5 Essential Layers Every Cozy Home Needs

A cozy home that welcomes you in and brings comfort is something that we all need. If you’re looking to add more cozy layers to your home, start with these five essentials.

Pictured above: Bookshelf Lights | Cabinet Hardware | Greyhound Print | Floral Pillow (under $30!) | Scarf (used as a throw) | Similar Rattan Tray | Travel Home Book | Habitat Book

If you’re trying to cozy your home up, whether it’s for the chilly weather of the fall and winter, to make your house feel less empty and drab after the Christmas season, or just because you’ve noticed your rooms feeling a bit cold and unwelcoming, I have a few simple, high-impact decor necessities to suggest. In fact, I’d argue that you almost can’t have a cozy home without these basic home accents that bring an instant sense of elegance and comfort to your environment. It can be easy to start adding things randomly only to end up with a space that feels too cluttered and busy, so I think it’s best to start your room design with these cozy home basics, then add a few personal touches here and there to fill in the blanks. It’s a no-fail strategy that works every time. So start at the very beginning with the essentials, and you’ll be amazed at how quickly your home will feel warm and inviting.

Small-space cozy home wall decorations: Easy DIY Plate Rack

Wicker and Woven Textures

Pictured above: Cabinet Hardware | Greyhound Print | Floral Pillow (under $30!) | Scarf (used as a throw)| Travel Home Book | Habitat Book | Similar Blue and White Ginger Jar

Wicker, rattan, seagrass, and water hyacinth baskets of all shapes and sizes help to corral clutter and keep your home looking tidy and organized, but they do so much more than that. Some design experts even go as far as saying that a room just isn’t complete without a textured basket or two somewhere in the decorating plan.

The space above was captured by Art & Spaces Photography (us) for Kevin Vreman Construction. I loved this homeowner’s beautiful vintage basket collection, so I left everything exactly where it was.

If storage baskets and bins aren’t needed in a particular space, woven textures can also be incorporated with wicker chairs and side tables, woven wood window coverings, plant pots, mirrors, and trays. I’m a big fan of anything with a basket-like appearance, so I tend to gravitate towards bringing in as many woven elements as I can into a space.

Home decorating ideas to make the most of your space: Shelf Decor 101

Throw Blankets Within Reach

There’s no better way to get instantly cozy when you have a chill than wrapping a soft, snuggly blanket around your shoulders. Make sure your throws are extra soft and not just for looks, and consider using them in unexpected places like draped over dining room chairs or displayed in a basket in your home office. When you need to get extra cozy, a comforting blanket should be no more than a few steps away.

My favorite throw blanket trick is to purchase inexpensive oversized cashmere-blend scarves to use as light blankets. The delicate fringe always looks elegant draped over a sofa or an armchair, and they can double as a shall if you need to get up and walk around with your blanket.

Organizing ideas for chilly winter days: How to Fold Sweaters for Easy and Tidy Stacking

Pillows and Toss Cushions

I know a lot of people think decorative pillows are unnecessary, especially those who feel their living room couch is already wonderfully comfortable without any extra pillows. There will always come a time, though, when those extra fluffy pillows will be a very welcome sight, whether it’s when someone is watching a long movie late at night, or if a guest needs a little extra back support.

Aside from providing functional comfort, pillows and cushions add a lot of visual softness to a space in a way that almost nothing else can. Even with upholstered armchairs, heavy drapes, and other soft home-furnishings, there just seems to be something missing without pillows.

Easy DIY home design ideas for cozy interiors: Ten Minute DIY Pillow Covers

Plants and Other Natural Elements

More stylish home-decorating ideas from this entryway: Timeless Farmhouse Mudroom

When something is cozy, that means it gives a feeling of comfort, warmth, and relaxation. If you’re looking to make your space a little cozier, one of the most powerful tools that you have at your disposal are houseplants and other natural elements.

The human eye naturally searches for greenery and other things that it recognizes as being from nature as a default resting place. When you have living things (or faux living things) in your home, your space will literally be easy on the eyes as they look for somewhere to rest after peering around a room at the various surfaces on counters, tabletops, and shelving units.

Fresh flower arrangements, tropical plants, and greenery in your favorite vase might be the first things that come to mind when you think about bringing life to your space, but you might also consider some other lower maintenance options as well. Good quality faux plants and greens can be a great option and have the same effect as real, as long as they have a realistic shape and color and provide a sense of freshness that never needs freshening.

I also love to bring in natural elements that are authentic but maintenance-free, like dried blooms, preserved moss, desiccated stems gathered from the winter garden, or twigs from trees and shrubs. These also work beautifully if your home has a neutral palette that may not be complemented by bright green foliage.

A Variety of Lighting Types

While there’s a school of thought that says you should never (ever) turn on the “big lights” AKA the main overhead lights in a room, I won’t go that far with my advice. Well-placed recessed lighting or chandeliers (always on dimmers) definitely have a place in every home to provide a far-reaching, warm glow.

That being said, your coziness will expand exponentially when you start to add in other lighting elements to brighten your space, like table lamps, floor lamps, accent lights such as bookcase lights, sconces, and even candlelight from simple taper candles. I love that rechargeable, cordless lamps are becoming more widely available in so many different styles so we can all have a lamp anywhere we might need or want one.

Interior-design inspiration for DIYers: How to Paint a Lampshade

Bonus Cozy Points: Runners and Rugs

Pictured Above: Runner | Wicker Tray | Market Basket | Cubby Baskets

Many designers will tell you that they always begin with the rug when planning to decorate a room with furniture, curtains, and accent pieces. While I do agree that this strategy makes perfect sense, I think it is entirely possible to create a cozy space without any kind of area rug if you’re utilizing all the other cozy room essentials. If, for lifestyle reasons, you feel like a rug just isn’t practical in your space, you’re not doomed to have a cold and unwelcoming space.

If you are able to bring in a rug or runner, though, the softness underfoot will go a long way to creating your dream cozy space. I like to see rugs in unexpected spaces like hallways and kitchens, where coziness is usually at a minimum. For lower-traffic spots, there’s nothing like the charm and character of a vintage rug, but if you’re working with a high-traffic space, washable, vintage-inspired rugs are a wonderful option.

Easy maintenance home decor: Everything to Know Before You Buy a Ruggable