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This post is all about the 7 ways to create a cozy and stylish home.
It can be so hard to establish a style for your home when there are so many different options and ideas out there. In this post, I will share a few ideas on how to create a cozy and stylish home that pairs well with any home style you are interested in. If you haven’t narrowed down a specific style for your home, that’s okay! Neither have I! I don’t focus on a specific style for my home but rather creating a space that makes me happy and feels authentic to who I am.
1. Invest in Unique Lamps and Low Lights
I never really use the full overhead lights in my house because I don’t like the way artificial light make my home look. It just kills the mood! I love to have lamps and low lights because they create a cozy environment. Placing unique lamps throughout your house is a great way to decorate and add warmth. Homegoods, Target and Amazon are great places to find unique lamps.
2. Use Colorful, Patterned Throw Pillows
I love to add color to my home in any way I can. When I first got these pillows I was definitely nervous because I always had neutral couch pillows. I wasn’t sure about mixing patterns and colors so it was a big step to choose these types of pillows. These are now one of my favorite decor items in my living room because they brighten things up. When decorating with different colors and patterns, I do like to make sure they match in some way. Patterns can match other patterns and colors or other aspects of a room.
Choosing a random pattern for a room can sometimes bring a different dimension and feeling to that room. For example, the blue and white dotted pillow somehow seems to work with the other pillows on the couch but adds an unexpected pop of pattern. I love it! I know not everyone agrees with using different patterns/colors but it can add so much to a room.
3. Experiment with Different Paint Colors
Color is definitely in at the moment. The days of neutrals and beiges are gone and I couldn’t be happier. When we moved into this house, I really wanted to branch out and do some “wild” colors. I loved the idea of a dark moody kitchen so I decided to paint the cabinets and walls a dark color (Behr- Cracked Pepper). It completely transformed our kitchen. I do believe that any color can work as long as you use the right decor. The kitchen is still not finished but we are going to go with a white backsplash and white countertops to add a bit of brightness.
For our entryway, I used a greenish-blue color (Sherwin Williams-Stillwater). I also painted the doors, baseboards and trims the same color which gave the entryway a completely new look. The entryway is already pretty dark and I wanted to continue that theme of darkness by choosing a dark color. If a space it too dark, add some mirrors or artwork to brighten it up.
4. Use Books as Decor Pieces
Books are oftentimes underestimated. Bookshelves, piles of books and coffee table books make a home feel lived in and warm. Books are a way to showcase your personality and add a sense of uniqueness to your home. It doesn’t need to be expensive either. Go to a used bookstore and pick out a few books that reflect your personality. I mean…it wouldn’t be a bad idea to read the books either! Haha!
There are so many unique ways to use books to decorate. I had a small lamp that I wanted to use on this side table but it looked wonky by itself due to its size. I stacked some books up and placed the lamp on top. Voila! Suddenly that lamp looked like it belonged.
5. Decorate with Used Furniture
You can definitely create your dream home using thrifted furniture! The majority of the furniture in my home is used and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Buying used furniture gives my home such a timeless look. When looking at thrifted furniture, stay away from bulky furniture and stick to pieces with clean lines. However, you might find something that you like but it isn’t necessarily your style. You can either sand it down and re-stain or repaint it.
There are a few used furniture pieces that I wasn’t sure about but as soon as I styled them, I fell in love! I think the items you place in and on furniture can make a huge difference in the way it looks inside your home. The below pictures are some of my favorite pieces I’ve styled from thrift stores.
This piece was only $80 and was made by hand. Pretty cool! This piece is in my dining room and I use it to store most of my dinnerware, glasses and liquor. I have not fully decorated the top part but I think it looks okay for now.
This piece was $40 and I wasn’t sure about it when I first saw it. I didn’t buy it that day but kept thinking about it. I then decided that I wanted it and went back the next day. I am so glad that I did because this is one of my favorite pieces. It sits besides the couch and I use it to store all our blankets. This is an example of a piece that I wasn’t crazy about but was soon as I styled it, I was happy with it.
6. Use Flowers- Real or Fake
I have been obsessed with flowers recently! I love making my own bouquets and decorating my home with them. I especially love decorating with fresh tulips for springtime. However, I do realize that flowers can be super expensive so I have been trying to invest in some fake flowers. The Martha Stewart line at Homegoods has amazing fake flowers and vases. They look so real and the vases are super cute. Amazon also has some great options for fake flowers.
I like to place flowers all over my home- the coffee table, kitchen island, my nightstand, etc. If they are real, I make sure to place them in an area that gets a lot of sun. Flowers are a great way to bring a room together and they create a lived-in look.
7. Decorate the Walls with Artwork or Shelves
It is easy to forget about decorating the walls but it makes such a huge difference in how a space comes together. I really try to stick to affordable art pieces because I’m definitely not in a place where I can splurge on a thousand dollar art piece. My favorite places to buy art from is Homegoods. I have found so many great pieces at Homegoods and they were all super affordable. My next goal is to find some local artists or artists on Etsy and buy some pieces that way.
When I am buying art pieces, I try to stick with simple pieces that I truly love. A lot of art in my home doesn’t really go together but I don’t really mind because I truly love each art piece. I also try to stay away from popular fads that go out of style super quick. Here lately, I have really been loving landscape pieces.
I have started to use different shelves to organize empty wall space. This has made the biggest difference in my kitchen because, not only do I have more space to organize kitchen items, but my kitchen looks ten times cozier and stylish. The shelves in my kitchen are made by hand but there are plenty of great options on Amazon.
I got the below shelf from Homegoods. I wasn’t sure where to put this shelf when we first moved in but we had an empty wall space in our dining room. I decided to hang the shelf there and it looked great once I styled it. Fake plants also add so much style to shelves and really tie everything together.
Best Ways to Create a Cozy and Stylish Home Wrap-Up
I hope you enjoyed these tips on creating a cozy and stylish home. Decorating your home doesn’t have to be hard or break the bank either. When decorating my home, I focus on the things I love rather than trying to stick to a certain home style. Every room in my home is pretty different, especially when it comes to artwork. I love using different colors and branching out with decor pieces.
When we first bought this home, I was super overwhelmed with where to even begin with decorating. I focused on one room at a time and now my home is slowly coming together. I still have so much to do and am nowhere even close to being done with styling it. But, I am happy with how it looks now and it is starting to feel very homey which is my ultimate goal. I hope this post was helpful and please let me know if you any questions with where I got any items!
If you are interested in home organization, check out my post on Small Pantry Organization!
