Creating a Cozy Home For Fall

Everyone wants to cozy up their home for Fall, you too? The days are shorter, leaves are changing colors (at least where I live), and it’s definitely (brrrr) sweater and UGGs weather.

I want to share some ideas for creating a warm and inviting atmosphere that isn’t just pretty but also that activates all of the senses - that makes you feel cozy. Creating a cozy home isn’t just about decor - the very word COZY gives you a specific feeling, right? So let’s dig in…

How can you cozy up your home for Fall?

Photo: Sézane, Les Composantes

First, think beyond what you can see. Try to activate what you can feel, hear, taste, touch, and smell.

What emotional reaction do you wish to have as you enter your living room, for instance? Let’s consider three:

• Do you want the room to feel like a warm hug when you enter?

• Do you want it to feel nostalgic, like your grandparents house only with your things and a more modern viewpoint?

• Do you want it to feel like an escape, like your favorite Alpine resort?

This is when you become a research expert. An investigator. Interior Designers must research and investigate constantly in order to find everything needed to create the rooms of their clients’ dreams.

Photo: Sézane, Les Composantes

Identify how you want the room to feel and build around that.

If you want it to feel cozy, warm, like a big hug, and to be a bit nostalgic then identify how to express that through the space.

• Maybe you need vintage and modern pieces mixed?

• Perhaps a warm color on the walls?

• Can you imagine a cord or velvet sofa to replace your modern, streamlined wool sofa?

• Perhaps you can change your lighting - add more candles, replace your white paper lantern with a natural beige one?

• Maybe new patterns are the answer, something nostalgic from the 70s or 80s that you could mix in that mimics one from your childhood?

Photos: Sézane, Les Composantes

SMELL

Now let’s dive into the 5 senses, first with smell. What delights you, what do you love to smell?

This is when you can close your eyes and meditate quietly for a moment. What would you love your room to smell like? Then do what is needed to create that scent. Leather, apple pie, a fireplace, sandlewood…

It could be accomplished through a candle, room spray, essential oils… There are many ways to bring in a lovely scent. I have a small bedroom humidifier that releases essential oils into the air. It’s heavenly and perfect for Fall/Winter months since it’s wonderful for the air, my skin, and my breathing.

[When you buy candles, please consider beeswax or soy-based candles with natural wicks or else you can be doing more harm than good.]

Or perhaps you could incorporate a wood burning stove into your design, or you’re already lucky and have a fireplace. Then use it! This is of course a practical and wonderful way to add warmth and scent to the space, nothing is as cozy as a fire on a cold evening.

TASTE

How can you TASTE your home? Seems odd, right? Not really. Think of how you can bring in something that smells edible or that IS edible. Food smells always make a home feel cozy. Think of your grandparents house around Christmas. Apple pie in the air… Or Christmas cookies. Maybe mulled spiced wine?

Think about how you can cozy up your home with candles that smell like food - I have a salted caramel candle from Zara Home that everyone loves - when I burn it and have guests over, everyone asks what that smell is. The scent is so amazing, you want to lick the walls. :)

Also, place food around the home so that your children and guests can enjoy it. A bowl of “healthy” treats, perhaps fruit, a basket of veggies, bowl of walnuts or other nuts. Even establishing food rituals in your home like we do, a daily ritual of making coffee in the afternoon, baking each Sunday with the family, making pancakes on Saturday morning…

You can even make your own stovetop scents - for instance try combining slices of lemon, orange, and lime with spices like mint, lavender, or basil in water and allow this to simmer - mix and match things until you find a scent that you love. I like the recipes for “simmer pots” that blogger Shannon has on Homemade Lovely. So many combinations to try - and I like this idea because it’s something my mother always did so it’s giving off nostalgic vibes for me, especially those days when dried potpourri was trendy…. ha ha!

SOUND

Let’s explore creating a cozy feeling through sound.

Again, close your eyes and think about what the room needs to sound like to feel cozy to you.

Many of us rely on playlists for sound - I have so many on Spotify, Apple, and Soundcloud that I love. I currently like the playlists Always Sunday and Laidback under Apple Music Chill on Apple Music. Do you have some favorites to share in the comments below? Please do!

Sound also can come from a crackling fireplace or a candle with a wooden wick that “crackles” as it burns. And I know it’s soooo cheesy, but I have been guilty as charged for playing the wood burning fireplace video on my flat screen TV - it’s hilarious but so good!!!

You may even want to play something other than music, it could be the sound of rain - there are entire albums dedicated to only rain sounds, or thunder. There are tons of new age albums too - Comfort and Relax by Sleep Doctor come to mind. These are healing sounds without lyrics.

Bringing in a cozy sound can be as easy as opening the window for some fresh air. Perhaps you live near the forest and there are some lovely natural sounds coming from the trees - birds… owls, woodpeckers, songbirds… This is very cozy, isn’t it? (Crows not - ha ha!). I remember how cozy I felt as a child cuddling my cat on the sofa - his purrrrrrrinnggg was relaxing to me. Or maybe you live in the city and find hearing the train or cars as somewhat cozy, don’t laugh, some city people I know hate silence and birds and rather listen to the whizzing and buzzing of the subway and find that cozy. No two people are alike.

Photos: Sézane, Les Composantes

TOUCH / WARMTH

Look for objects from outdoors (branches, pumpkins, chestnuts, leaves) along with natural materials such a wood, wool, leather, stone… To mix into your home this time of year. Touch is so important in creating a cozy space. Natural materials warm up a space visually but also feel so good to touch and hold and they also make a room temperture warmer too.

Of course, include warmer colors this time of the year. If your home is more cool in gray and blue tones, you can mix in orange through pumpkins and gourds or fall foliage, such as leaves and branches.

Add in an extra blanket to your bed in velvet or faux fur and a cozy wool throw in warm colors and textures on your sofa or hanging over the back of your favorite chair.

And rugs! SHAGGY rugs. Something cozy and plush in natural textures.

Photo: HK Living

For patterns, you can always try plaids and checks. For something more modern, try an oversize checkerboard pattern. Look for fabrics with motifs like leaves, berries, Indian block prints in Fall colors, branches, retro prints… Think cozy vibes like the example shown in the images above.

Photos: Sézane, Les Composantes

SIGHT

What you see is an obvious tip for how to create a cozy room (ha ha), but try to dig a little deeper beyond wall paint and a cozy throw and think of what could be in the room that could tell a story about your life or a person from your past.

Also considering LIGHTING. I personally love candles and lanterns because lighting is everything when it comes to sight in creating a cozy atmosphere. Make sure your lightbulbs are warm (vs. cool/harsh light).

I put modern lanterns (with a taper candle inside of each) on my windowsills and candles in each room that I light midday when it begins to darken outdoors. Also very cozy!

With lighting, you can replace white lampshades with patterned ones or creamy white or beige shades - these soften the room and make it more moody.

If you like a more natural look or a bit boho casual or wabi sabi, natural color lampions or sisal lighting (shown below) warm up a space too.

Photos: ByBliss

When it comes to sight, I also think about putting things around that set the tone for warmth, love and coziness.

Pottery, ceramics, sculpture, anything handmade and earthy, vintage pieces, books, things that are a bit nostalgic and bring back good memories from your past…

Photos: Sézane, Les Composantes

Even vintage reproductions - HK Living in Holland does an excellent job of that - look at the sofa below! How cozy is that pattern and texture?

Photo: HK Living

It could perhaps be a painting from your grandfather’s home or a portrait of your mom as a child in a small frame on a shelf. It could be a sculpture from an artist that you love.

Sadly, we’ve steered away from showing family members in frames around the home these days because it’s somehow not cool or considered clutter, but regardless, there is something so lovely about a photo of your dear grandparents discreetly placed in a room - who cares what’s trendy - add some photos if you want.

There are no decor police coming to cuff you.

Your home, your way.

So…. There you have it - some cozy ideas for Fall decor. I hope you’ve enjoyed my tips and if you have your own to add, or a link to a fabulous playlistP, please add it in the comments below.

Love,

Holly

Psst: If you’re interested in Halloween decor for Fall that’s stylish (not tacky!), then I’ve got you covered: