15 Ways to Cozy Up Your Home for Winter and Beyond

Make Use of a Fireplace

What’s cozier than a fireplace? If you’re lucky enough to have one in your home, use it and use it often. “There's nothing like a crackling fire to cast a cozy glow and fill a room with warmth,” interior designer Kathy Kuo says.

A Rug is a Must

Never underestimate the power of a rug. While you may already be rugged up in your living room and bedroom, consider adding one to a more unexpected space that could use an extra notch of coziness, like a kitchen or dining room.  

“A vintage rug with rich colors will warm the space up, as well as your feet in the mornings,” Lizzie Beesley, head of design at Magnet, says. “Placing it under a dining table or a sofa is also a great technique to add dimension to the space.’’

Layer Lots of Pillows

If you’re going for cozy family room vibes, the first item of business is creating a space where they can sit down, get comfortable, and stay awhile, according to Barbi Walters, principal designer at The Lynden Lane Co. That’s why she loves layering pillows.

“You can take big, chunky ones that match the color of your sofa and toss them on the floor for some additional seats with a front-row fireplace view,” she says. Think of the smaller, uniquely shaped pillows as an opportunity to express your personal style, highlighting colors, patterns, and textures that feel uniquely you.

Switch Out Your Bedding

The light linen sheets you sleep with on summer’s sultriest days won’t cut it for your hibernation season. Instead, switch out your quilt or duvet with a heavier option, then add throw blankets, toe warmers, and (lots of) pillows.

“Adding a textured fur or faux fur blanket at the end of the bed adds another layer of cozy and warmth,” Lindsey Jamison of Rumor Designs says. You’ll get bonus cozy points if you keep a pair of shearling slippers next to your bed too.

Light a Candle (or 10)

Coziness 101: light a candle. Or, better yet, light lots of candles (as long as you can keep an eye on them all—safety first).

“Candles are a great table centerpiece, but can also be used throughout the home to create an instant atmosphere, whether that’s on a shelf in a hallway or on the fireplace in the living room,” Paula Boston, visual merchandiser for Festive Lights, shares with The Spruce.

Fill Your Home With Conversation-Starters

A room decorated with conversation-starting elements is bound to bring people together—the ultimate way to a cozy vibe. Think: the seashells you brought back from Portugal, the framed poem your kindergartener wrote, the records you’ve collected from vintage shops over the years.  

“Style your coffee table with plenty of engaging art books that are actually meant to be cracked open and paged through,” Kuo says, “And opt for a super-plush rug underfoot that fills the room with a warm, fuzzy feeling from the ground up."

Ambient Lighting is a Must

Table lamps and floor lamps are small in size but mighty in terms of the cozy vibe they bring. Ambient lighting is much softer than full-blast overhead lights and allows you to create different moods. So go ahead, put your little lamps to work.

Layer Linens on Your Bed

For Pom Pom at Home CEO and founder Hilde Leiaghat, the key to creating a bed you don’t want to crawl out of is layers, layers, and more layers—but not all with the same fabric. 

“The secret is using different textures,” Leighat says. “Your sheets being the finest of the texture, and then you go to more and more texture as you add on layers, with heavy linen weaves, hand-loomed, heavy-knit throws, and different fibers to make your bed look and feel interesting.”

Consider pillows and throw blankets the cherries on top of your sweet treat of a bed.

Incorporate a Scent

Whether you have a signature scent or switch up your fragrance depending on the season, your home deserves to get in on the good-smelling fun, too. 

“Add a nice fragrance to a bedroom through a candle or diffuser that feels outdoorsy, woods, or earthy,” Jamison says. “This is a nice subtle way to add a cozy feeling.”

Hang Velvet Drapery

Few decor items are as luxe as velvet drapes. They beg to be touched, and instantly provide a cozy feeling. Choose drapes in a deep gem-like hue to add drama to a living room, dining room, or bedroom design. Best yet, velvet drapes will keep you warm and cozy—literally!—by protecting you from cool drafty windows.

Incorporate Natural Materials into Your Kitchen

Kitchens aren’t known for their inherent coziness, but there are ways to counter that coolness while adding layers and depths to the space. Incorporating warm, naturalistic materials like wood, leather, and textiles in your kitchen will balance out the colder materials traditionally found in the space, according to Beesley.

“From wooden chairs and tables to smaller accent details such as wooden coasters and fabric tea towels, weaving in these natural materials will add textural interest to the space.," she says.

Install Dimmers on Your Light Switches

Nothing kills a cozy vibe faster than harsh overhead lighting. There’s an easy solution though. “If you are looking to create a space that can transition into a cozy evening spot, it’s a great idea to invest in dimmable lighting,” Beesley says. “This will allow you to alter the atmosphere in an instant.” 

Mix and Match Personal Touches and Plants

‘’Creating a truly cozy kitchen comes down to the smaller details that tie together cohesively to create a space that is unique and inviting,” Beesley says. If you have open shelves, use those to display dishes and mugs in different patterns—they’ll bring personality and warmth to the space. 

“Dried flowers and fresh plants will also add charm to a kitchen,” Beesley says. “Not only are they decorative, but they are proven to reduce stress and will help make you feel calm and relaxed.’’

Outfit Your Entryway With a Bench

Between scarves, boots, mittens, and the puffiest of puffy jackets, entryways can become a pile of outerwear in the winter. “Add a beautiful bench by the front door for guests to remove cumbersome outdoor gear,” Julie Brayton of Brayton Interiors says. That way, both you and your guests will feel cozy within the first few steps of walking into your home.

Hang Fairy Lights

Missing the soft glow of your Christmas tree? Once the ornaments have been packed away until next December, use fairy lights to add a cozy feel to your home.

“Fairy lights open up a new world of sparkle and warmth for your home, whether you want to drape them around artwork or mirrors on your wall, or cascade them from the ceiling,” Boston says.