Cozy living room ideas
How to make your living room cozy by adding texture and layers to your space
A few months ago we bit the bullet and bought a new section for our family room. And then we had to play a fun musical sofa game with the rest of the furniture in our house.
Our IKEA EKTORP sofas that were once in our family room have been relegated to our living room. Our living room has been called the land of misfits. That’s where all the leftover furniture ends up that I have no idea what to do with.
In the last three years we had hardly used this room. It was just as useless as our dining room. There wasn’t much of a seating area; it was just a hodgepodge of furniture. This living room isn’t a small space either, so the space just felt bare and boring to me. I really wanted to make an inviting living room out of it.
But let me let you in on a secret, after bringing the IKEA sofas here and applying a little decorating magic, this living room is quickly becoming our favorite room in the house.
The kids come here and read (sometimes), play with their electronics (usually always), play cards and occasionally hit their heads with my pillows.
It didn’t take much to make this space inviting and cozy. And one day I’ll come here with a good book… yeah right
Like I said, this isn’t a small space and sometimes it’s harder to make a large living room feel like a cozy space, but it just needs some adjustments. Here are some of the easiest ways I’ve found to make your living room cozy…
1.) Start with a monochrome look using neutral colors
Shortly after we brought the IKEA sofas here, I bought new slipcovers for them. We had the dark gray slipcovers on, but I couldn’t wait to swap them out. They were old and tired and simply needed to be retired (see I am a poet and didn’t know it).
Here’s a shot of the room with the gray slipcovers
It was okay, but something felt wrong to me. This room seemed cold and uninviting to me. Technically, none of my rooms have ever really invited me into them, if we’re being honest.
Until recently…
And since I felt like those sofas were the focal point in this room, I did what every girl should do.
Two slipcovers later and I feel like I bought two new sofas… and have a completely different room… which actually invited me into it. This room is talking to me… or maybe it’s the voices in my head… kidding.
When I purchased the beige slipcovers I was worried this room would look too tone on tone….and it did. But that is what this room needed and what I was craving for this space.
The beige slipcovers softened this room and, you guessed it, gave it that cozy vibe .
(PS, there is a nasty rumor going around that IKEA is retiring their EKTORP line so if you are wanting this couch, get it quick. You can see my honest review of the EKTORP sofa here)
Going monochromatic doesn’t just mean beige, You can go dark and moody too. I’m a fan of dark of moody. I know I have shared this room from Studio Mcgee before and it’s because I love it. A dark and moody room is perfect if your living room does not get a ton of natural light.
You can also add in pops of color to a monochromatic look.
2.) Add texture
Repeat after me… texture, texture and more texture… and then some natural textures
Texture is important and an easy way to warm up a room, but not just when it comes to a soft throw or pillow. Wicker baskets, leather stools, velvet pillows, fur throws, window treatments, you get the joke.
Add all those soft textures for a winning combo.
Imagine if your room was vanilla ice cream…throw on some sprinkles and whipped cream and make your room a hot fudge sundae.
Now I’m hungry for a hot fudge sundae
3.) Add levels
Repeat for me again…layers, layers and more layers.
Layers are very closely related to textures. A great way to achieve the layered look is with rugs. Most people know that you can put rug over hardwood floors… but you can also put rug wall to wall. yes it is allowed
And then put a rug over that rug, yes I said that.
I saved this faux cowhide rug to my shopping cart but haven’t felt confident enough to actually buy it yet. I have a dog that isn’t very bright and is either chewing this rug or thinks he’s a long lost friend. But gosh, I really want this rug to be over my black and white striped rug.
‘Cause I know it’s gonna look this good
But since I can’t have my faux rug right now, I decided to use a faux fur throw to texture and layer on the couch. I’ve killed two birds with one stone here.
And no, the dog hasn’t made friends with the blanket yet.
4.) Add knitted blankets, throws and pillows
Knitted blankets and pillows scream cozy. It’s like wrapping yourself in a giant cozy sock… that hasn’t been worn and doesn’t smell like a stinky gym. Maybe I should say it’s like wrapping yourself in a cozy sweater instead. Everything knitted immediately makes every room cozy.
5.) Add soft lighting and candles
Lighting has recently become one of my favorite accessories to decorate with. Table lamps, reading lamps and candles can give your room a cozy and warm atmosphere. Leave your overhead lights off and only use your table/floor lamps and candles. It immediately makes any room extra cozy and spreads the ambiance that your space needs.
6.) Add some leather
A few leather ottomans can warm up your space when paired with other materials. Not only do you add another dose of natural textures, but you add some warm tones to your space.
7.) Bring in warm colors and brass
Speaking of warming up your space, adding warm colors with throw pillows or brass accents can also do the trick. I was hesitant to use these rust cushions in this room, but when I stuck them onto these chairs, I knew it was meant to be.
Add some warm wood tones with a console table or end table.
8.) Large coffee table
Adding a large coffee table or large upholstered ottoman to your living room will make your space look inviting and cozy. This coffee table used to be in our family room and before that it was my parents dining table.
I trimmed and painted the legs many years ago and can’t bring myself to let go of this table. I was concerned that this table would be too big for this room but it is perfect for here and is the best gaming table.
9.) Plenty of seating
As I said before, this room was rarely used. I had a small sofa in here and a few random chairs. It wasn’t a comfortable place to hang out. Now, with the two couches and additional chairs, this space has plenty of seating for us to lounge around and hang out.
I also deliberately placed the furniture closer together. It created a more cohesive space. That probably doesn’t make sense, so move on.
10.) Books
I love decorating with books for many reasons. Some books are purely decorative and some I actually read. I’m a fan of a good interior design book that’s also pretty. Adding books to your room can add color and texture to your space. And if you have time to read, you can make yourself comfortable and read a good book.
11.) Pillow!
How did I almost forget to add pillows to this list!! We all know that pillows are my #1 decor item. You can never have too many pillows. No matter what your husband tells you. Don’t believe his lies. Pillows are amazing
I wrote a whole post here about where to find affordable pillows. I recently made the fawn colored pillow on my couch WITH A SEWING MACHINE. I hope to post a tutorial soon but you know #kids.
I took a few pictures as the sun went down but didn’t get a chance to take too many because, you know, #kids. I’m sharing them here so I don’t forget I took them.
