Hey friends! Did you know it’s my birthday week? It’s true. I’m turning 48 on Friday. But as far as I’m concerned it’s just another day. But I will be one day older and wiser. And there is something I have noticed as I get older. I love being home. Long gone are the days of wanting to go away on the weekends or go out at night. I’d much rather have dinner at home while sitting on the couch and watching Netflix with my family. Home has become my safe haven. So it’s important to me that my home feels cozy and warm. Not just for my family but for our guests as well. So, what make a home cozy? To me, it’s that feeling you get when you enter a room and instantly feel at home. When creating that feeling in my home, I have a few key elements that I use as a starting point.
To create a cozy home doesn’t always mean adding color. But I find in certain rooms in my house that adding a bit of color, especially warm colors, gives the room an inviting, cozy feel. I especially like to use these elements in my bedroom. I think it’s important to have a cozy bedroom. It’s a place that is quite literally meant to be relaxing. I love crawling into a cozy, warm bed at the end of each day. And then waking up to the sunshine pouring in. I always say that if getting out of bed in the morning is hard then you’ve created the perfect cozy space.
My dining nook is another area I love making cozy. The secret? Woods and whites. With just a tiny splash of color. Warm woods and creamy whites are the perfect combination to create a cozy home. Especially if you throw in some pretty dishes, brass candlesticks and greenery. A fresh baked apple pie doesn’t hurt either (although this particular pie is fake.) Shhh…no one will ever know. Which brings me to another element. Scent. Did you know that if you’re selling or staging a home that baking cookies or burning a candle that smells like baked goods increases your chances of selling? It helps potential buyers see themselves in that home by making them feel at home. Have you ever walked into a home or store that smells so good you instantly feel calmer and welcome? Making you want to stay longer and visit or browse the aisles. I’m a huge fan of candles and wax melts. My favorite go to scents are vanilla, cinnamon, clove, orange and anything woodsy. My sweet friend Shannon at Greyden Candle Company has one of my favorite scents of all time. It’s called Campfire and it’s the perfect scent for Fall and Winter.
I have very little color in my kitchen. It’s a space I like to keep clutter free as much as possible. Especially with the open shelving. I love my shelving but if too many things are thrown into the mix it can look cluttered and untidy. But by adding in the warm wood tones, candles and some greenery I can still achieve that cozy inviting feeling. Afterall the kitchen is the heart of the home. Or at least it is in our home. Even Jordi, our fat, very spoiled cat, would agree. His favorite spot in the house is in that window watching the birds.
Last, but not least, is our family room. When I was decorating this room and thinking about furniture, I really wanted to pick out white slipcovered sofas. And although they are still really high on my list of wants, I decided on a family friendly, large sectional in a grayish-brown. This sectional is huge, y’all! Perfect for movie night or for sleeping when my husband’s snoring kicks me out of my cozy bed. I have also used a lot of the woods and whites combo in this room. But I feel like the dark rug is what really adds the coziness in this room. Along with the chippy windows and old door. I love adding vintage items in with the new to create a space that feels homey and welcoming. And since this is the first room guests see when they enter our home, it’s important to me to always keep this room warm and welcoming. This is, however, a family gathering place where we do live and it’s not always tidy so keeping baskets and such handy for easy, quick storage of blankets and stuff is a must. We also have a couple of shelves in our family room closet for blanket storage. I have a small confession…we have a bit of a blanket hoarding problem. It’s something I’m working on.
As always, thank you so much for stopping by my blog. I hope you found some helpful tips to create your own cozy space. Until next time. Be kind and spread love.
XX, Shanna