Hi Friends! I have a great article to share with you today from Christina Johnson. Christina works remotely for Elliman Prudential in the New York City Apartments and Rentals market. She is using her journalism major to combine what she loves most, writing and her career. Her specialties include home decor design and DIY home improvement projects.
She has some wonderful tips. Enjoy!
Create a Cozy Environment in Your Home
Article submitted by Christina Johnson
If you notice your home is feeling a bit run down and cold, consider adding some touches to warm the space up. Interior design can be used to add coziness to your home, by paying attention to details like color, textile and lighting. Creating a cozy space for your friends and family will have them spending even more time together in the newly designed home.
Use textiles to create softness, even if you have hard, cold surfaces like tile or dark wood floors. Curtains in a fabric that begs to be touched, like velvet or micro suede, helps warm things up. A vibrant throw rug in a colorful pattern or one with soft, muted tones will cozy the place up. Plus, a friendly rug is the perfect spot for little ones to cuddle up and draw or play a game. Think of other fabric textiles like couch or armchair coverings. The materials on these pieces of furniture can add to the overall coziness of your space.
To further soften a room up, make sure there are plenty of cushions and blankets sprinkled around. Throwing pillows on the sofa and armchairs invite guests to settle in and relax. And a few blankets folded over the back of the couch or folded up in a pretty basket are convenient for cold winter nights. You can even stack large, over-sized cushions against a wall. These can be pulled out and used as extra seating if guests want to sit around the coffee table.
Don’t forget soft, ambient lighting to cozy up a home. Overhead lighting is ideal when you need to brighten a space up. For softer, dim lighting, choose table lamps scattered on end tables and counter tables. You can also place a small lamp on the counter in the bathroom, which makes for softer, cozier lighting than the fluorescent lighting usually installed in standard bathrooms. Pay attention to areas like the space above the dining table. This is the perfect spot to add a charming sconce or chandelier for ambient lighting while you eat.
Furthering the idea of cozy lighting, don’t forget to use candles to your advantage. A cluster of large candles on a coffee table or a few taper candles on the mantle will warm up the living room. Candles are also a nice addition in a dining room or bathroom. If you like, choose a chandelier for the dining room that uses candles instead of electric bulbs. You can also use small tea lights outside to cozy up a deck or on thin ledges where larger candles won’t fit. If you’re worried about a fire hazard or kids getting into the flames, use battery operated candles. These candles are safe to use and create the same cozy feeling associated with real flame candles in your home or NYC apartment.
Pay attention to color when coming up with ways to cozy up your home. Warm colors will add the feeling you want, while cooler colors can take the house away from the cozy vibe. Colors to use include burnt orange, amber, shades of scarlet and deep jewel tones, like emerald blue or eggplant. Stay away from shades like cream, pink, spring green or yellow. The warm colors can be used successfully on the walls. Paint is a quick, inexpensive way to instantly cozy up a space. Also use color to add depth and warmth to your home accessories, like blankets, pillows and curtains.
Don’t underestimate the effect living plants can have on a room. Adding pretty blooms or a houseplant to a room adds coziness and invites people in. You can choose your favorite fresh cut flowers and place them in a vase on a table. Or, add some potted house plants in a corner. This greenery also creates a welcome aroma, adding even more coziness to the space. If using flowers in a vase, remember to change the water regularly to keep them looking fresh. Likewise, water potted plants on a regular basis, to prevent brown leaves.
Use textiles to create softness, even if you have hard, cold surfaces like tile or dark wood floors. Curtains in a fabric that begs to be touched, like velvet or micro suede, helps warm things up. A vibrant throw rug in a colorful pattern or one with soft, muted tones will cozy the place up. Plus, a friendly rug is the perfect spot for little ones to cuddle up and draw or play a game. Think of other fabric textiles like couch or armchair coverings. The materials on these pieces of furniture can add to the overall coziness of your space.
To further soften a room up, make sure there are plenty of cushions and blankets sprinkled around. Throwing pillows on the sofa and armchairs invite guests to settle in and relax. And a few blankets folded over the back of the couch or folded up in a pretty basket are convenient for cold winter nights. You can even stack large, over-sized cushions against a wall. These can be pulled out and used as extra seating if guests want to sit around the coffee table.
Don’t forget soft, ambient lighting to cozy up a home. Overhead lighting is ideal when you need to brighten a space up. For softer, dim lighting, choose table lamps scattered on end tables and counter tables. You can also place a small lamp on the counter in the bathroom, which makes for softer, cozier lighting than the fluorescent lighting usually installed in standard bathrooms. Pay attention to areas like the space above the dining table. This is the perfect spot to add a charming sconce or chandelier for ambient lighting while you eat.
Furthering the idea of cozy lighting, don’t forget to use candles to your advantage. A cluster of large candles on a coffee table or a few taper candles on the mantle will warm up the living room. Candles are also a nice addition in a dining room or bathroom. If you like, choose a chandelier for the dining room that uses candles instead of electric bulbs. You can also use small tea lights outside to cozy up a deck or on thin ledges where larger candles won’t fit. If you’re worried about a fire hazard or kids getting into the flames, use battery operated candles. These candles are safe to use and create the same cozy feeling associated with real flame candles in your home or NYC apartment.
Pay attention to color when coming up with ways to cozy up your home. Warm colors will add the feeling you want, while cooler colors can take the house away from the cozy vibe. Colors to use include burnt orange, amber, shades of scarlet and deep jewel tones, like emerald blue or eggplant. Stay away from shades like cream, pink, spring green or yellow. The warm colors can be used successfully on the walls. Paint is a quick, inexpensive way to instantly cozy up a space. Also use color to add depth and warmth to your home accessories, like blankets, pillows and curtains.
Don’t underestimate the effect living plants can have on a room. Adding pretty blooms or a houseplant to a room adds coziness and invites people in. You can choose your favorite fresh cut flowers and place them in a vase on a table. Or, add some potted house plants in a corner. This greenery also creates a welcome aroma, adding even more coziness to the space. If using flowers in a vase, remember to change the water regularly to keep them looking fresh. Likewise, water potted plants on a regular basis, to prevent brown leaves.
Inexpensive way to instantly cozy up a space. Also use color to add depth and warmth to your home accessories, like blankets, pillows and curtains.
ReplyDeleteThank you for all the tips.. I am just about to re-decorate my living room which is one of the coldest rooms in my house so I will be using all these tips.
ReplyDeleteThis greenery also creates a welcome aroma, adding even more coziness to the space. If using flowers in a vase, remember to change the water regularly to keep them looking fresh. Likewise, water potted plants on a regular basis, to prevent brown leaves.
Delete