Picture this: you’re snuggled up on your sofa under a warm blanket, drinking a cup of hot cocoa, surrounded by beautiful greenery, your favorite scented candles, and a warm fire! What do you feel? Cozy! Now that winter is coming, you’re probably getting ready to dress up your home for the holiday season. To help, we’ve put together our favorite 15 interior design elements to make your home feel cozy for the holidays.
1. INCORPORATE TEXTURE
Texture as an interior design element can enhance your home with the use of baskets, wood bead garland, or a soft rug or blanket that draws attention to different details throughout your home. Rougher textures like warm rustic wood help make a space more lived in and homey while soft fabrics and furs are inviting and intimate.
2. ADJUST YOUR LIGHTING
The light fixtures and light bulbs you use in your home have a profound effect on the mood and tone of your house. The whiter and brighter the light bulb, the more stark and harsh the lighting will feel, leaving your home about as uninviting as a cold hospital room. For winter time, try using “soft white” light bulbs (2700 Kelvin or lower) to give off a warm and inviting glow.
3. Fill Your Home with Candles
Candles are a great interior design element that bring tranquility and a cozy feel to your home. Candlesticks with golden accents can be used as center pieces on the dining room table and as an additional décor element on mantles or coffee tables. Choose earthy and spiced candles to bring the enticing aroma of winter into your home.
4. USE EARTHY TONES
Earthy tones provide an inviting, warm and friendly feeling during winter time. Since earth tones are inspired by mother nature, you can easily incorporate earth tone colors by bringing nature into your home—add house plants, pine cones, real wood and other interior design décor that uses natural elements. This season, focus on warm camel or deep brown tones, rusty red-oranges of fallen leaves, or golden yellow-orange like the sun to warm things up in your home.
5. ADD THROW BLANKETS
Adding throw blankets throughout your house is an easy way to make your home feel warm and inviting. We recommend either a faux fur or knit blanket to create the warm feeling that you crave on a cold winter's eve. Throw blankets can be added to accent chairs, your living room sofa, family room ottoman, in a woven basket, or draped at the foot of your bed. During the holiday season, you can find throw blankets just about anywhere. Personally, I love Amber Lewis' collection at Anthropologie, but you can also find great deals at your local HomeGoods, Wayfair and Amazon.
6. INCORPORATE THROW PILLOWS
Throw pillows are an interior design element that can be easily switched out to add warmth and holiday cheer to your home. Try adding throw pillows in warm winter hues like a deep rusty red and dark emerald green, or cool icy blues balanced with cozy soft cream to sofas, chairs, or on your bed.
7. Get a Winter-Themed Front Doormat
A winter-themed front doormat serves several purposes. First, a door mat keeps the dirt on your snazzy winter boots from entering your home. Second, it reduces the possibility of slipping, especially if you have hardwood floors or tile. Last but not least, you can express yourself and welcome your guests to your home with a cheeky holiday message or a more formal and classy holiday cheer. If you love a good DIY project for the holidays, you can also design a DIY winter welcome mat.
8. ADD ACCENT & AREA RUGS
Do not be afraid to add accent and area rugs to your home. Hardwood and tile flooring can make your home feel cold and sterile. Area rugs can anchor a furniture arrangement or add color to a blank hallway all while adding cozy warmth to cold toes. Another designer secret—it is okay to use multiple rugs in one room! To save on cost, layer a smaller one-of-a-kind vintage rug over a larger inexpensive woven rug. Or add a faux fur accent rug to add warmth. Doubling up on the rugs can add to the cozy feeling of the room.
9. INCLUDE WINTER GREENERY
The addition of holly, spruce and pine can bring in the aroma and memory of your favorite ski trip or picking out your first Christmas tree. This winter greenery is an interior design element that can be used to create beautiful centerpieces, on stair railings, or on your mantel above the fireplace. And a bed of greenery is also the perfect place to nestle in some of those fragrant winter candles!
10. HIGHTLIGHT YOUR FIREPLACE
Decorate the mantel above your fireplace with candles, greenery and pine cones to highlight your fireplace. Display firewood next to your fireplace to inspire people to use it (another way to incorporate earthy tones into your home), and position furniture around the fireplace to encourage gatherings. This is also a great place for that cozy basket of blankets!
11. Bring in Some Sparkle and Shine
Metal accents in different finishes add a magical sparkle to your holiday decor. Try incorporating some shiny silver candlesticks on your dining room table or buffet. Antique gold bells hung on a coat rack or door will also help bring in those festive feelings and holiday cheer.
12. CREATE A COFFEE & COCOA STATION
A coffee and hot cocoa station is a creative interior design element that can easily be added to the kitchen of your home. This station says to guests, “stay a while and get comfortable!” We encourage you to place marshmallows, candies and peppermint inside the station to elevate your coffee and hot chocolate beverages. And because, let’s face it, now is the time to let loose on that diet plan, and enjoy yourself and your company!
13. SPRUCE UP WITH A SLIPCOVER
A slipcover is a simple interior design element that can make a major difference to your overall decor. To fit in with your winter theme, consider changing the color of your sofa or dining room chairs with a slipcover. Choose a plush and soft sofa cover to increase comfortability or a velvet dining chair slipcover to add a little luxe.
14. ADD COFFEE TABLE BOOKS
We encourage the use of coffee table books year-round, but this is an interior design element that can be easily updated to match the season. These books can inspire conversation, give people an idea of who you are and what you like, as well as invoke positive emotions. In the winter time, find coffee table books with a winter or holiday theme to get your family and your guests in the holiday spirit
15. DEDICATE A PLACE FOR HOLIDAY CARDS OR PHOTOS
There are so many creative and cozy ways to display your holiday cards—from decorative card holders, to DIY projects you can do with your kids or family (like turning cards into ornaments), to more elegant displays like hanging holiday cards over your mantle. Whatever you decide, dedicate a special space in your home to sentimental holiday cards for an extra cozy interior design feel.
Themed photo collages are another beautiful reminder of the holiday season with family and friends. Bring out old photos from holidays throughout the years and design a holiday gallery wall. To bring even more comfort, put these photo collages in a rugged wooden frame to add texture to the walls.
Need a little extra help beyond our 15 interior design elements to make your home feel cozy for the holidays?
We’d love to help. Set up a consultation with Viève Interiors today.
