Grand Little Place

Every morning my husband wakes up early, turns on a lamp and sits in a chair to read his Bible in our living room with a cup of coffee.  When I wake up he is usually up out of the chair but the lamp is still on and when I round the corner to the living room I am greeted with it’s warm light against the dark paneled walls.  It is the best feeling to walk into a room with nothing but a lamp on.  I often feel cozy in my home and I know that my family does too.  I can tell by the way we use our house and the places each of us choose to spend our time.  As I walked through the rooms this morning I put out a question to my Instagram followers, “Is your home cozy?  How does your home FEEL?”.  (Click here to see all of my Instagram Stories on making a Cozy Home.) We each may define ‘cozy’ differently.  To me it means comfortable, inviting, and warm (figuratively and literally as I’m always cold – ha). I’ve come up with 3 things that make a space cozy.  These are three tangible things that anyone on any budget can easily accomplish – most of which could likely be done by simply shopping your own home.  To make it even easier to remember I’ve dubbed these the “3 L’s of Cozy” because they all start with L.  🙂

The 3 things that will make your home decor cozy:

1.  LIGHT:  The best, most cozy thing you can do to your home is to diversify your light sources.  Most of us have overhead lighting, but how many of us prioritize lamp lighting?  Fewer still I venture are intentional about smaller light sources like candles.  The coziest spaces will have layers of lighting and don’t rely on their overhead fixtures as their solo light source.  All rooms should have AT LEAST 2 lamps, but an ideal number of lamps per room is closer to 3-4.  Lamps are a wonderful, flattering light source and are the bread and butter of cozy lighting.  After you’ve installed your lamps make sure and add at least 1 or 2 candles to your vignettes for ultimate cozy lighting.

2. LAYERS:  You can’t have a cozy home if you don’t have layers, they help a room feel less flat.  Many, many of us make the mistake of relying on paint to be the beginning, middle and end to our decorating.  It’s time for us all to give that up and realize that paint just can’t do that. Our eyes are naturally drawn to contrast and texture in nature.  When we layer our rooms with those things we are naturally at ease.  To add layers to your home add curtains, throw pillows, blankets, rugs and accessories. The first layer to add to a room are curtains.   If  you are looking at a room and wondering if you should add curtains, the answer is YES.  Curtains are ALWAYS a yes.  They add softness and texture that you will never know you were missing until you hang them.  (Click here to see how to use curtain hooks on off the rack panels so they lay better.)  You don’t have to go overboard with throw pillows and blankets, but 2 pillows in a living room and a throw blanket mixed in with your curtains will go a long way to adding those layers of contrast and texture.

• • You will see a lot of bloggers talk about the importance of a rug and many would agree that a rug is the first thing you should add.  I’m going to go against the grain here.  I LOVE a good rug….but if you’re just starting out rugs can be overwhelming and if you don’t get it right (which is easy to do) then you’ve made a big, costly investment that you may have no choice but to live with.  It is best to stretch your wings with less expensive items until you know your home and personal style better.  If you are choosing between curtains or a rug – choose curtains every time.  Curtains can be found everywhere in every price point and, unless you are investing in professional drapery, most of it is about the same quality.  It’s hard to make a big mistake when it comes to curtains.

3. LIFE: There are 3 things that really represent this category, but all bring life into your home and make it personal.  Spaces can be beautiful and inviting, but they likely won’t be cozy unless they are personal.

• • • PLANTS & NATURAL OBJECTS:   There is something that makes us all feel connected when we have bits of nature indoors with us.  Plants are perfect to bring indoors because they connect us to the outdoors, purify the air, and add color and texture.  There are plants that will work in every type of light situation (and if you have no light go faux!).  Even if you are a black thumb you can incorporate natural objects.  I love to add bulky rocks to my surfaces.  They add loads of texture and interest and require no watering – WIN WIN!
    • FAMILY PHOTOS & PERSONAL MEMENTOS: There is one thing that turns a house into a home – the people that live there.  Make sure that the things in your home represent YOU. Don’t skimp on adding your family photos, mementos and things YOU love.  The people who live in your home are the ones that your house is meant to serve.  (YES, your house needs to SERVE you.)  Represent the people who live in your home by layering in things that are specific to you. Don’t buy the paint color, accessory, or rug of the moment simply because it’s popular.  Buy what YOU love and the rest will fall into place.
    • COMFORT:  This was a point I almost didn’t add because it seemed obvious but the more I thought about it the more I realized it isn’t and instead of this being at the bottom of the list it really needs to be at the top!  Form and function don’t always get along and if I’m being real, ‘comfortable’ furniture is often UGLY, like real ugly.  Equally pretty furniture is often not comfortable.  There is a balance and as the purveyor of your homes decor it’s your job to find that balance.  Define the purpose and function of your spaces first and then hunt for the most comfortable options that fit those practical needs.  If your rooms/furniture aren’t comfortable no amount of plants and candles are going to solve that.

As fall approaches, and we continue to spend even more time at home I think we could all use more cozy in our lives.  My first and foremost ministry is to the people in my home and I know that when I create a cozy space for them (and me!) that I am serving us all well.  I hope that you are able to take the tips above and put them into use to help make your home cozy for your family too.  To help you on your journey I’ve put together a FREE PRINTABLE COZY HOME MINI WORKBOOK!  I’ve never offered one of my workbooks for free before (and to be honest I’m a little nervous about it)!  To grab your free copy click on the sign up link below and you will be given access to my entire library of printables where you can snag your free workbook!  If you utilize any of the three tips above please tag me on social media so I can see your cozy home too!