Libby Langdon's Cozy Chic

Designer secrets that will make your rooms more comfortable and inviting.

by Libby Langdon

There are plenty of ways you can warm up your décor and create a cozy ambiance for the cool weather months—and beyond. Here are some no-fail ideas to help you capture the creature comforts of home sweet home. 

Rearrange Your Furniture

In most living rooms and family rooms the furniture is arranged around the TV. If you have a fireplace, however, you should rearrange your seating to make it the main attraction. Warm firelight will help make the room cozier. However, If you don’t like the hassle of building a fire each day (or your fireplace doesn’t work) you can place lots of fat pillar candles at different heights inside the fireplace to give you that same, soft warm glow.

Hang Velvet Drapes

Velvet drapes give a feeling of luxury, and they have a weightiness to them that creates a super cozy feeling. You can find them in tons of rich, dark colors. But actually, any color will achieve that snuggly vibe you’re looking for—it’s all about that great velvety texture.

Add Candlelight

Find some nice scented candles and burn them! So many people have tons of candles all throughout their house but they never actually use them. A great way to display these accents is to group pillars in varying sizes and place them on a coffee table or dining table. This will add great ambiance.

Pillow Talk

Add throw pillows in warm fabrics like boucle, flannel, chenille and cable knit to sofas and chairs. You'll also want some snuggly throw blankets in your living areas. Pillows and throws are also a great chance to add some low-commitment splashes of color to a room. Use a rich red, cool navy, bright orange or trendy turquoise. You’ll be shocked at how much these small touches can completely update the look of your home while also adding warmth.

Soften Your Floors

If you have lots of wood flooring, consider putting down some soft, textured rugs. They’ll feel great underfoot and create a cozy vibe.

Lighten up Lampshades

If you have dark or opaque lampshades, replace them with lighter shades like white linen or silk. This will add more light into your room yet still give off a soft, diffused glow. This is also a great way to update the look of any old lamps you may have.

Paint Your Walls

If you’re up for a project, this is the best way to instantly transform a cold, unfeeling room into a warm, inviting space. Choose a warm, soft yellow such as Benjamin Moore's "Hawthorne Yellow" (#HC-4) to add a bright cheery feeling. You can also create a more intimate vibe by using bold, rich colors like chocolate brown or vibrant red. Benjamin Moore's "Mustang" (#2111-30) and "Raspberry Truffle" (#2080-10) are great cozy choices. 

Add Fabric to Bedroom Walls

Fabric on walls can soften your space; create the feel of an intimate, peaceful haven; and muffle sound. And the best part is that it’s as easy to apply to your walls as using a staple gun. Once it’s mounted, just cover the staples with ribbon—or any trim of your choice—using hot glue. Or, if you want to use fabric on one really small wall, such as one between two beams, you can even use a heavy curtain and hang it with tension rods between the two beams. Unlike wallpaper, fabric can be easily removed when you want a change.

Wallpaper Whimsy

If you want to go beyond fabric coverings, wallpaper is a great way to bring sophisticated texture and coziness to a room. Many of today's wallcovering designers are taking classic patterns and re-coloring them in fresh, new palettes. Plus, the new formulas for easier application (and easier removal) are making wallpapering less scary to homeowners. Trust me, the days of steaming, scraping and peeling are over. If you don’t want to wallpaper an entire room, you can always choose just one accent wall to cover. Wallpaper is a license to have fun!

 
Drape Your Bed

A fast and inexpensive way to cozy up your bedroom is to hang two 96-inch drapery panels up to the ceiling on the wall behind your bed. You can choose any fabric you like, soft rich velvet, bright silk or brocade—anything that will create a mood in your space. Just make sure the drapes are hung all the way up to the ceiling. Visually this will trick the eye into seeing a higher ceiling and bigger room. This is also a great solution if you don’t have a headboard because it acts as an instant headboard.