How to Make Your Living Room Cozy

This blog post is all about how to make your living room cozy

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We have now entered the time of year when everything needs to feel cozy. It is cold outside, the sun is setting earlier, and all you want to do is curl up under a big blanket. Leaving the house is now becoming questionable. But sometimes, your home does not feel as cozy as you need them to. Especially the places you want to spend all your time in, like the living room.

This was something I struggled with for a long time. I used to love the white and basic home decor. During the summer it made everything feel clean and fresh. But once it became cold out, my house also started to feel cold inside. I wanted a place that made me never want to leave. I wanted my living room to be cozy and a place I was happy to be in.

Since then, I have learned all the secrets of how to make your living room cozy. All it takes is a little bit of effort, a few items, and the desire to recreate your favorite core memories.

Here is how to make your living room cozy

Start with minimal clutter

When you look around your living room, does it feel welcoming? Or does the idea of stepping into your living room stress you out? There is a good chance that your living room is where everyone hangs out. It is why so many people also refer to it as the family room. But with that probably comes the clutter of shoes, books, toys, and various other things. 

So the first step to making your living room cozy is making sure you want to be in the space. This might just mean cleaning up the space once a day. Or finding new homes for things. There are many ways to keep your living room looking nice without having to spend an hour cleaning it every day, such as getting a dump bucket to throw all your stuff in until you are ready to deal with it. 

This also might mean you need to find new homes for the stacks of paper or other random things lying around the room. Make the room look as calm as possible. The secret is to look around the room and not see large piles of ‘to-do’ everywhere. 

Decorate the room with small items

Now you might be thinking, ‘Well obviously!” But so many living rooms lack that cozy feeling because they do not have anything in them. Having a cozy space means having cozy items.

Start by adding a few throw pillows or a blanket to your couch. Get something that is soft and makes you want to curl up in it. Anything that makes the room feel welcoming to you,

Don’t be afraid to personalize the room also. Add picture frames of your family or people that make you happy. It makes the space look more like a living room vs a showroom. You want to give the illusion that someone lives there because you do!

But not every item is a cozy item just because it is soft and plushy. The color of your item plays a big role in the cozy feel. Color theory is an important thing to consider when picking out the perfect accent piece. Try to get colors that are warmer tones. They will feel more inviting and relax the brain.

And don’t be afraid to decorate by season. There are so many ways to cheaply decorate your living room based on the season. Start making your living room cozy for fall, then slowly switch over to Christmas. Adding that mix of the seasons gives a little extra to the room. My favorite way to do this is with throw pillows. I use these inserts and change out the covers based on the season.

Simple is better when it comes to living room decor

There are so many times we look back at trends and go ‘What were we thinking?!’ You know the trends, 2000s pink and zebra print, or the 2010s mint with chevron (or our millennial grey). Most of these trends feel loud and that is not the vibe needed for a cozy room.

Chances are that your living room is the space where you all hang out. So it probably is a little chaotic from all the talking and laughing. But you don’t want to add to that with your decorations making the whole room overstimulating.

While there is nothing wrong with color and fun prints, make sure you do it in a calm way. For example, paint your wall pink but make sure your zebra accent is small and placed sporadically.

Activate all the senses

This is my favorite thing to do because it is was truly brings the cozy vibe together.

Start with your sight. We already know how to choose warm-toned colors, but what about your lighting? The same is true for lights. Having a warmer colored light is not as harsh on the eyes. A great way to do this is by purchasing lamps or accent lighting. They are usually warmer-toned and dimmer. It creates a relaxed vibe instead of the lights that make you feel like you are being interrogated.

When picking out cozy items, choose a few that feel soft or comforting to you. Having a nice, cozy blanket on the couch will make the room look inviting. It gives the illusion that you want the space to be used as a hangout area, not a pretty room to stare at. Plus it is nice for curling up on the couch.

The biggest way I make my living room feel cozy is by adding candles. Not only does the candlelight give a beautiful ambiance to the room, but the smell is another way to activate your senses. It doesn’t need to be a strong candle, you can go for something gentle like vanilla. If you don’t mind the smells, get candles that remind you of baking. I love getting pumpkin or apple candles because then my home smells like a bakery. It gives that homey feel of someone in the kitchen all day.

Now you know how to make your living room look cozy

These tips will help make your space look inviting. I love spending time in my living room reading books or watching a cozy movie. It is important to love a space you spend so much time in.