How to Create a Cozy Home | Interior Design

hey friends welcome back to the channel my name is Jennifer and I am an interior designer today I want to share with you seven tips on how to make a Cozy home but before we jump into it be sure you subscribe to my channel and follow me on [Music] Instagram firstly I want to say a few things about making a home a Cozy home is more than just a well- decorated space it's a sanctuary that Embraces warmth comfort and a sense of belonging creating a Cozy home is an ongoing process that involves both design choices and lifestyle habits but maybe you feel like because your home is an open concept that you can't create a cozy atmosphere maybe you feel like your budget doesn't allow you to invest in how your home feels but listen this world is filled with hardship from stressful jobs to World politics to taking care of parents or children it can all weigh us down you deserve to come home to a house that makes you feel comforted and safe A place where you can recharge and reset and maybe you want to open your home up to others so that they can come over and feel that Comfort too well if that sounds like you this will be a great video to watch because whether you're watching this and you have a large grand house or maybe a tiny apartment you can have a cozy house I'm going to share some tips to do just that and some of these tips require investment and others are very budget friendly so I recommend watching all the way way through and making the most of each tip in whatever stage of life you're in because you deserve a Cozy home let's start with tip number one declutter and simplify I won't spend too much time on this tip because we all know it's true if your home is cluttered you're going to feel stress having a mess in the home is the opposite of cozying so remove unnecessary items and keep only the essentials clear surfaces and create a clean slate to work with if you find you always have clutter in a certain area think about a solution to that habit maybe you need to put a basket there to house items or just get a piece of furniture that has a drawer or maybe you just need to introduce a new habit like taking five minutes before bed to put things away whatever you can do to be more organized and reduce clutter make it a priority to solve that issue this is the first step to creating a peaceful and cozy environment so don't skip out on this tip number two lighting this one may seem like a no-brainer but I'm going to give you some tips that will take your home from cold to Cozy first first add lamps to balance the lighting in a room overhead lighting can often be way too harsh and exposing create warmth by using lamps to diffuse light around the room now is overhead lighting always bad well of course not it has its uses and there are many times you need overhead lighting to do a task like playing a game or cooking in your kitchen that's a great time to use overhead lighting you may also have overhead lighting that is diable that is a fantastic way to keep the room well lit but not Overexposed I'm a big fan of dimable lighting but if you're looking to make a space feel more comfortable and cozy use lamps instead you can also use lamps in addition to the overhead lighting but nothing is quite as cozy as just using lamps around the room now how many lamps should you have inide a living room well I suggest no less than three lamps and no more than five this is of course depends on the size of your living space but typically you'll have at least two side tables and room for a floor lamp other spaces may have additional room for a lamp on a console or a bookcase now another way you can use lighting to make your home more cozy is by choosing the correct light bulbs think about about it nothing feels more jarring and sterile than bright and cool toned lights so to create a more comfortable space consider choosing light bulbs that are warmer the warmth of a light bulb is measured in a unit called Kelvin the lower the Kelvin the warmer the light the higher the Kelvin the cooler and whiter the light I highly recommend choosing a warm bulb in the 2700 range to create a cozy environment number three color palettes the third tip is to choose a color palette for your space there are two ends to the Spectrum on the one end you've got spaces with too much going on there are multiple competing patterns and textures and there are colors of every Hue with no coordination this causes visual clutter and it can be overbearing there's no flow or into tension in the space and this can cause subconscious stress on the other end is Extreme minimalism falling into this category is a space that has no color or Texture at all and it almost feels empty and like no one lives there it is absent of personality and feels cold this can make you feel on edge so how can we meet these two Extremes in the middle well one way is by choosing a color palette by selecting three to five colors to work with you avoid having too much colorful stimulation in the room and you avoid leaving a space feeling void of Interest so choose some coordinating colors and incorporate them into your space I recommend selecting at least one neutral color to work with as your base then one bold color and one to three other coordinating colors does this mean you can only use these exact colors of course not you can use varying Hues within that range as well but just try not to stray away from the original colors you selected this will help you create a cohesive space that inspires coziness number four music this tip may seem out of place but it is an element that should not be ignored have you ever been to a party that felt awkward sprinkled with silent moments what was missing it was probably background music I have always been a huge believer in creating coziness with music in fact when my daughter comments on memories of her childhood she always mentions the music I was playing it is the soundtrack to her memories of love and safety you can establish these same feelings for yourself or for your guest by playing music in your home choose music in a genre you love but keep in mind what your goal is for instance if you're going to work out at a gym are you going to choose soft piano music nope you're going to choose something upbeet to get you moving well the opposite is true for relaxing select music that is peaceful it doesn't have to be piano or instrumental but it should be something that invokes a sense of relaxation and joy music creates a Moment In fact when I get done designing a home and I'm about to do the big reveal for the client I always put on soft music to welcome them in music invites emotion so invite coziness by playing Happy Tunes in the background number five invest in comfortable Furniture now now this tip may not be feasible for everyone but it is an important layer to creating coziness when choosing Furniture consider choosing pieces that not only catch your eye but also invite you to sink in and stay a while while stylish Furniture can be appealing always prioritize Comfort over Trends remember your living room is a place for relaxation and unwinding ing choose durable but soft materials for your upholstered furniture if it's in your budget choose performance fabric performance fabric has come a long way in recent years it used to be scratchy and feel like Outdoor Fabric but nowadays it feels just like regular fabric but with a superior durability and stain resistance for example at my store we sell performance fabric that is is Velvet so it feels just like regular velvet but can repel liquids and stains like Sharpie markers and ketchup they come right off this kind of stain resistant fabric can put people at ease because they're not worried about ruining their sofa or chair so by prioritizing comfort and investing in quality materials you can create a cozy living space that not only only looks inviting but also feels like a warm embrace every time you step through the door and while it's important to consider the size of your furniture in relation to your living space don't forget to think about the scale of the furniture in relation to your body oversized Furniture can create a sense of coziness and enveloping comfort while smaller pieces may feel more intimate don't forget to arrange Furniture to encourage conversations create a seating arrangement that allows easy interaction and connection consider placing furniture around a focal point like a fireplace or a coffee table this can help create a sense of intimacy and help instigate a natural flow of conversation number six sense this tip goes hand inand with music the importance of scent cannot be overstated the sense of smell plays an important role in the psychological effects of mood stress and working capacity research has even shown that certain sense can help reduce stress anxiety and even depression it is about creating an atmosphere of coziness and with the power since hold to shape our feelings it is definitely a factor in creating a cozy space so choose a scent that you feel invokes relaxation and warmth if you have a diffuser look up essential oil Blends that use your favorite scents and have the benefits you're aiming for if you choose a candle make sure you choose a non-toxic candle that burns clean and won't give you a headache perhaps a soy or beeswax candle with essential oils no matter what way you choose to scent your home consider it a staple in creating a cozy environment number seven textiles when you search cozy spaces on Google or Pinterest what comes up well it's almost always a big upholster chair or a large bed with fluffy pillows and layered blankets why is that well because those are the coziest spaces that we can think of so by using those examples let's talk about the importance of textiles the first example I'd like to talk about is drapes or window treatments think about it the vast majority of textiles like rugs upholstery bedding are in the bottom half of the room this leaves the upper part of the walls subject to feeling cold of course I don't mean cold as in temperature but visually cold bring texture pattern and color up the walls by introducing fabric not only does it warm up the space significantly but it also helps to eliminate echoing and remember always hang your drapes higher than the window to create height in the room you can also hang them a few inches wider than the window to make the window seem larger than it really is now let's talk about rugs rugs are a fantastic way to bring pattern and color into a space if you have hardwood floors it softens the room and just like drapes a rug can help eliminate echoing now When selecting a rug for a living room I recommend choosing a size large enough for at least the front legs of the seating to sit on this will balance out the space perfectly you can go larger of course but I would not recommend going smaller or the scale of the room will be off what about pillows a soft and fluffy pillow is the best way to make seating go from Bland to inviting I recommend down pillows as they are the fluffiest and can be reshaped if they get flat if you're allergic to down there are down Alternatives out there that work just as well but make sure you choose a fluffy insert for your pillows stiff or flat pillows well they're just sad and imply neglect blankets choose a throw blanket for your seating adds another level of coziness it allows you or your guest to wrap themselves in it and feel at ease especially during the winter months having blankets around the room can offer a sense of comfort that can shelter you from The Frigid winter weather so by following these steps you'll transform your living room into a cozy space where you can unwind relax and enjoy the warmth of your personalized and inviting space you can cultivate an environment that not only looks inviting but also feels like a warm embrace making your home a true sanctuary of comfort and joy whether your home is big or small using these seven tips will help you on your path to creating a Cozy home be sure to watch some of my other videos on homemaking and follow me on Instagram I'll see you in the next video have a great [Music] day [Music]