What makes a house look and feel homey and cozy?

[lepnee]

We are due to move into our new home soon and I'm starting to look at furniture and decor items I can purchase. I really want our home (and every bit of it) to look super homey, warm and cozy so I thought I would ask some of you on here for your personal recommendations on what I can do/buy

The right lighting. Lamps and wall lights look cosier than ceiling lights. If the house has ceiling lights, look at putting lamps in corners where they'll cast a warm glow.

Nice paint -warm tones. Nice fairy lights.

I was just about to say exactly the same thing as @Pelleas. I have a Himalayan salt lamp (among others!) in my lounge and never have ceiling lights on really. I have tiny led stars on a thin silver wire that go around the ceiling in our dining area. Lots of things like that. I light candles in the evening in winter. I also like old furniture and mix it with new furniture which I think makes things feel loved. We actually live in a (quality. Not mass produced) new build and everyone comments on how cosy and what a lovely feel it has. Good luck. X

Good and varied lighting as per pp. Also, plants, pictures and other objects that make your heart sing.

William Morris said ‘you should have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.’

I love candles i think they make the place feel so cosy. Fluffy throws and nice cushions for the sofas.. Pictures on the walls, plants/flowers. Nice lighting.

I was thinking the same about lamps and lighting! Do you think one corner lamp is enough for a living room? I will probably light candles a lot too in the evenings (I've been avoiding this recently because my toddler can not be trusted but I'm determined to start again in the new house!) pictures and plants sound good too, I was actually looking at nice picture frames online today so that's good! I was also thinking about cushions and throws but I know that if I use the wrong colours, it can look tacky. Our walls out light grey

Avoid laminate flooring and furniture, Natural wood is much cosier. Rugs, mixing textures of cushions, ambient lighting all help. A real fire makes a room very cosy but you can make one with lots of church type pillar candles.

Lighting. Books. Comfy throws and cushions. Well chosen candles for scent. Clutter free. No kiddy crap 😊

We have dusty pink cushions and throws to go with our walls op they are also grey :) i hear ya about the candles our little dude cant be trusted with them so i wait till hes in bed. The multi frames you can get are great and canvases are lovely too

Do you think one corner lamp is enough for a living room?

It depends on the size and shape of the room and what you want to do. And also on the style and wattage of the lamp! If you want to read in the evenings, you'll probably want a lamp close to where you're sitting. If you're watching TV, one lamp is more than enough. I would start with one and buy more if you feel you need to.

Texture of soft furnishings is as important as the colour. I'm currently channelling green and tactile.
As said lamps define a room, we have three In the living room but they all have different bulbs and serve different purposes.
We have bookcases in every room but the books aren't neatly arranged because they're used frequently.
Plants, especially big statement plants, they look beautiful and are good for health.
Mirrors, look for mirrors that suit the room.
An armchair, we have what I believe is a Sherlock chair, in a totally different fabric to the sofa.
Above all, it's about comfort and what makes you happy

You could also replace ceiling lights with a range of ceiling downlights on a dimmer switch. We had a 15' x 21' sitting room that had 2 ceiling light fixtures, 2 switches, from the 70s. We had table lamps on the hi-fi speakers, and spots with 2 lighting zones each on a dimmer switch. Worked really well.

Things that mean something to the people who live there... eg a big wicker basket of the DC’s toys in the living room, rather than either no sign of DC or toys everywhere, or whatever. Don’t buy random stuff to “cheer yourself up”, but nothing so precious that you wince if anyone goes near it. If you really don’t want/need something then get rid of it. Clutter is not homely if it makes you feel guilty.

My parents had a Very Posh neighbour who got an interior designer to “Do” their house. They had leather riding boots artistically placed in their Fancy Drawing Room. It did look great, if slightly silly (I was very young and it was the ‘80’s...). However it was definitely not homely.

Thank you all for your comments, I will definitely be using your recommendations

If there's a safety issue with candles, there are some really realistic faux ones that use batteries.

Don’t get too much matching stuff - eg matching room furniture sets. Mix up the styles and textures. Not too many glossy/shiny surfaces. Bookshelves also make a living room look cosy. And definitely more than one lamp in the living room if you have space.

Squishy furniture, often darker colours, a lovely fire, natural materials, cushions, curtains, blankets. Things in your home that mean stuff to you, mementoes of travels and experiences, artwork that you'd love to stare at for hours.

A fire is the first thing, followed by lamps, candles and rugs

Too minimalist and too tidy don’t feel homey and cosy to me.
Lots of books.
Fireplace with hearth
Not too matched and ‘done’
Warm - so not chilly or sweltering
Soft furnishings such as the odd cushion or lovely curtains or a throw
Lighting is important as people say
Pictures or art work

I think a piano makes a home.
It can be in any room and of any style, but that and sheet music....only if someone plays of course.
An Aga or Range in a kitchen and a kitchen table that isn’t too modern also gives a cosy feel.

Soft Lighting
A variety of textures
Nice colours
Sentimental items
Photos
Candles
Salt lamp
Fairy lights
Plants
Fresh flowers in a nice vase
Fruit bowl
Bookcases with nice books
Mementos
Focal point
Throws
Rugs
Cushions
Coffee table centrepiece
Nice smells

Not too minimal or cluttered. Some colour and art. Blankets. Log burner (If possible). Feeling you can relax there. Books to read, things to do, evidence of life.

Homesense is great for accessories, the random selection means its not too show-home.

Don't rush out and buy stuff. You've presumably got furniture already. Move in, live in the house with what you've got and think about what works and what doesn't. When we moved into this house we just bought a bed for DS (he was still in a cot in the old house) and redecorated what had been the formal dining room and made it into the playroom. Otherwise we lived with it and are decorating rooms slowly as I think about what I want. E.g. one of our bathrooms was quite new and good quality but bland. We only decorated it after living in the house a year and spending a lot of time contemplating it but I'm delighted with it now, we have fabulous designer wallpaper and a handmade mirror and it feels much more personal.

I'm buying a lot of things second hand because it's better for the environment but it's all vinterior rather than Sally Army. Older things are better made and have more character than a job lot from IKEA (the playroom storage was IKEA but there's touches of vintage and designer in there as well).

My rule is all rooms should have something from IKEA, something vintage, something high street and something designer. Places like Etsy or NOTHS are great for adding unusual handmade things as well.

Google 'Hygge' on Pinterest. Definitely a bookshelf and don't colour theme your rooms. I don't mean clashing everything but I think houses that have everything matching look a bit naff. For example in the bathroom orange bog brush, orange towels and bath mats, orange toothbrush holder etc. Try and find stuff that is a bit more individual.