Our homes provide many functions. They’re places to store our belongings, rest our heads at night, and they also function as a respite from the mania of the outside world. When you walk through your front door, you should feel a level of peace that’s just not possible to achieve elsewhere. The key word there is ‘should.’ If you don’t, then at least there are things you can do to push things in the right direction. It’s all about increasing your home’s cosy factor. If you take care of this aspect of your property, then you’ll find that your home can be much more relaxing. In this blog, we’ll take a look at a few key ways that you can push things in the right direction.
Most of your attention will be focused on the inside of your property, but you should also look at the outside of your home too. This will set the tone for the whole of your house. While there are plenty of different styles you can incorporate into your home, if you’re trying to up the cosy factor, then your mind should be on making it ‘cute.’ To do this, look at adding some plants and trees to your front garden. Your door can also add a lot to your home’s sense of cosiness; indeed, the front door is one of the more underrated aspects of your home — it’s one of those spaces where you can get a little creative and playful. A colourful door can be really striking, for instance. As well as having plants in the ground, you can also look at hanging them around your door; it’s an additional touch that can really make a big difference.
So that takes care of the outside of your home. Now let’s think about the entranceway of your property. What do you feel when you walk through the front door? If it’s anything other than, “I’m so happy that this is my home,” then you’ll want to make some changes. The good thing about creating a cosy entrance hallway is that it’s relatively simple. There are just a couple of key factors that can make all the difference. First, it should be clear — a disorganised entranceway is anything but cosy. Create spaces for your keys, shoes, bags, and so on. Second, make it more visually appealing — this is easily achieved by increasing the lighting and adding flowers. Simple, yet effective.
And talking of lighting, you’ll want to think about this aspect in areas other than your entranceway. Indeed, when it comes to creating a cosy atmosphere, you’ll find that one of the most effective changes comes from how you light your home. There’s a big difference in the feeling of a room that’s lit by harsh, overhead lighting, compared with one that’s lit by low side lamps. Of course, you shouldn’t light your entire house in this way. It makes no sense to have atmospheric lighting in, say, your laundry room. In spaces like that, your lighting should be functional. But in your dining area, bedroom, and living room, the focus should be on making things as cosy as possible. You’ll find it much easier to sink into a relaxed state if your home is lit in this way.
There’s something to be said for having wooden floors in your home. They do look good, after all. But let’s be real for a moment: they’re nowhere near as cosy or comfortable as other options. It’s much nicer to have carpet flooring in your home, and especially so during the chilly autumn and winter months. If your floor is currently on the cold and uncomfortable side, then you can get some carpet from a carpet warehouse to your home. You’ll notice that things are much cosier and comfortable instantly! If it’s not possible to get a carpet for whatever reason, or you prefer to keep your wooden flooring, then at the very least look at adding a couple of rugs in key spaces. You’ll appreciate the changes on those freezing mornings when you’d much rather be staying in bed.
As we mentioned earlier, it doesn’t make any sense to improve the cosy factor in every room of the house. You really don’t need your laundry room or pantry to be cosy. Instead, focus on the main rooms, the spaces where improving things will make the biggest difference. These include your living room, bedroom, and dining area. A lot of people focus on the living room and bedroom, yet overlook the dining area. Taking the time to make this part of your home relaxing and comfortable will allow you to enjoy many pleasant dinners with your family and friends. This is especially the case if you have an open-plan kitchen, since it can function as the main social gathering space in your home.
Some times are just made for the cosy factor. Friday and Saturday night, for example, offer great opportunities to really enjoy all that your home provides, especially if you have kids. Add an entertainment centre to your living room, fill the pantry with snacks, and all-around make sure the room is high on comfort, and you’ll always be able to have fun.
You’ll find it much more difficult to really feel cosy in your home if you’re continually battling with the temperature. While there may be some days when you’re wrestling the heat, if you live in the UK, then realistically you’ll find that you’re more commonly wrestling with the cold. During the colder months, is there anything worse than just always being slightly too chilly when you’re at home? Not in our book. So take care of things. It’s nearly always possible to boost the warmth of a property. Is your insulation as effective as it could be? Is your boiler working efficiently? If not, then take a look at making some changes. You’ll be grateful for your efforts when you’re living in a cosy and warm home.
Your home could be warm and filled with comfortable fabrics, but if it doesn’t feel like your property is private, then you’ll find it difficult to relax as much as you could. A lack of privacy usually takes two forms: people can either see into your property, or you hear everything that’s going on in the streets. Adding curtains or frosted windows to the front of your home and soundproofing your property can help to take care of both of these issues.
You’ll have towels, bed sheets, blankets, throws, and so on in your home. But are they as high-quality as they could be? If you’ve had them for a while, then they’ve probably lost some of their softness. Look at investing in some new fabrics; it’s one of the best ways to make your home more cosy. One tip you should keep in mind: look at spending a little more than you usually would. It’s sometimes worthwhile spending 20% more on items, especially when it’s something that’ll make such a big difference to how well you’re able to relax in your home.
Your home could generally be cosy and enjoyable, but if there are many small imperfections, then of course the quality will be impacted — and ultimately your home’s cosy factor will begin to dip. When you notice that’s something not quite right, then look at taking care of the issue as soon as possible. It’s worthwhile learning the basics of home DIY, so you can fix any problems as and when they arise, rather than having to rely on professionals to help you.
When you look around your home, you’ll want to have a feeling of happiness and contentment. One of the best ways to do this is to add things to your walls that bring you joy. For example, this could be adding photographs of your family, friends, your travel adventures, and so on. There’s something deeply comforting about looking around and seeing things that bring you joy.
Finally, there’s one more thing you can do to really help push your home’s cosiness factor in the right direction: bring the love! A home could look and feel cosy, but if it’s not filled with good vibrations, then the impact will be limited. Of course, there’s no tried and tested formula for adding more love to a home. It’s all about attitude and heart; things you have to nurture in yourself.
It may take a little bit of time to incorporate all of the above tips into your home, but it’s worthwhile doing so — especially now, so that it’s ready in time for the colder weather. Many people prefer the warmth of spring and summer, but you might just find that autumn and winter become a lot more bearable when you have such a fantastically cosy home to return to each evening.
Full time I'm an ambitious Head of Marketing and Communications in the luxury industry. Part time, I'm an enthusiastic British Fashion, Beauty and Lifestyle blogger and YouTuber from Manchester, UK. This blog has been my outlet for the past 7+ years, and as a longstanding, Award-winning blogger I take the most enjoyment from creating content I truly love and believe in. All authentic. Always.