Styling tips to make your house instantly cozier
With the weather cooling down in the northern hemisphere, here are some easy, interior-designer approved tips to style a cozy space (:
Invest in some good quality wall art.
Arguably the best way to make a room feel cosier is to diminish any large, stark, open areas; one of the biggest things that is often overlooked is the walls. It doesn’t matter if you are more into photography or paintings, if you like maximalist or minimalist style; there are so many ways to get wall are without breaking the bank.
A few ideas:
Buy from small independent artists and businesses like Little Lens!
Shop around at thrift stores or small markets for second hand options.
Make your own! There are so many beautiful and easy DIY’s nowadays that the world is truly your oyster.
Once you’ve got your hands on some, and taken into consideration choosing the right piece for your space we can start to fill those blank, cold walls! You can get one large piece to fill in a big gap, multiple small pieces to create a gallery wall (our minis collection is perfect for this!), or even throw a pretty blanket up there if you can’t afford anything new. Covering large, textureless areas with a texture is a sure way to make your home cosier.
Don’t be afraid to play with texture.
Winter is the season for bundling up in scarves and blankets, throwing long sleeves under jumpers, sitting in front of fireplaces. As humans, texture and layers are second nature to us in winter! You don’t have to overthink this one, pretty much any textures will match as long as they are within a thought out color scheme.
Photo credits: house design, cozy home interior, rugs direct, asma design
Play with your textures. Add multiple different blankets to beds, sofas and seating. Use multiple lampshades. Get creative with your cushion covers. Add lots of plants in different sizes, types and textures. Things don’t have to match in texture if they match in overall style and color.
You can see that we can achieve minimalistic and eclectic styles while layering, using color schemes.
photo credits : lighting forest, dried, alpaca unlimited, unknown, floh, ink and brayer, studio mcgee, seeking lavender lane, unknown, oxford design studio
Items to pay attention to:
Cushion covers. Can you buy new covers for your existing cushions to transition them into winter, or make some yourself?
Flat surfaces like tables and entertainment centres. You don’t want to overcrowd these surfaces, but adding a few pieces of foliage, plants or ornaments can help break up the coldness of the flat surface. Demonstrate the rule of 3 here.
Floral arrangements. Add plants like pampas, cattails, pussy willow and the like into floral arrangments to soften them.
Lights. Lights can play a part in layering too, as we’ll touch on shortly. Try to stagger your lights are different heights and placements to create a layered glow.
Floor coverings. Adding things like carpet runners and rugs on hardwood stairs, and even on vinyl and lino, can help physically warm spaces as well as subconsciously. Consider keeping some runners and rugs in storage if you like wood floors in the warmer months, and add them on every winter for a more sustainable approach.
Pay attention to Kelvin
Kelvin is the measure of temperature that is used in lighting. There is a scale from cool to warm, with warm white (most common in household electrical systems) in the middle. There is scientific research to suggest benefits and limitations to both cool and warm light.
Kelvin scale
Typically we see the extreme cooler lights (8000-10,000K) in commercial settings like factories and offices as they are good for concentration and productivity. Warmer lights (1000-4000K) are great for ambience and often for stores, hotels and restaurants. In our homes we are usually in the middle, warm white or semi-warm lights (3000-6000K).
With that said, which do you consider a cozier space; office and factory buildings, or hotels and fancy bars?
photo credits : bess adler, amano group, led lighting supply, straits lighting
Change out any cool bulbs you may have for a warmer tone. This will give that candlelight, wintery glow, and subconsciously make your body relaxed. Research has shown that warm light sources can actually improve sleep quality, and cognitive performance in tasks that require attention to detail. Say goodbye to winter hibernation lethargy.
photo credits : unknown
Add more lights!
As most designers and decorators do, I HATE the big lights!! And if you’re unsure what is classed as a ‘big light’, I mean ceiling lights and overheads (with some exceptions!). Pot lights, strip lights and ceiling lights are great for task lighting, so they shouldn’t be ignored, particularly in rooms like the kitchen and bathrooms, but they are horrendous for the vibe! Josh and Matt said it best in their reel.
photo credit: Maria Killam
So don’t be scared to buy extra lamps, or thrift them/ FB marketplace them for a more budget-friendly option, and place them at multiple heights around your space. Take a look at the following example or less vs more light below. Much cozier, no?
photo credits : iris home interiors, john cullen lighting, lucky collection, iguzzini
And last but not least, let there be fire!
The multi-sensory aspect of wood fires reinforces those sensory memories in several parts of our brain, and we are lulled into a relaxing, blood pressure reduced state. If you have a fireplace, light that bad boy up. With smart tv’s you can even pop on a video of a fire blazing to create the same feel of a fire!
photo credits : ephoque, electric fireplaces direct, unknown
follow @littlelens.photo for more
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follow @littlelens.photo for more ||
I hope these tips help create a cozy, warm, and relaxing space for you this winter. Let me know if you have any more ideas in the comments section! And check out the blog for more styling tips from Little Lens Photography.
Laura
lemonexploring x little.lens
