Brrrr … it’s cold out there. If winter weather makes you want to hibernate in your NYC apartment, then you are going to love these 10 cozy home decor ideas!
1. Warm Up with Color
Colors such as blue and white, while popular, can make a room feel cold. For extra coziness, choose colors with warm undertones instead.
Beige, brown, orange, and red are great options. Work these colors into your home through paint, furniture, or accessories that can be swapped out with the seasons.
Image Source: Flickr/Dee Speed
2. Select the Right Lighting
Lighting is a key component of cozy home decor. Start by avoiding harsh overhead lights. Try adding dimmer switches to existing lights, as well as a variety of task lighting, such as table lights. Candles are a beautiful antidote to dreary New York winters and will add coziness to your home, too.
3. Cozy Up with Throws and Pillows
Throws and pillows will add instant comfort to your home. Try draping a throw over the back of a chair, an arm rest, or across the foot of your bed. Dress up your couch or bed with stylish pillows that you can sink into at the end of a long day.
4. Add Comfort Underfoot
Hardwood floors are beautiful, but in winter they may feel cold or stark. Add rugs in every room to warm up your space. If you’re feeling adventurous, try layering two rugs on top of each other.
Select rugs with lots of cushioning and choose a thick rug pad for extra coziness.
Image Source: Flickr/chany crystal
5. Think About Texture
Cozy home decor is all about texture. If your home is filled with sharp angles, cold metals, or hard concrete, layering in texture will make a huge difference. When selecting furniture, curtains, and accessories, look for materials that are soft, fluffy, and sumptuous. Think velvet, knits, wool, and fur.
6. Warm Up with Wood
Wood is a natural choice when it comes to making our homes cozy, and there is a finish for every decor style.
Try adding beams in a high ceiling, furniture with wood accents, wood accessories such as picture frames or decorative boxes, or even a reclaimed wood mantel.
7. Select the Right Furniture
When you live in a small NYC apartment, it can be tempting to choose small scale or streamlined furniture. Larger is better in most cases though. For example, instead of two armchairs, a cushioned love seat is the more comfortable choice. Fewer pieces of furniture will also make your home feel less cluttered.
Avoid buying sets of furniture, too. Instead, mix it up for a more lived in look.
Image Source: Flickr/Emily May
8. Focus on Your Fireplace
If you are lucky enough to have a fireplace, make it your focal point. Rearrange your furniture to face or surround the fireplace and don’t forget the mantel. Hang large scale artwork or a mirror over your mantel, then add candles and other decorative objects for even more impact.
9. Add Curtains to Your Windows
Curtains are one of those decorating items that get skipped, but don’t settle for windows covered in mini blinds! Decorative curtains will make your room feel cozy and will add privacy. Plus, they’ll help block out cold drafts.
Choose heavier fabrics like velvet for maximum effect.
10. Surround Yourself with Things You Love
There’s nothing that makes us feel better than being surrounded by things we love. Make your apartment feel extra homey and cozy by displaying favorite photos, art, mementos, collections, plants, and other favorite items.
Main Image Source: Flickr/Emily May
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I really appreciated the suggestion to add dimmer switches to help change up the look of your room through adjusting the lighting. I feel like this could do a lot to help the overall atmosphere and highlight certain aspects of home decor you have in your space. My home doesn’t have a whole lot of natural light, so I think changes to the lighting could really help make the look of my decor better.