to achieve this cozy factor though. Candles are another great way to bring in the warm and cozy through fire.
I love finding vintage-style candlesticks and holders and placing candles in little nooks and crannies like bookcases or that blank corner of the kitchen counter you just aren’t sure what to put there. If you are worried about real flames find faux flame candles that work well for your space. I like to have a mixture so I can light real candles in safe spaces but still have the glow of candlelight in places that may not be so practical for a real flame. Do this throughout your whole home and it’s another easy and inexpensive way to create a warm and inviting space.
4. Vintage over modern
This one may be a little controversial as this is primarily up to taste, but hear me out. When I look at homes with cool colors, cool lighting, and minimal décor it feels cold and austere to me. I figure if you are here reading this blog post odds are that is not your taste either. Bring in vintage elements and it just seems to make a home feel more, well homey. You can still have a minimalist home and even modern or mid-century modern elements but if a lot of your lighting, décor, and overall style has a vintage flair it will make your home feel a lot warmer and cozy overall.
5. Functional and practical over trendy and extra
One big change I began making to my home when we moved into our new house was to keep wall art minimal and to utilize more physical pieces than artwork. Think back to the olden days when people didn’t have the money or access to a bunch of stuff, but instead lined shelves and their walls with items that they utilized.
Having a shelf with pottery on the wall, sconces, plates, or even wall hooks with baskets or a broom hanging down gives a lot of character but without just filling your walls with framed squares. Don’t get me wrong I like an art piece here and there but when only art or photographs are all you have on your wall it can begin to feel a little flat.
I also don’t love having to move around simple knick-knacks to clean. I would rather use the space in my home for practical purposes and décor. Not only is it less upkeep because I’m using and cleaning objects as used but it makes me feel better about spending money on certain pieces in my home because I’m getting more bang for my buck. I love that I’m purchasing one item for at least two uses, décor and function.
Think about an open kitchen shelf. Sure, you could put random items up on the shelf and watch them collect dust, or you can fill your shelves with items you use but that are also beautiful. My mom got me a gorgeous pottery bowl that is perfect for bread making so while it acts as décor in my kitchen I also can use it. Plus it’s fun to have an old-world moment as I grab my rustic bowl off the shelf and utilize it rather than just admiring it from afar.
Time to Implement the Tips
A lot of these tips are likely things you can do today. You probably have a few candles on hand or a couple of extra throw pillows to toss around. If you don’t already have some of these things you can pretty easily and for low cost purchase a few items to spruce up your home. Lighting is one of the simplest ways to quickly change a home and then build from there. When in doubt lean into vintage style as it naturally boasts warm and cozy. Keep things clean but homey with functional pieces that are also beautiful.
Filling your home with functional and practical pieces brings a whimsy and old-world feel along with a lot of interest by using textures and layers. It’s busy but clean all at once. I find I need less stuff on my walls or my shelves because what I do have out as décor is interesting and unique and does the heavy lifting of interior design without having to put in extra design effort. This is your reminder to keep things simple and make sure to include meaningful and intentional pieces in your home rather than just filling the void with random things.
No matter the season, these tricks will work year-round and make your home feel more cohesive and cozy guaranteed.
Looking for More Inspiration?
If you are preparing for the fall then check out my blog post here where you can download a free fall bucket list. If you are looking for other ways to create a cozy home then take a look at my other homemaking blog posts here. Happy homemaking and happy fall to all you cozy homemakers out there!
