With cooler months settling in, cultivating your home to feel cozy and welcoming can help keep you inspired and comfortable, whether you’re throwing holiday parties, hosting guests, making new hobbies, or just trying to keep warm. We talked with Colette Pederson, a Copenhagen Gilbert sales associate, about why cozying up for the season is so important and what furniture and design tips can help you to do so.
“With the days getting shorter and the evenings cooler and longer, it’s especially important to have a cozy home this time of year,” Pedersen says. “Your indoors should invite you in – so you don’t miss outdoor activities as much.”
Adding texture to your space is an easy but powerful way to increase your comfort and level up your home’s character, whether you prefer physical textures or visual ones. Adding a rug like Aimi gives you the benefits of both; it has a viscose weave with a silky-soft feel and a symmetrical pattern of delicate branching lines, adding a wintry accent to your space without the chill.
Since layers are imperative for coziness, we like incorporating a few oversized throws and pillows for that homey, lived-in feel. Pedersen suggests that our aesthetic choices can affect our moods: “Comfortable furniture and accessories help you relax. I like choosing patterns that feel welcoming to me and help set the mood – but I’m careful not to clutter up my space too much. Too much clutter can affect that peaceful mindset we’re aiming for.”
To help avoid this, consider adding layers of texture in places you might not expect, like on the wall. Wall art with raised or 3D elements like Metallic Forest adds depth and warmth without taking up additional space. Or, if you’re looking for a bed, choosing one with an upholstered headboard can help give your space that cocooning feel. The Ayrton bed, for example, features soft leather with a diamond quilted pattern for a naturally cozy look.
If light and airy are the aesthetic goals for summer, then adding elements that make your home feel ripe for nesting is ideal for winter. Creating cozy nooks for reading, relaxing, and conversing can add a thoughtful, lived-in feel to your home. Use smaller pieces of furniture and rugs to curate an area you’ll love to relax in.
“For a reader, the right light, comfortable and supportive seating, and a side table will make the perfect reading nook,” Pedersen states. To create one such space, we suggest bringing in a power motion recliner like the Stressless® Mike with a laptop or side table like Serif; the recliner’s footrest can be folded in when not in use, and the mobile table can be moved when needed. To really give this space that thoughtful feel, Pedersen also suggests adding “a few candles or tea lights, a soft throw, and a wooden tray or bowl.” These small touches can change the flow of a room and inspire new appreciation.
The goal is to make spaces that feel like your, or your guests’, personal sanctuary, bringing a feel of calmness and flow. To create a welcoming space for a video gamer or movie fanatic, Pedersen suggests adding a “fabric accent chair with a throw draped over one arm” in front of a TV. For those that love to sleep in, incorporating “dimmable light and plush rugs on either side of the bed” can create a wider relaxation zone, so their contentment doesn’t end when they sit up.
Establishing these individual spaces ensures every part of your home is being utilized and appreciated by those in it, whatever their hobbies or needs.
Warmth is another essential for a cozy space, and there’s a variety of ways to incorporate it for the season.
Earthy colors, from neutral greens and browns to bold mustards and burgundies, evoke the natural tones of the outdoors when it’s most alive, so they exude an innate warmth when used inside. The Cullin chair and sofa are some of Pedersen’s personal warm picks; with lively yellow fabric upholstery and a plush, inviting silhouette, these pieces “spark complete coziness” for her.
If you prefer more muted colors, another Pedersen favorite is the Paxon bed. Paxon’s warm-toned grey frame has an olive undertone and a variegated boucle texture, a perfect example of how color and texture can come together to create natural warmth.
Though lighting is often an afterthought, it can affect the mood and overall feel of a space. During the cooler months, daylight can be scarce, so we suggest making the most of it by turning your desk or recliner to face a window. Natural light is generally believed to benefit people in many ways so why not incorporate as much as you can?
We also suggest utilizing a variety of light sources in your space – so that each activity or room has a more customized and comfortable feel. Since kitchens and dining areas can sometimes feel bright and stark, adding a dimmable light like the Tilly floor lamp can help mitigate any harsher light tones and create a more intimate setting. If you have wall lighting in your living room, using several smaller table lamps in the winter can establish a warmer atmosphere that feels natural – and support the ambiance of those cozy nooks discussed earlier!
The finishing touches for your cozy space can be personal items that have meaning for you and speak to your soul. For Pedersen, “adding tea lights and candles in every room, putting fresh fruit or baked goods on the kitchen island, utilizing seasonal floral bouquets, and playing soft music” helps her make a space that feels truly lived-in and homey. With these tips in mind, we hope you’re able to create a space that helps you nest for winter!
For more design and furniture tips, check out our other blog posts, or visit in-store or online.