As you look around the home, do you wish it was cosier and more welcoming to guests? If so, the tips below will give you some much-needed inspiration to start you on this process. We are happy to provide additional guidance with organising and decluttering as you continue the process. Here are several ways to rearrange one or more rooms to be cosier:
1. Change the Furniture Placement
Moving around the furniture can instantly make a room feel fresh and new, as well as more inviting. First, if you have a large rug on the floor, bring the sofa and chair closer, with the coffee table on it. If you do not have a carpet, adding a rug is an easy way to pull the furniture together to improve the visual effect and add softness under the feet as you walk around. That warmth is especially great during the colder months of the year.
Next, look around to see if extra seating is necessary. Adding more chairs can help the space become one that is great for entertaining purposes, and be sure to angle them toward one another to encourage conversation when people are sitting. It makes for a cosier seating area. There are many options; learn more about types of massage chairs to provide a relaxing experience for your family and guests.
Also, dividing a room can help to make a large home feel smaller. You can use folding screens or wood divider screens to do so. A sliding door is another great option, as are barn doors, which have become very popular over the years. A bonus of dividing the room is that you can create different purposes for areas of the room, adding more functionality to the area.
2. Add Warm Colours
The colour palette of a room can understandably affect its ambiance. With that in mind, you might paint the walls of one or more rooms of the house a warmer shade. Paint colours with red, yellow, and orange undertones instil a sense of calm. An added tip is to consider painting the ceiling the same shade as you did for the walls to help the room feel smaller.
If painting is not something you want to do, you can introduce a new colour into the space with accessories and furniture. For example, throwing a pair of square accent pillows in a light red colour on beds or sofas is an easy way to add a warming effect, as are blankets casually draped across chairs or other furniture. That takes us to the next suggestion!
3. Add Soft Blankets
Creating a softer look for the home involves adding softer items. While this makes sense, it isn’t always obvious, so we include it in this list. Of course, consider choosing fabrics in those warmer colours we talked about earlier.
The blankets also add depth to sofas, chairs, and beds. They look great layered with pillows, as well. You might choose one with a stylish pattern or in faux fur. Breathable cotton is another great fabric choice and can elevate the room design. Which pattern and type of fabric you like the most is up to you, keeping in mind that you want to draw warmth into the home.
Blankets can also provide a stylish way to cover older furniture that has seen better days. Perhaps you use it to cover an old stain on the sofa, for example, while at the same time creating a warm atmosphere. On chilly winter nights, you can dive under the blanket to get warm.
4. Declutter the Room
Letting go of clutter can open up a space, create character, and add cosiness. Yes, less really is more sometimes! The reason is that the goal here is for your family and guests to be more comfortable, and that is easier when the room looks organised and pleasing rather than overfilled with stuff.
Tidying up is not necessarily cleaning, although you may want to do that too, after you’ve sorted out what to keep in a room. The intention with decluttering is to assess what to keep in a space and get rid of the extra things, whether you move them to another room or donate them. If you are unsure whether to keep the item, think about whether you use it, if it serves a purpose in the space, or if someone else could make use of it.
After decluttering, you will likely notice that the area feels more open and inviting. You are creating a home where everything has its place, is functional, and looks great, too. The key to adding things back to a room after removing clutter is to choose quality over quantity and continue to have plenty of open space.
5. Add Candles
Add cosiness to a bedroom or another area of the home with candles. Choose ones with calming scents, such as lavender, vanilla, and chamomile. These can promote relaxation when you light them and give off a warmer glow than some lights in the room. Select colours that match the decor to help them blend well into the space.
As for where you put the candles, they can glow in a lovely way by a bathtub, on a shelf, or the coffee table as you watch a movie. The soft lighting of candles, as well as the soothing scent, can make a room more intimate.
Consider choosing ones of different heights for visual interest. Please note that while we are suggesting adding candles to create a cosier vibe that draws you in, we also encourage you to keep the decor simple to avoid cluttering the room again. Lastly, be safe with candles, ensuring they are in stable holders and in locations that they cannot easily be knocked over, and snuff them out before leaving the room or going to sleep.
6. Display Personalised Items
Choose to display your personalised items, distributing them throughout the house. For example, you might have a sign with your surname on it that you can hang in the entranceway or over the fireplace. Another idea is to display favourite books on a shelf beside a family ornament that is generations old. Or, showcase memorabilia you have collected during trips in small baskets around the house.
The objective of displaying these items prominently is to create a place that is uniquely your family’s, giving it a cosier feel. You may also look at framing photos of loved ones inside the entrance or on the wall alongside the staircase. The idea here is to create a happy space as soon as you walk into the home.
If you have a larger home, you may add more personality to it by creating a room specifically for your hobbies. Whether it be scrapbooking or something else, you can arrange the furniture and accessories to be a wonderful place to do your favourite activities alone, with family, or with friends. You can also divide part of a room with a curtain into this special hobbies area, if you do not have the space to transform the whole space.
7. Look for Ways to Include Woods
Wooden pieces make for a cosy atmosphere. From wooden floors to tables and desks, there are many opportunities here. It could be dark, light, or somewhere in between. Feel free to mix different wood tones. Some items combine wood with metal for a nice contrasting effect.
Perhaps you put up wooden wall shelves to warm a room, adding functionality by giving you a place to put items instead of on the floor (where someone could trip over them). Wood accents can transform the feel of the interior more than you might realize at first. Along with making for cosy surroundings, wooden pieces also bring in nature elements for a calming feel.
Adding reclaimed wood decor can be a great way to create a more inviting room. Choosing environmentally friendly woods, such as oak and elm, is a way to minimise your impact on the planet while still enjoying the ambiance they provide. Reclaimed wood items range from kitchen countertops to flooring, bed frames, mantles, doors, and tables. Reclaimed wood floors, for example, add texture and richness to a room.
Creating a Cosy Home
Your home is a place to retreat after a busy work day. It is where you spend loving moments with family and invite guests to spend quality time with you, including eating delicious meals together. With your home being such an important place, it is worth taking the time to make it more comforting, as well as adding functionality.
Experiment with colours, textures, and items as you create an inviting home interior. There are options for almost any budget and a range of styles. This is a space that you will look forward to retreating to throughout the year. The tips above are a great starting point, and today is a terrific day to begin these new projects!