Let’s get one thing straight. W all to agree that our home should be a beacon of warmth and give off a cozy vibe. Or, at the very least, it should reflect the kind of relaxing space that we want and need. If what relaxes us are cold marble tiles and stainless steel countertops, then so be it. But for the more traditional, a home should feel warm and cozy with the right colors, textures, and materials.
Everyone wants to feel good in their own space. Whether it’s a college dorm room or your first apartment right after college, or the first home you bought with your spouse, everyone wants to feel that they can come home and relax. What relaxation means to people might vary, but it all circles around the same things: soft lighting, warm (but not hot) environment, and soft cushions that will envelop your tired body.
Soften the Ambiance with the Right Flooring
Concrete tiles are the cheapest material to use for one’s flooring, but they are uninviting. Marble is elegant and expensive, but it is also uninviting. Both feel cold and formal, and strict. The easiest way to create a warm ambiance in the house is to change it into wood flooring. Of course, this is not the cheapest and easiest route, but it’s the best way to create the cozy ambiance you seek.
Fortunately, if you are handy with tools, you can do this yourself. It’s easy enough to rip open the old flooring and change it with wood. All you need are the right materials to replace the old tiles with the new ones.
Area Rugs Help Give a Cozy Vibe
If replacing your flooring with wood is not an option because of the cost, you can soften the hard flooring with shrugs, rugs, and carpets. Remember that although wood flooring looks cozy, it can be very chilly under your feet in the colder seasons. The same goes for concrete tiles. What you can do is place layers between your feet and the floor. You can use rugs all over the house, from the living room and the kitchen to the bedrooms and the bathrooms. Just pick the right material for the room.
Good Lighting Sets the Tone for a Cozy Vibe
There is nothing like good lighting to create a cozy atmosphere at home. That’s why restaurants with warm lights are Instagrammable. They invite diners with their warm lighting. But the one thing people get wrong about good lighting is focusing on overhead lights, which tend to be harsher than task lighting, lamps, candles, and ambient lighting. If you want to create a cozy atmosphere at home, focus on area lights that provide a warm glow throughout the rest of the house.
The color temperature scale ranges between 1,000 K and 10,000 K. Warm white begins around 3,000 K, while cool white begins at 5,000 K. The higher the k (kelvin), the colder the light. For your home, choose a light source of around 1,850k. That is the kelvin of candlelight.
Add Life with Plants and Flowers
Homes are dull and lifeless without plants and flowers. Take care of some indoor plants and place them in key places around the house, such as the kitchen and living room. You can put a nice large plant inside the bedroom, too, as well as orchids in the bathroom. Plants are good for the bathroom because they dehumidify the room and prevent the growth of mold.
Some plants can be expensive, but you don’t need to spend too much on them if you know how to propagate your existing plants. You can also ask for cuttings from friends and family. And if that doesn’t work, buy seeds from the garden center and grow them on your own. Buying well-rooted plants might be more expensive.
Use Curtains Instead of Blinds to Give Windows a Cozy Vibe
Blinds are easier to have because they are low-maintenance. They don’t require much from the homeowners. However, they are also cold and unassuming. Curtains, drapes, and sheers are the better options because they add warmth to the house, whether it’s summer or winter. You can also check out the popular macrame-style curtains—they look hip and cozy.
There are many things you can do to your home that will create a warm and cozy vibe. Whether you have a couple of dollars in your pocket or thousands of dollars to spare, there’s always something for you and your budget. So, check out what your home needs versus what you can afford before taking action.
