When it comes to creating a cosy and welcoming living room, it is often the smaller details and finishing touches that we struggle with, opposed to the larger objects. Thankfully, it doesn’t take much to bring the space together into a calm and cosy room – you’re likely to already have the tools to hand already – but it does need to be done with a bit of thought and consideration.
It’s more than just lighting a few candles and draping a soft throw over your sofa – a cosy living room should feel natural because it’s been designed with comfort in mind. You need to think about touch, scent and sound so that it all comes together to create a comfy and welcoming atmosphere.
Think about texture
When it comes to bare walls and open spaces, soften up the lines by using texture in your living room. Texture can soften and warm up even the most neutral of living spaces and every home needs them. Swap out synthetic man made materials for clean and natural materials such as rattan, cotton, linen and wood.
Use smooth shapes and round edges
A truly cosy living room needs to incorporate smooth and curved shapes to give it an inviting feel. Furniture which has sharp and harsh lines and edges creates an illusion of a space which isn’t comfortable or relaxing.
By creating a more relaxing ambience within your living room, you also create the feeling of wanting to curl up on the sofa with a blanket, which is exactly what you want when you think of cosyness. Circular furniture, such as round luxury coffee tables, encourages the feeling of gathering round it, whilst rounded corners on soft furniture, like sofas and armchairs, make them feel more welcoming. Be sure to add plenty of soft cushions and rugs too. Designer sofas and armchairs work well in cosy living rooms, as they are often made with softer materials or in lighter colours and can be paired well with bright colours to make it personal to your style.
Add some tone and colour
Whilst white walls can feel bright during the day, in some lights it can feel quite cold and clinical. If you want to counterbalance this and make your living room feel more welcoming and comfortable, then add a subtle hint of colour to the walls to make it feel warmer.
Whether its an off-white or light beige, or something a little more daring such as a hush pink or soft green, this will make the space feel more cosy as it will feel more natural. Then, you can layer and introduce colour in different parts of the room, but be sure to choose complementary colours which are opposite one another on the colour spectrum to create a balanced look.
Get rid of the overhead light
No one really wants to sit in a living room in the evening with the overhead light on. The bright light makes you feel more awake and alert, instead of calm and rested. You could install a dimmer switch so that you can layer the light with lamps and other light sources to create a softer light and, in a cosy living room, you can also use lamps to create soft focal points around the room.