Is there any greater pleasure than curling up with a good book in a cozy corner of your living room? But sometimes, our desire to model style over comfort heads us off. We become victims of our own excellent taste.
What purpose does form serve if it’s not meshed with function? Any reader will tell you that coziness is a priority when you’ve settled in for the night with an engrossing read. So, how do you unstiffen your surroundings to create a sense of coddling, cozy comfort?
Here we share some ideas to create a cozy living room equal to your demands for stylish sophistication but not so serious about itself that it’s not nurturing. And now that winter is coming, cozy is the goal.
Sensual and Tactile
Home is where your heart is and when the weather gets cold, it’s where you settle in on a cold night, with no intention of moving.
Because baby, it’s cold outside.
This is the time of year that sensuality and tactility take center stage. Cozy throws across the backs of chairs and your sofa invite snuggling up. Add artificial candles with LED lights and drink in the coziness. Heighten the sensuality by adding feather cushions in a contrasting jewel tone to add warmth.
Why Get Up?
The new look of living rooms abandons the traditional coffee table in favor of small table groupings, accessible from all seating in the room. These are usually grouped in 2s or 3s and maybe topped by those candles we were just talking about, other décor items, or simply employed as the convenience they’re intended to be.
There’s nothing more nurturing than having a surface close by to place a hot cup of cocoa, a glass of wine, or a snack. The sense is one of relaxed self-pampering, as you weather the cold in the cozy comfort of your own home.
No Fireplace? No Problem
Fireplaces aren’t as regular a feature in homes as they may have been in recent decades. But there’s nothing cozier and if you don’t have one, you may miss the comfort of those warming, flickering flames.
But you can change that with a freestanding electric fireplace. They generate considerable heat and don’t require the constant prodding and poking of a wood fireplace (which also needs its chimney cleaned).
A solution for an existing, non-functioning fireplace is an insert. While these don’t usually generate heat, they add a cozy glow that puts a cold, winter night in its place.
Add Luxury
You may love that old wingback in the corner but is it cozy? If you’ve had it for a while, the upholstery may need an upgrade to restore it to fully functioning coziness. When reupholstering, consider a fabric upgrade, choosing a rich velvet or weathered leather.
Add a footstool in a contrasting color and a sheepskin (even an artificial one) and you’re in cozy heaven, laughing in winter’s face.
Michelangelo Designs has been bringing the design riches of Italy to US Trade professionals since 1985. Contact us. Discover our cure for the common.