In this post I’ll be sharing my tips on how to make your home feel cozy and inviting for fall.
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As an interior decor lover, one of the nicest compliments to receive from someone visiting my home is that it feels cozy and inviting.
From layered outfits to warm drinks, fall is the quintessential “cozy season” and as we head into September next week, I was inspired to take a look at the way my home starts to transition into a warmer and more inviting space for the ever-so-slightly-colder Miami fall months.
(Fun fact, I was so close to choosing interior design as my major in college, but instead went with fashion design. Now, many moons after graduation, I find myself equally in love with both fields and can spend hours lusting over both runway shows and interior design magazines alike. I guess some things never change.)
But today we’re talking about what makes a house a HOME. How to take your space up a notch and create an inviting, feel-good atmosphere that you’ll love to spend time in.
Although these tips for a cozy home apply to all seasons, I’ll be focusing on the details, like textures and color palettes, that work best for the fall/autumn – just in time for hosting friends and family during all the upcoming holiday gatherings.
How to make your home feel cozy and inviting
When it comes to interiors, all of the elements you choose to incorporate into your space, from large furniture pieces to small details and knickknacks, combine together to evoke a feeling. Today that feeling we’re aiming for is cozy. To me, cozy is a vibe… and it should almost be something you can’t exactly pinpoint. You just feel it. When you walk into a room that feels cozy and inviting, your flight or fight response should lower, your walls should come down, and you should feel at ease. Ready to grab a blanket and lounge around, enjoy a long conversation with a friend, or listen to some feel-good music.
Let’s get into some of the areas I personally like to focus on to achieve a warm and inviting space.
1. TEXTURES
One of the easiest ways to cozy-up your home is to incorporate a variety of textures – particularly with accent pieces like throw pillows, blankets, drapes, etc. I made the switch to dark green velvet drapes in my living room a few seasons ago, and it really added a layer of warmth and moodiness to my open concept living room.
For the fall time, you can search for heavier textiles that add interest to the space with textures. Acrylic/wool blend throw blankets, boucle accent pillows, and velvet or other plush materials will invite guests to get comfy on the couch and stay awhile. Another way to instantly up the cozy level of a room is to add a rug. Rugs help ground a space with yet another layer of texture underneath your feet. I personally love a vintage-style rug with a lot of vibrant colors that energize the room without feeling too overwhelming.
2. ARTWORK
Don’t neglect your wall space. Adding a bit of extra artwork to a bare wall helps create the feeling of being wrapped in a warm hug… but for your home. There’s something transformative about creating a story with artwork. You could go big and design a large gallery wall, or simply add some vibrance to a reading corner with a few small frames. Gain bonus cozy points if you incorporate an element of glow with picture lights above frames or candle sconces on either side of a larger piece of art. My tip is to balance the artwork in a way that still leaves a bit of negative space for the eye to rest. If you want to go extra bold with your walls, try a moody wallpaper. My favorite space to incorporate wallpaper in a dark color palette is a guest bathroom.
3. PLANTS
If you don’t already have at least a small variety of plants sprinkled throughout your home, this is the perfect time to pick up a few. They truly do bring life into a room, and add yet another layer of visual interest to the space without being too obvious or overwhelming. I personally find that plants make me feel more at ease and in a way, rooted with nature even while spending time indoors. You can start with a super easy-to-care-for plant that adds tons of drama, like a pothos. Then, arrange the plants at different heights throughout the room. I like to place a few in lined baskets on the ground, on plant stands or stools for a mid level height, and then place one on a high shelf or wall unit (preferably one that vines so it creates movement down the side of the furniture).
Another way to transition plants into the fall and winter seasons is to swap out fresh flower bouquets for dried sprigs of eucalyptus or grasses, or instead opt for flowers in richer hues like burgundy, rust, and plum.
4. COLOR PALETTE
When it comes to colors that add warmth to a space, you’ll want to lean towards, well… warmer tones. However, don’t feel like you have to limit yourself to a completely neutral/brown “fall” color palette. There are so many colors that evoke a feeling of cozy-calm while still being bold and exciting to look at.
Try to avoid cool toned colors like icy blues or grey. Sidenote: if you already have these colors in your space, you can still work around them… I have a light grey sectional couch and have slowly added warm toned elements, like throw pillows, throughout the room to balance it out. Transitioning home decor from season to season should not require you to completely replace large items, but instead, focus on the smaller pieces you can swap out to create a different look and feel.
Aside from the pretty neutral tones of beiges and browns, some of my personal favorite colors to incorporate in the falltime are rust, burgundy, emerald green, navy blue, and sage. Also, consider layering different wood tones together. This will add even more warmth to the overall color palette without feeling too in your face.
5. LAYERING
Speaking of layering, one of the fastest ways to add a warm and inviting feeling to your home is to make it feel “collected” over time. Avoid that matchy-matchy look of buying all your furniture from a big box store, and source items from different places that come together to tell one cohesive story. If you stay locked into one specific “style” you run the risk of creating a home that feels almost like a showroom or plucked straight out of a store catalog.
I personally like to mix different aesthetics to create a more unique vibe throughout my home. Adding small pieces from thrift or antique stores will tell a story about your space and add visual interest while feeling curated. Although I do think there is definitely a fine line between collecting and hoarding. But, to each their own! To add a lived-in vibe to your space, consider layering your items in groups of odd numbers, lean frames against each other, stack plants on books, and place objects on boxes to add various heights to otherwise flat spaces.
6. LIGHTING
I am very passionate about this one, but I’ll do my best to keep it short and sweet. Please, for the love of all things holy, do not use anything OTHER than warm toned lighting in a space – especially one that you want to feel warm and inviting. There is nothing more irritating than a harsh white light above your head all night long. I’d say there’s a small exception to this rule when it comes to the kitchen (although NOT my kitchen that’s for sure!) and other places that are meant to serve more of a function, like a garage. Otherwise, keep the lighting at 2700 K or below on the color temperature scale to create that warm glow. I usually stick with the ones labeled “soft white” for a nice warm glow without being too yellow. Everyone will look and feel better in a room more dimly lit with warm toned lighting, trust me.
Apart from the color temperature, consider adding lighting at various heights around the room to avoid that intense overhead light that can cast harsh shadows and also be a vibe-kill. I love to incorporate things like floor lamps, mini table lamps, and even candle warmer lamps to add different areas of layered light throughout a room. These plug in lights would also add a gorgeous glow if placed behind a plant or small side table.
7. AMBIANCE
Lastly, when transitioning your space for the cozy fall/autumn season, take note of all 5 senses. You almost want to create a complete experience as your guests arrive. We’ve already tackled things like touch (with textiles and textures), and sight (with ambient lighting, layered decor, and artwork on the walls). But, to really create that all-encompassing feeling of “cozy” don’t forget to think of smell, sounds, and taste as well. I like to make sure my home smells inviting, whether it’s a fall scented candle, essential oils, or even a simmer pot on the stove. Then, take it one step further and pop on a cozy jazz playlist in the background. And, of course, a well-prepared host always has a small snack to offer. For the fall season, something like brie and fig jam with crackers or some cinnamon chai tea will tie in perfectly.
Click here to see my favorite cozy home decor finds.
Hope you were able to snag a few tips and tricks for how to make your home feel cozy and inviting this fall season.
Like this content? Check out these posts:
– DIY boho fall wreath
– Fall reading list
– Home decor lovers gift guide
Xx Laura
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