How to Make Your Home More Cozy in 6 Easy Steps
Many homes have lost their cozy charm after years of knocking down walls and creating open concept spaces. Large open rooms can be vast expanses where interaction is difficult if you don’t draw on a few simple ideas that will help create connection and comfort. Wide open spaces don’t mean your home can’t feel cozy, it just takes a little more effort to amp up the charm.
Make Your Home More Cozy with Vignettes
A cozy home is more like a collection of vignettes that tell a cohesive story rather than a heavy Russian novel. Both convey a message, but the vignettes provide glimpses and moments strung together by a red thread that’s both intriguing and comforting.
Warm up the lights for a cozier home
When you can choose the temperature of your overhead lights, go with under 3000K for a warmer light that feels a little less garish. And maybe try turning off all the overhead lights and using only secondary sources like lamps, sconces, and picture lighting (or even a fire!) that provide ambiance as well as light.
Add layers of light
Use lamps and smaller light sources for a more specific and intimate feel that helps delineate a space rather than trying to fill an expanse. Creating layers of light helps a room feel nuanced and inviting and less like you’re in the spotlight.
Scoot closer
When you’re arranging your furniture, bring your groupings a little tighter (while maintaining adequate walkways) to have a more intimate feel. Instead of a sprawling sectional, smaller sofas and chairs can provide necessary seating while making it possible to have a lovely conversation at a lower volume.
Turn down the volume
Speaking of volume, turn it down! Do what you can to create an atmosphere of calm and quiet. That may mean more textiles and rugs to dampen echoes or creating quiet zones where music and electronics aren’t used. These quiet zones will help protect your feeling of coziness even when the house is full of activity.
We're bombarded by audio messages all day long, and a space where that's not a problem can be an optimal place for recentering and recharging emotionally.
a cozy home is a unique home
It's not all blankets and warm drinks over here (although they're welcome as well). A few collected items that are meaningful to you will bring more charm and personality to your vignettes while contributing to the story of the room. But don’t go overboard–you’ll need plenty of room for the books you’re going to want to read while snuggled up. Make sure the items you include invite discussion and bring character through their unique design or the way you style them.
A cozy home is one where you want to curl up and stay awhile, so if you don’t want to stop what you’re doing immediately to snuggle in, you’re not quite there yet. Just incorporate a few more suggestions in until it feels homey.
