It’s that time of year when staying indoors becomes more appealing than ever and we look for ways to make our living space even cosier than usual. Cosy interior ideas can make the long nights of the winter months pleasant, giving you a place to relax and unwind away from the icy winds and snow that might settle outside. When you’re considering how to cosy up your living room, remember these 6 tips that are perfect for any budget.
1. Add Some Textures
Leave the cold outside by adding textures that really make a difference to your living room. For instance, a thick rug in front of the sofa or the fire makes putting your feet down that little bit more inviting. On a more practical level, it’s another layer between yourself and the cold ground, plus it can be a budget-friendly option if you’ve already got a thick rug in another room of the house that’s easy to relocate for the winter months.
Another way of adding texture to your living room is to invest in snuggly blankets for your sofa and chairs. Cosy, soft and warm throws coupled with cushions can create a gloriously luxurious effect, even for those on a budget. Choose multiple throws in warm shades and layer them for the perfect snuggle experience.
2. Dim the Lights
Another popular option when you’re looking for cosy living room ideas is simply to dim the lights and enjoy your surroundings. Keeping a living room well lit in winter is important as it helps boost our moods during an often dreary time, but that doesn’t mean full lighting is the best option. Instead, when you’re thinking of how to cosy up your living room, opt for background lighting.
Free-standing floor lamps, candles, fairy lights and table task lamps can all combine to make even a large living space feel cosier and distant from the cold world beyond the home. For best results, ensure the light can bounce from reflective surfaces like mirrors and photo frames to spread it a little further without over-illumination.
3. Work on Keeping the Heat In
You can implement all the cosy interior ideas you want, but if your living room’s draining heat, it’s not going to be very cosy in there. So, trying to plug those draughty spots can really make a difference to the overall feel of the room. Door frames and windowsills are key culprits when it comes to letting heat escape from your living room, so tackle those with draught excluders or deftly placed fabric. As well as this, remember to block up the window itself as much as possible. While thin curtains may be suitable in summer, adding a window blind during winter could make all the difference.
4. Bring the Outside In
With all the leaves falling to the ground, autumn and winter brings with it an opportunity to make the garden part of your home. Autumn leaves worked into a wreath can be a beautiful family project that looks gorgeous on a wall or why not press dried flowers into paper as decorations? If fresh flowers are more your ideal, they’ll work extra hard to brighten up your spaces in the winter months. Just a few floral touches added to your interior can create a splash of luxury.
5. Rearrange Your Room into Cosy Zones
Changing the layout of a space is one of the more cost-effective cosy living room ideas as it makes use of what you’ve already got. For homes with a fire, it provides a natural focal point for furniture, so rearranging sofas and chairs to be directed towards the fire can instantly cosy up a living room. It also provides a barrier to heat escaping from that area, so it can serve double duty.
Depending on the size of your living room and how you spend your time, you could separate it into zones with, for example, a cosy television nook and a reading nook by the window to make the most of the winter daylight during the day yet covered with blankets and illuminated by a lamp during the long evenings.
6. Invest in Some New Mugs
As far as cosy interior ideas go, this is one of the most budget-friendly. Hot drinks during winter are one of life’s pleasures, so invest in a new mug to make the most of those evenings spent snuggled up on the sofa. Again, warm colours and tones are the perfect accompaniment to a cosy living room that will see you through till spring.
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