One of my most frequently asked questions is how I make our home look and feel cozy. A lot of times I feel like it is just “my style” and that I’m not doing anything, in particular, to make it extra cozy. Then I realized THAT is actually part of what makes our home feel so cozy, it is my style. It’s everything Shawn & I love that creates a cozy atmosphere in our home! 

If you are looking for ideas specific to a certain room in your home, stick around till the end of the post where I break things down room by room.

Worn and used pieces

Antiques have a way of softening up a space. In some spaces, I use the majority of antiques to decorate! It may not seem like it because I pair them with new furniture/decor so it blends well. I try to balance old with new and practice incorporating roughly 50% old with 50% new or 40% old and 60% new. The worn and used pieces add character into the space, giving it a lived-in feeling. 

Cozy tip: I love to light candlesticks until the wax starts to drip, this might sound silly but details like that make a space feel lived in and cozy.

Curating collections

Collections are cozy, they show personality, and are unique to our interests. Personally, I love vintage baskets, crocks, and whisks and I use them throughout my home, for different purposes! The consistency creates a lovely visual throughout my home. Displaying collections is a great way to add a unique factor to the space. Deciding what I truly love when it comes to decor is a huge part of what makes my home feel cozy!

my color palette: a neutral palette that injects small bits of color to reflect my personality

This is something that 100% varies from person to person, but for my home (and my style) specifically, a neutral and earth-toned palette brings so much warmth and comfort. Brighter colors (to me) are very exciting, I love looking at color and admire colorful homes! It’s just not the mood of my home. I love creams, tans, and greens as a base palette because they bring a sense of peace and calm to my home! I also like to introduce soft blues, and burgundy because they are a bit romantic. 😊

Mixing in real or faux plants

The first thing people notice when they visit my home are my plants. Without greenery in my house, it truly feels cold and less inviting. I love to add small touches of green to every space. I prefer real plants but in some spaces, it makes more sense to have faux!

large-scale house projects

One of my favorite ways to make a home feel cozier is through the walls. Adding texture to the walls, molding, and wallpaper is truly transformative! I love shiplap/beadboard paneling and adding wallpaper to small areas. It makes a room feel SO cozy and makes the individual room feel special. The roman clay in our living room was a subtle change to the space (even though it was a big project) that made it feel so much warmer and cozier.

Room By Room

Kitchen

• I love to leave dishes out, stacked and styled in an artful way that’s still useful.

• I use A LOT of vintage vessels for storage. One of my favorites in particular is the crock I use to store my utensils!

• I enjoy finding unique items for the things I use every day. It just shows the importance of every detail in the space, regardless of the size! Some of my favorites include my salt + pepper cellar, olive oil container, tea cabinet, even my smeg coffee maker!

• Tiny lamps!! Ever since adding a lamp to my kitchen in 2020, I decided we need a lamp in here at ALL times. It’s so cozy!

Bathroom

• I love to hang live/dried florals in the window or in the shower, eucalyptus is perfect for this since it smells amazing while taking a shower!

• Adding plants into the bathroom is a must, real or faux! It’s great because whether it’s on a shelf or on the window sill, tropical plants can thrive in the warm environment of a bathroom as long as there is a light source!

• A few ways I incorporate vintage here is by using old hooks, vintage baskets for towels/laundry or vintage vessels for storage.

Living Room

• Layer, layer, layer! The living room is easiest to make feel cozy IMO. I love to use lots of layers by incorporating different size accent pillows and multiple blankets on my sofa.

• I also love layering different textures together. Some of my favorite textures to use are boucle, faux fur, suede, and stone-washed velvet. 

• I like to use vintage baskets for storage in my living room. I keep extra blankets in the baskets so that my guests can grab one anytime they need it! So many times we’ve gathered on our sectional and everyone grabs their own blanket to snuggle up, it’s so cozy!

Office

• I love to use diffusers and candles to help set the mood and make my workspace cozy. I pick scents depending on the task at hand! When I’m editing I love to diffuse lavender, it helps me relax and enjoy the art I’m creating! When I’m in a brainstorming session, I’ll diffuse lemon to boost my mood! Note: If you have pets, keep in mind there are some scents that can be harmful to your furbabies, here’s a great article on using essential oils with pets and what to look out for!

• I love having a tea kettle in my office space! It’s not only convenient but creates a comfy atmosphere. You could also even create a little coffee bar too! The smell of coffee or tea automatically makes me feel at home.

• I also vintage pieces for storage in my office space. Anything from baskets for cords and wifi storage, old lunch boxes for Shawns works supplies, large antique boxes and crocks for writing utensils, scissors, etc!

Whew! I hope you made it all the way to the end. I truly put every single cozy aspect I could think of into this blog post. I hope in sharing how I create a cozy atmosphere that it can help you make your home feel lived in and cozy. Whether that is similar or different from what feels cozy to me, remember at the end of the day it’s all about creating a space that feels right and makes sense for you and your family!