Any time someone comes into our home for the first time and says that it feels cozy, it feels like the ultimate compliment! My goal in decorating and designing our PNW cabin is to make sure it’s as comfortable as possible and truly embraces the concept of hygge. And with fall upon us, I can’t help but have coziness on my mind! If your home is feeling a bit sterile or you recently moved, these small changes will teach you how to make your home cozier!
How to Make A Home Cozy For Fall
Layer textiles and textures
When I say ‘layer,’ I mean layyyyyyer. Pile ’em on and don’t look back! I love a well-styled sofa (check out my tips!), which is a great place to start with creating a cozy, comfortable home. Add a sherpa rug or two to give provide luxurious, warm texture, then pile on even more texture with decorative pillows. And a cozy throw blanket is a must-have.
I also love layering rugs (rug styling tips here) and adding curtains. If your home is draft, September is a great time of year to make a few updates to stay warm this winter. I love to layer my curtains with a double curtain rod. That way you can have sheers to let in light, but still block out drafts during the day. But when you want to get really, truly cozy, pull closed the outer, thicker curtains and you’ll be nice and toasty.
Here are some super cute fall-inspired textiles to consider:
Evaluate your lighting and create a warm glow (especially at night!)
Lighting plays a huge role in the vibe of a room. Too bright and cool toned and it will feel surgical. Too dim and warm and it will feel like a cave. To achieve a balance, I always use a mix of different types of lighting. Our living room is a great example:
- Floor lamp – I use a floor lamp sporadically, usually only if I’m reading on the sofa at night or if Andy is visiting because he prefers a brightly light space.
- Table lamps – to illuminate more surfaces rather than overhead lighting, I have 2 table lamps in our living room. One is over by the lounge chair to brighten up that nook and the other is by the sofa. We primary use that lamp because it gives off a cozy glow without being too bright.
- Wall sconces – the two wall sconces by our wood stove act as fill light. They’re great when someone is coming into our home or if I’m building a fire.
- Candlelight – to me, nothing makes a home feel cozier than candles! I love that romantic flicker. I usually burn one taper candle on our bar cart because it’s mirrored surface bounces the light around quite nicely. I also burn a jar candle on the built-ins to softly brighten that corner as well.
If I were to give you one piece of advice when it comes to lighting your space to make it feel cozier, it would be to stop using your overhead light! Not only is it unflattering, but it creates harsh shadows and just does not lend itself to a cozy vibe. Instead, sprinkle one or two table lamps around. Here are a few of my favorites that could work in any space:
Create ambiance with scent
I’m someone who is obsessed with fragrance, both for myself and for my home. I love smelling good! I blame working at a candle company early in my career. I always have a candle burning in our home, as well as essential oil diffusers and reed diffusers. Oh and I burn palo santo sometimes… I have an entire guide to making your home smell amazing, by the way. It’s worth checking out.
But when it comes to making your home feel cozier, a gorgeous fall-inspired candle is a super-easy change to make. Now that it’s September, I am leaning into fall home fragrance HARD! Give me anything pumpkin, spiced, and warm woodsy. Here are a few of the candles I’ve hoarded to set the mood for fall in our cabin:
So what do you think about these easy tips to create hygge in your home? I hope they inspire you to update your spaces to feel cozier this season!
You might also enjoy:
My Recipe for a Cozy Date Night In
We still try to make our time together special, so we’ve embraced staying in and having a date night at home. This post isn’t exactly like… earth shattering with suggestions, but I thought you guys might still appreciate knowing what we do to make the night special. I also love this entire idea because it’s budget-friendly and easy to put together at the last minute.
30+ Cozy Throw Blankets for Fall
We still try to make our time together special, so we’ve embraced staying in and having a date Here in Seattle, the temperature dips at night now, so often I find myself reaching for a throw when we settle into the couch for a bit of binge watching. We actually keep a basket stocked with cozy throw blankets so that there are always a few available as needed, especially when we have house guests. I definitely have some favorites, so I wanted to round up the coziest, softest, warmest throws for you, just in time for fall and it’s chilly weather!
