How to Create a Cozy Home
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I still remember stepping into our new home for the first time, like it was yesterday. We were a newly married couple, who found our potential forever home. We were ready to plant roots and grow into this empty space. However, it was just that, a beautiful house, that felt cold… literally and figuratively. Our house feels a lot warmer than it once did, but it took a long time to really break it in. I guess I just didn’t know where to start. Over the years, I found that it goes beyond more than the perfect home decor to give a house an inviting, cozy, lived-in feel. A cozy home seems to have certain elements that sets it apart from a generic model home that took us a while to really pinpoint. We’re nearing 9 years in our home and I honestly can say that we’ve created a cozy enough home for our family of 4 with these 5 cozy home tips.
Hang Pictures
I think the first thing that we did that made our house feel more like a home was displaying family pictures. It took us longer than it should have to take the time to develop pictures and put them up on our living room wall. But, it made all the difference when we eventually got to it. Seeing pictures of my family at the center of our living room area makes me so happy. It warms my heart seeing photos of my husband and my children having fun! I know that these pictures have become a focal point in our living room and I love that we can share these memories with anyone that drops by.
Comfy Furniture
When we first moved in, my husband and I were all about making our house look modern. Modern looks clean, spacious, and interesting. But, the original furniture we picked out for our living and dining room areas were very industrial looking. They were unique pieces, but they didn’t exactly scream cozy. When we had our first child, we ended up deciding to switch some of our furniture for more comfy, versatile items. Trading our leather couch with metal legs for an allover cushiony, modular LoveSac Sactional Couch transformed our living room to a more inviting area. Not only did we have more room to seat our guests, the couch in itself was soft and comfortable enough to sleep on. Not to mention, it posed less of a hazard for our kids who were just learning how to walk. Having a soft, comfortable couch definitely gives off cozy vibes that we’re going for!
The Smell of Baking
I used to be a candle person, until I really embraced cooking and baking in my late 20s to early 30s. It was then that I discovered that the aroma of fresh baked goods beats candles any day. Imagine walking into someone’s home who had just baked fresh cinnamon rolls or cookies? They are such universal smells that everyone recognizes and are generally attracted to. If you’re not a sweets person, I personally love the smell of just food cooking on the stove. The smell of food can really awaken your senses and make you feel excited for what’s to come! Even though I believe the warm smell of food plays a huge role in the coziness of a home, I think a broken in, well loved kitchen can leave you clues of how cozy a home has gotten!
Play Music
If there is something that I’ve always known, it’s that music can bring life to an empty space. You can’t see it, but it can change moods with the change of a key. I love playing music through our Sonos speakers in our living room just as background music while the kids play or while I cook or clean. Music just makes me feel comfortable, even during times when I’m all alone. I’m sure it affects others in the same way when they enter a home with music playing!
Fill Your Home with Your Interests
In my opinion, a cozy home is somewhere that you want to be. That is why it is important to fill your home with things that interest you. If you do a quick walk through of our living and dining room area, it would tell you that I love playing the piano and baking. While my husband’s office is filled with nostalgia, displaying figures from some of his favorite games and movies growing up. If you look closely, you’ll find that our home tells our story and will continue to do so. Our house became more comfy to us when we started to fill it with things that make us feel most like ourselves and happy. Now that we have children, I’m so excited to see what interests our kids’ will develop to add to the character of our home! I would love more than anything for them to gravitate to our home, even as they get older!
It seems that developing coziness in a home utilizes elements that encompass most of our senses. All of these things contribute to a feeling of safety and warmth. Of course, these are just some of the ways that made our home feel cozier than it’s ever been, but like anything in life, the definition of a cozy home can be highly personalized. The elements that you add to your home to make it cozy for your family may look different and that is okay. But, if you are at the place I was, back when we first moved in, these 5 cozy elements are a good place to start!
