6 Ways to Create that Cozy Home Feeling All Year Long
In this post, we are going to explore simple ways to create a cozy home feeling all year long!
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1. Switch out couch pillows for ones that are soft and cozy
My favorite place to buy accent pillows for my couch or bed by far is Home Goods. The quality of the pillows they offer is very good and the cost is very reasonable. If you don’t have a Home Goods near you, try the home decor section at TJ Maxx or Marshall’s. They are owned by the same company and I often find great items at the TJ Maxx/Home Goods combo store near me. Before I had a Home Goods nearby, I bought my pillows at TJ Maxx.
When in the store, don’t be shy! Pull out pillows that you think may look nice together and layer them in your cart. Don’t be afraid to buy different colors and textures. The pillows do not need to match exactly. In fact, having a little variety in the size, color and texture is what will give you that cozy home feeling that you are looking for. And if you’d rather shop from home, Amazon has a great selection of accent pillows as well!
An added bonus, Home Goods and TJ Maxx arrange their pillows by color. If you see one you really like and are able to get it that day, I recommend that you do it, because their inventory goes fast and changes regularly!
2. Add throw blankets and baskets to achieve a cozy home vibe
I love to feel cozy in my home and one way that I achieve this is by having strategically placed blankets around the house. To keep blankets accessible in the living room, I keep them in a basket by the end of the couch. This way, it is easy for everyone to grab one when we are having a family movie night or are sitting around chatting. But just as important, it is easy to toss them all back into the basket when we are done to keep the living room looking tidy.
Adding blankets and baskets to your home decor gives it that cozy feeling by adding different textures. Baskets also add warmth to your space as they are usually beige or brown in color and made from natural materials. I also added large baskets to our bedrooms for throw pillows from the bed when they aren’t in use.
My favorite place to buy affordable, large baskets is at Home Goods. Ikea also has a nice selection of affordable baskets as well.
3. Group decor items on a tray or placemat
Adding little decorations to your space add character and warmth. But placing things haphazardly can make your home feel cluttered.
A way to help with this is to group decor items on a tray or even a placemat. Doing this makes the arrangement seem intentional and it keeps things from looking randomly placed.
Add a vase with some greenery, a candle and another item that you like and just like that, you have created a grouping that adds warmth and coziness to your home.
At Home has a nice selection of trays for this purpose. I have picked up decor items to arrange on trays everywhere from Amazon, the Dollar Store, Big Lots, Home Goods, Hobby Lobby to the thrift store. I also try to reuse and repurpose things that we already have. It doesn’t have to cost much to add the warmth and style that you are trying to create.
4. Add a lamp to your entryway
In our last house, our entry way was tiny, so we didn’t have a place for a lamp. But the house where we live now has a little more space in the entry to allow for a small table and lamp.
This may seem silly and simple if you already have a lamp in your entryway, but it wasn’t something I necessarily would have considered a must-have before getting one. Now I turn it on every evening and it emits a soft and inviting glow every time we go up or down the stairs. It really helps to light our way without having harsh overhead lights on as we are winding down in the evening.
My favorite place to purchase accent lamps is Hobby Lobby. They regularly put them on sale for 50% off. So if you find one that you like but it isn’t on sale, wait until a week or two later and you should be able to score it for half off!
5. Mix textures and tones
Right now, I have a lot of neutral decor in my home. One way to keep this from coming across as cold or too boring is by adding in a mix of different textures and tones. You can achieve this by adding low maintenance plants, wood items or adding texture through the use of different materials on blankets and pillows.
Adding metal accents also ups the coziness factor in your home. Choose a type of metal for your room. If I choose gold for a room, I try to keep the accents in that room mostly that color as an accent. If I have a room where I choose silver, I try to stay with silver. Although you can mix and match, it is a little trickier and you will just need to move things around to see what looks good together and what you like. If in doubt, stick with one metal color, such as gold, silver or copper.
My kitchen is very neutral, but we added brushed gold handles, pulls and faucets. We were able to achieve this look without spending a lot of money by ordering from Amazon and Lowes. We got this faucet from Amazon for around $100. There are deals out there that give you a nice look without spending a ton of money… you just have to look around! In fact, this is how we have gotten most of the items that we have used to update our homes.
This is one room where our appliances are stainless steel and our finishes are gold, but it works!
6. Change out a few cozy home decor items seasonally
Other than at Christmastime, I do not usually do a lot of redecorating for every season. What I like to do is to choose some seasonal items that blend with my everyday decor aesthetic.
At Fall time for example, I will replace some items on my mantle, counters, or tables with pumpkins that are made of wood, glass, or at least somewhat match the overall vibe of my home. To keep things from looking too cluttered, I replace items temporarily, rather than adding to the existing decor.
Additionally, I will sometimes change out greenery in some of the vases for something that goes more with the season. Other than at Christmas, this usually all takes about a half an hour and it is something that my guests and I can enjoy for a month or more.
