It doesn’t matter how you spend your days – whether it’s doing something you absolutely love or absolutely loathe – there is nothing better than stepping inside your home after a long day and collapsing on that perfectly worn sofa in your epitome-of-cozy living room. That’s what it’s all about. That’s the dream right there.
It’s that place you can retreat to when life gets a bit too loud, that spot you can curl up in during an unexpected thunderstorm. It is that room you can hide in when the great outdoors doesn’t look so great. Yes, a cozy living room is best enjoyed during the long winter months. But we all know the weather can be as unpredictable as life. That is why every home should be blessed with a cozy living room – warm, welcoming and ready to be snuggled into. That’s what a cozy home is meant to be.
The good news is: creating this kind of cozy living room is as easy as pie. All it takes is a bunch of warm colors, softish fabrics, clever additions and, well, anything that makes you feel fuzzy and happy. That’s the secret.
Read on to see our favorite types of cozy living rooms. Trust us, each of them will turn your so-so living room into that space you can’t resist after a long day of any kind.
Our Favorite Cozy Living Room Styles
Traditional Cozy Living Room
There is only one place to start a list of cozy living room ideas and that’s with the traditional. There is just something about furniture with curved lines, soft fabrics, thick drapes and traditional architecture that lends itself to all things cozy. And a lot of that is to do with the familiarity people feel when they enter this kind of cozy living room. People feel at ease when they walk into a living room that has the standard layout of big fabric sofas against the wall, a cozy armchair in the corner and an old fireplace with book-filled shelves either side.
Intimate Cozy
Smallish rooms are the perfect places to create that sense of coziness you are after. It’s that sense of intimacy that other rooms can sometimes lack a little. All you need is an intimate seating set up, some soft fabrics, cluttered walls and a fireplace and you have yourself the coziest hideaway you’ve ever imagined. We’re talking about a couple of matching armchairs (with matching footstools), both pointed at the best pellet stove you can find, a large rug covering as much of the floor as possible, floor to ceiling bookshelves filled with old tidbits, warm colors and heavy curtains across the window. That’s how to create an intimate cozy atmosphere.
Wood Panel Cozy
We understand that styles come and go and what was in vogue last year may not be in vogue this year, but we think it’s a massive mistake to overlook wood paneling. Yes, it may have fallen out of favor with interior designers in 1971, but there is still something special about a wood-paneled room. Something that no other fabric can quite capture in the same way. It’s that sophisticated sense of coziness that we associate with old mansions from yesteryear. That pinch of grandeur that is now so rare it has an even bigger impact. The reason it works so well – when done right – is simple: wood has an unrivaled warmth to it, and a character that can’t be replicated. It’s an unsung hero, that’s for sure.
Gray Walls Cozy
It all takes a quick look through an interior design magazine to realize gray walls have become the modern trend in coziness. In fact, if you want to create a calm and cozy living room but don’t know where to start, we recommend you buy a few pots of dark gray paint and give the walls a couple of thick licks. There is something about the color gray that is wonderfully contemporary. While the dark shade brings in a sense of warmth and that is exactly what you want. You want to walk into your living room at the end of a grueling day and feel like you are getting a big, warm hug from your space. The trick is having lots of natural light otherwise you run the risk of having a cave instead of a cozy room.
Chalet Cozy
It doesn’t matter what sort of chalet you picture in your mind, they all lend themselves to this sense of coziness. Lake houses, ski chalets, forest lodges – all of them feel cozy the moment you step inside. Of course, a big part of this is the setting. It’s coming back from a day outdoors and warming your toes in front of a fireplace. However, this doesn’t mean you can’t embrace the chalet-style. You can. You totally can. Things like rustic beams across your ceiling, a feature wall made from natural rocks, a stone hearth, open fireplace and soft furnishings all play to this sense of coziness. That’s how to get the cozy apres-ski feeling your heart desires.
Bohemian Cozy
Just because you’re trying to add another layer of coziness to your home doesn’t mean you have to go to all dark colors and warm tones. That’s because it’s totally possible to embrace the bohemian look of relaxed and casual to get an entirely different take on coziness. White rooms with copper accents and wood moments are a testament to this. Think big sofas filled with tons of throw cushions and rumpled throws, tactile fabrics and airy drapes over the windows. That’s how to get a more airy feeling of coziness. To be fair. All you really need to make a room feel that little bit more welcoming is a cable-knit jumper. That’s all. That instantly warms a place up. While the copper accents finish the job off.
Eclectic Cozy
Cozy does not have to mean boring. Not at all. Not in the slightest. And that’s because there are no strict rules to follow when it comes to creating coziness. In fact, the closest you get to a rule is a comfort. So long as your living room is comfy, it will feel cozy. You could have a bright teal sofa, lime green fireplace, gold deer head sculptures on the wall, dark green paint everywhere and patterned rugs on the floor – so long as it is comfortable, it will be cozy. Fun can be cozy.
Whatever your style is, having a cozy living room is simple when you follow some of the tips and suggestions above. Do you have suggestions for making a cozy living room? Please add your comments below.
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