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Goodbye Holiday Madness, Hello Cozy and Inviting Sanctuary

Kiana Richardson

As we all (hopefully) wind down from the last-minute Christmas shopping and draw near to the holiday frenzy's end, I'm sure I speak for many when I say I am looking forward to just kicking my feet up and cozying up for the remainder of this winter season. But if you're looking around your space and seeing anything but cozy, wondering how to achieve an atmosphere perfect for winter evenings by the fire, this week's blog post touches on just that. 


Warm Colors


Color is everything when it comes to creating the mood of a space. In fact, I'd argue it is the first thing that sets the tone and mood of a room. Color is the greatest tool we have when telling someone how to feel when entering the room. When we're creating warm and inviting spaces, the colors we want to focus on are our reds, oranges and yellows. When used to paint, it's important to note the power of perception these colors have as well and acknowledge what these colors specifically can do to how spacious a room feels. Warmer colors tend to advance toward the eye whereas cooler colors recede away from the eye, therefore making a space appear larger. If you're already working with a room on the smaller side and don't want to further accentuate how small it is, consider only painting an accent wall versus the entire room. If you're not painting any walls and are focused solely on decor, using these colors without worry of creating a walls-closing-in feel is going to be much easier. Accessories like blankets, throw pillows, rugs, even artwork featuring these colors are an excellent and simple way to bring some warmth to your space. Even if you prefer more of a neutral palate, your neutrals can also be warm or cool depending on how much white or black they have mixed into them; saturated neutrals, like Benjamin Moore's Natural Linen, can beautifully warm a space up without overpowering the rest of the design. Violet is another color that can be considered either warm or cool, depending on the amount of red or blue it has mixed in; the more red it has mixed into it, the warmer the hue. The possibilities with color are more endless than most people realize, so have fun with it!

Benjamin Moore's Natural Linen
Benjamin Moore's Natural Linen

Texture


Texture is anything we feel that can be described as smooth, soft, bumpy, etc. Soft textures that you actually want to touch are paramount to a warm and cozy space. When you hear the word 'cozy' what's the first texture that comes to mind? I personally think of fleece. During the winter months, I typically have a fleece blanket draped over my couch for easy access in the evenings when my day of toddler-wrangling is said and done. Other warm and soft textures include linen, wool, faux fur, and velvet. The great thing about texture and it's use in interior design is that its effects aren't limited to just the things we use to get physically warm, like blankets. Texture can be strategically applied to other accessories, such as drapes, rugs, decorative pillows, etc. to contribute to the warm and cozy feeling in a space. If you're after a luxurious look and feel, you can lean more on fabrics like silk, cotton and satin, as these are commonly associated with both comfort and luxury. 

Natural Light


I'm a firm believer natural light is healing to the spirit and, therefore, helps to create an internal warm and feel-good feeling. In natural light, colors appear truer and more vibrant, patterns don't seem as dull, and it can help highlight a space's true size. As great and preferable as natural light is, though, the reality is it can be seriously lacking in some spaces, calling for the use of artificial lighting. When creating a warm and inviting space, determine the different layers of light needed in your unique space. Typically, a space will have general lighting (lighting use to complete basic functions in a room, like recessed lights; this layer of light is also commonly referred to as ambient lighting since it also helps sets the mood and tone of a room), task lighting (lighting used to complete a specific task that is more directed, such as over a reading chair) and accent lighting (lighting to help one move about the room). If you have artwork you want to highlight and draw attention to, you might also have accent lighting above these, as it is often used to highlight certain architectural features or accessories in a space. More than anything, though, your lighting - whether natural or artificial - is going to heavily impact how inviting a space feels. No one wants to sit in a dark room or one with limited lighting (unless your space is centered around a low-lighting activity, such as a theater room for example), so consider what you need to do to increase the amount of light in your cozy space. If going the artificial light route, there are many lamps on the market that allow for the use of a bulb that has warm and cool lighting options, which can further help you set the tone of your space.




So, as we all settle into our cozy sanctuaries, which of these elements might you need to concentrate on to achieve your version of cozy and inviting? Whichever one it is, just remember you are creating your space for you (and your family, if applicable) - woven into all that coziness should be you and your story.  


Happy hibernating!

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