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Maybe you’re like me and the town you live in just isn’t oozing with charming cottages. I mean, I wish. There are super cute older homes, but your chance of scoring one of those is few and far between. Especially in these Covid times, people are getting a little cray cray to get the house that they want. But, fear not – you actually don’t need that 1800s farmhouse (although how nice would that be…. omg, can you imagine the original hardwood floors – all beautiful with that patina from years of memories… ok – back on track). Let me give you some cozy home ideas to make your house the warm hug you’ve always dreamed of.
We bought our house at the beginning of Covid. Super competetive market – you really had no time to mull over any sort of decision. Not ideal for someone like me that can spend 30+ mins trying to decide what kind of snacks to get for a birthday party. But, we bought a house. We knew the schools were good, it was close to family and recently had all the “mechanicals” updated (yawn, although muy importante). After seeing the house once, it seemed like it mostly just needed paint. Cool!
Our offer was accepted and we were lucky that the homeowners let us back into the house before we closed. Wow. I started to see all the work that needed to be done. The house was straight up stuck in 1992. Literally not one single upgrade and I don’t know how I missed all that before. Actually I do know. We had seen so many duds that this place looked like a freakin gem. So, I was a little intimidated, but reminder to self – cosmetic changes are EASY-ish.
My style is cozy, rustic, modern, farmhouse? We’re still trying to figure out the exact name, but we are well on our way to get to that warm hug feel. I have compiled a list of what I feel are great tips to create a warm, cozy and charming home. All of these tips can be tweaked for your individual and personal style. Remember, the great thing about interior design and your home is that you can totally make it your own! So please, these are my suggestions, but I hope you feel inspired to put your own twist and come up with your own ideas as well!
This post is all about cozy home ideas.
Cozy Home Ideas
Built Ins
Now, I’m not even gonna lie… I have zero built ins in my home. It is something that I am working towards but am super intimidated by. I’m really trying to roll with that saying “Don’t let your fear keep you from chasing your dream” or something along those lines. I have seen so many amazinnnnng women build their own built ins and just DO IT! I love that and hope that I can find the courage to put fear aside to just try.
Anyways, yes – built ins… it’s one of my favorite cozy home ideas. If you’re not familiar with the architecture of older homes, most of them have TONS of built ins. I don’t know why that kind of went away with newer homes, but in my opinion it adds such a level of character and charm. I think knowing that it can’t go anywhere and was designed specifically for your home is so special. It creates such a finished look, too. So, for sure – built ins… add those babies in. And if you can do it yourself then way to go! I love that!
Banquettes
This kind of goes along with built ins, but built in banquette seating is highly recommended.
You know when you go to a restaurant and they give you a table instead of the booth and you’re like, dang it… I really wanted to be in a booth. You know why? Because it’s cozier! You can get comfortable! You can literally lay down and take a nap if you want. Can you do that in a chair? No.
Make it a priority to work this into your design. I’m telling you, it is such a different vibe to have some sort of banquette style seating. And if you don’t have the money to do it or feel too intimidated to do it yourself, then the spin off version is to use a couch! I currently have a couch at our dining room table and I’m telling you the minute we switched up that seating was the minute we started using the dining room more.
This is a great walk through on how to build banquette seating if you’re looking to go that route: https://biggerthanthethreeofus.com/built-banquette-tutorial/
Cozy Home Ideas Fav: Vintage Decor
The moment you bring a vintage item into your home, your house starts to come alive (IMO). Vintage items have a history. They’ve been places. They’ve got stories to tell. Now don’t get me wrong, I like Homegoods and Target just as much as the next girl, but a collected home instead of a store bought home is more my vibe.
Of course, you don’t want everything to be vintage. We don’t want our space to look like grandma’s house (although if that’s your thing then by all means…), but rather a mix of new and old. The harmony that comes with mixing old and new is stunnnnnning. But that is why it is so important to mix in vintage decor. You NEED the soul!! Quickly I want to add – vintage rugs are just chef’s kiss. Expensive but gorgeous.
Textures
This is a really big one if you have a new build – adding in some sort of textural detail is vital.
You might not have noticed yet, but the rooms that are the most cozy usually have some sort of textural element to them. Many have some sort of textural element on the wall – wallpaper, shiplap, exposed brick… Add to that texture in rugs and textiles and it will immediately create a warm and inviting space. Think sheepskins, boucle, high pile rugs, velvet, linen… layering a mix of these elements will create a beautiful synergy and your house will be suppppper coz.
Lighting
I have mentioned this is so many of my other blog posts, but lighting is SOOO necessary to get right.
I suggest definitely having multiple lighting options in each room and ALWAYS warm light. Cool light tends to be too stark and harsh. Remember we are trying to create that cozy vibe.
Dimmable lights are great and candles are (duh) a must. The right overhead lighting could work, but remember we don’t anything too harsh. Lamps should be scattered throughout your room to easily add more light or take away depending on the mood you are going for. For instance, an intimate dinner party could probably get by with some candles and one light source (candles let off more light than you think). A birthday party will probably require more lighting options.
The lights below are in my kitchen and I LOVE them. You can find them here
Paint
The paint color you choose will have a big impact on the feel that your home gives off. If you walk into a room that is painted bright yellow it will give you a different feeling than if you walk into a room that is painted a warm gray. My preference with paint is to choose colors that have warm undertones. And a paint can be a cool color (blue) but have warm undertones. I am also a neutral lover so white paint is definitely a friend of mine 🙂
I have posted about paint before and have a blog post about my favorite cozy paint colors for living room (although, honestly, you could really use them anywhere in your house). What’s most important ab out picking the right paint color for your house is making sure that you paint a big enough sample, you live with it for a few days and really study it at all times of day. You’d be surprised at how different paint looks at morning, noon and night.
Repurpose
When I think of a cozy home I think of charm. And this is kind of preference. Homes can still be cozy even if they’re modern, but for some reason I equate coziness with a charming older home. So this tip is mainly for people that also like that style.
There are so many amazing older pieces out there and using them in an unexpected way can really add some quirkiness and charm to your space. This is something that I really love. Using an old store counter as a kitchen island or a bookshelf as your kitchen shelving stacked on top of your counter – it’s so unique and will bring so much to your home. The best part is is that it is something special to your home and no one else will have the same thing!
Real quick: in the picture above of my kitchen, we actually repurposed two bathroom vanities and butted them together to make our large kitchen island!
I truly hope these cozy home ideas were helpful in transforming your space. I would love to hear ideas from you and things that you like to incorporte into your home. And I just want to say thank you if you are reading this – It really means so much to me to have you on my blog. XO
Other posts you may like:
11 Absolutely Must See Cozy Kitchen Ideas
DIY Bathroom Makeover | Quick & Easy Tips To Bring Your Bathroom Back To Life
Warm and Cozy Home Decor | The Absolute Best, Budget Friendly Places to Find it