Our living rooms are a place of relaxation and enjoyment. While the bedroom provides a sleep environment and the kitchen is for housing and making food, your living room is the hub of comfortable activity.
Do you wish your living room was cozier? Creating an intimate environment can be challenging, but you can make a stunning transformation with some tips and tricks.
Here is how to make a living room cozy:
1. Start with a Calming Palette
To make your living room a cozy paradise, you should begin with your colour scheme. Select colours that give off a peaceful vibe, like light neutrals and pale earth tones. Even a washed dark colour can work, and white trim looks amazing with these gentle shades to help define the space. Continue your soft tones in your drapery, furniture and decorations. The colours you pick should always bring a sense of ease and comfort.
2. Use Warming Wood Pieces
To cozy up a larger living room, use natural wood. It adds texture and warmth while functional as flooring, shelving and furniture. You can add beams across the ceiling and wide planking on the walls to make the room more inviting, and a nice wood coffee table will work perfectly as an accent piece.
3. Be Casual
The whole approach to building a cozy living room makes it the opposite of stuffy. You don’t want a sterile environment fit for royalty here, so stay away from fancy items. It’s all about providing a casual place to put your feet up and sink into the couch so you can binge-watch your favourite shows or enjoy a fire. Remember, cozy living room furniture sets equals casual decor.
4. Oversized Furniture
When you want an intimate space, bigger can be better. Go for a large sectional that fills the space with a comfortable seating arrangement for mingling and snuggling. You will be able to have more people over because of the added seating, and everyone will enjoy the cozy feel of a plush couch. Lots of pillows and a warm blanket allow you to relax and enjoy conversation over wine and some tasty treats.
5. Make the Room Glow
Your choice of lighting can make or break a cozy living room. The last thing you want is too much illumination from overhead lighting, so keep those switched off as much as possible.
Table lamps with a coloured shade will cast a gentle light in the corner of the room where you can create a reading nook. Floor lamps also work well to give soft light, and sconces on the wall add to the cozy glow. Candles provide an intimate setting and can also be scented to fill the room with soothing smells. Add some brass or copper decorative pieces to reflect the light and catch the eye.
6. Lay Down a Rug
Your hardwood flooring works well in a cozy living room, but you can take it to another level with an area rug. These add texture and warmth while bringing style to the room, so pick light patterns and tones that don’t stand out. Place them just under the legs of your sofa and out into the room so family and friends can get their feet on them. You can even layer rugs to give extra padding and define different zones in the space.
7. Use Your Fireplace
If you are lucky enough to have a fireplace in your living room, make sure to put it to work. A fireplace becomes the focal point in the room and is perfect for providing:
- Light
- Heat
- Ambiance
If you don’t have a fireplace, you can always put in a wood stove or get an electric wall unit that looks like it’s built-in. You will instantly transform a boring wall and cozy up the space.
8. Add Extra Seating
Besides your sofa, you should multiply your seating in the room. It gives lots of options to sit, so guests or family don’t have to opt for the floor, and you can create different areas for conversation. An ottoman is a great option because of its multi-use capabilities. You can put your feet up, store extra pillows and blankets inside and use them for seating when needed.
9. Put Up Large Pictures
Hanging pictures on the walls is a great way to layer warmth and bring in intimacy. Anyone can put up a painting, but photos add personality to your design. Black and white photos are especially great but use colour to your advantage. These are not family photos, though. They are artistic shots of whatever you like, from animals to nature to cityscapes, and they will catch the eye and promote conversation.
Use these tips and tricks to make your living room cozy. You will love how relaxing it is after a hard day at work and when it comes time to entertain, your guests will find instant comfort in your design.
