Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you would know the world is in meltdown over the coronavirus outbreak with schools, businesses and institutions closing and recent travellers being forced into self quarantine for weeks. So, if we’re headed for a pandemic and forced into isolation, why not take the time now to make your house nice a cosy 😉
Here’s a few of my favourite things to do around the house to make it a cosy space, not just for my household to enjoy but also for guests when they come to stay (after the quarantining is over of course!)
7 Simple Ways to Cosy Up Your Space
- Throw rugs on the sofa
The days may still be warm but the evenings are starting to feel a little cooler. Add a couple of throw rugs to the sofa in colours that work with the rest of the colour palette in the room to snuggle under while watching TV.
- Feather inserts in all of your scatter cushions
One of my favourite hacks when styling is to swap out the polyester inserts that come standard with most decorative pillows. I always go up a size with the feather insert too as that means the cushion will keep it’s shape a lot longer and save you fluffing up the sofa cushions every five seconds.
- Rugs that go all the way under the sofa
I often walk into a client’s house and notice instantly that the rug they have in their lounge room is far too small for the room. Not only does a bigger rug help zone the room nicely and make the furniture look in proportion to the room but it also helps add to the cosy factor by ensuring you’re stepping off the sofa down onto a nice warn rug underfoot. The aim with your rug size is to have the front feet of your sofa to be sitting on the rug.
- Mood Lighting
Relying on downlights to light your room is fine but it doesn’t give you any flexibility to add to the mood or atmosphere. Floor lamps, table lamps and wall sconces are less harsh with their light direction so add a nice warm wash of light throughout the room. At night time in my house I only have the table lamp and floor lamp on and hardly ever turn the overhead lights on at all.
- Add Character
One of the most important elements in my job when working with new clients is capturing the essence of my clients personality and finding ways to inject that into their home. This is usually done by adding in some of their favourite memories, perhaps they bought some fabric on a trip to India so we make cushions out of the fabric. Or maybe they took some amazing photos of sunrises on their travels during university so we frame these and put them on display. Or it’s something they’ve inherited from a loved one and want to find a way to have it on display in their space that’s meaningful.
- Window Dressings
As you can see from above, most of these tips include soft furnishings so we can’t ignore the window treatments. Curtains are always my preference when selecting window dressings for clients. Obviously certain styles of windows or rooms dictate what treatment you opt for but in a bedroom or living room I always prefer to soften the walls with a linen or cotton textured curtain. These don’t need to be expensive. Stores like West Elm, Ikea and Pottery Barn have really lovely off the shelf curtain options. Always ensure you hang the rod either directly above the window casing or up near the ceiling if you can get curtains long enough to still sit flush with the floor. There’s nothing worse than seeing curtains finish 30cm’s before the floor (it’s like wearing jeans that are too short for you, no!!!)
- Doona Fluffing
When it comes to cozying up your bedroom space, new linen and doona inserts go a long way to cozifying (it’s totally a word) your room. Add a little throw rug to the end of the bed, not just for added warmth when it’s cool but also to add some texture and colour to the room when the bed is not in use. Upholstered bedheads are a great investment for cozying up your bedroom too. I rarely design a bedroom without them! Oh and don’t forget the second rule above, make sure your scatter cushions are feather filled so you have something with a bit more support behind you when reading in bed.
