Autumn is the time of year when evenings get darker earlier, weather gets colder and all we want to do is snuggle up in our warm homes. Here are 8 Cosy Living Room Tricks Guaranteed to Make You Feel Snug:

Sign up for our free Newsletter stuffed full of ideas, competitions and offers.
PS Did we mention it’s free?

#1. Throw a Throw

Invest in a cosy throw for the end of the sofa. As well as adding texture and cosiness, the throw can add a bit of new colour to your room. I look regularly when I’m in the home section of different stores for cosy throws on sale so I can add to my throw collection at cheaper prices.

Nice idea: You could fill a basket with a few folded throws in nice colours and textures, and attach a cute “Snuggle Up” message

#2. Light a Candle

I always think that candlelight casts a nice warm glow in the room. And a scented candle in an autumn flavour can make the room smell lovely.

Do make sure real candles are up safe out of the way of smallies and never leave them unattended.

You might also like 9 of the Neatest Room Decor Ideas for a Child-Friendly Home 

#3. Feature Your Fireplace

If you have a real fire then there’s nothing cosier! But if your fireplace isn’t a working one then you can still make a feature out of your fireplace:

• put a set of candles into the fireplace
• use fairy lights around the mantelpiece or around the gas fire
• fill the space with nice logs surrounded by fairy lights

Image on Pinterest

#4. Twinkly Lights

Speaking of fairy lights, they aren’t just for Christmas and they come in all shapes and colours nowadays.

Placing twinkly lights around a fireplace, doorway, picture or even a set of decorative twigs will add a bit of sparkle and warmth to the room.

#5. Add Texture

Add different textures to your room, in my experience, natural materials tend to have interesting textures that draw the eye and warm up the decor. For example:

• blankets and throws
• woven rugs
• baskets and wicker decorations, I love those little wicker hearts you can pick up cheaply
• twigs or small branches with nice leaves
• stems of eucalyptus leaves – they also add a lovely smell to the room
• shells and pretty pebbles from beach visits
• pine cones
• knitted things. You could upcycle old jumpers into cushion covers which add a bit of pattern as well as texture.
• Anything with fake fur on it also adds a soft touch

#6. Make Use of Nooks and Crannies

If you have corners, cupboards or spaces available that you could turn into cosy nooks you can use tricks like

• painting the area a darker warm colour
• putting down a thick rug or beanbag for the floor
• piling up some cushions to cosy up against
• draping some voile or fairy lights around the outline of the space

You might also like 8 More Chic and Clever Ideas for Small Room Decor

#7. Try Darker Colours

Darker colours on one or more walls tend to give a cosier feel. Eg charcoal greys or chocolate browns. Then use white or cream accessories to compliment the look and avoid it feeling too dark.

Here’s a nice example from Domino.com of dark colour walls used in a living room that looks very inviting:

Image credit Domino.com

#8. Layer Up

We’ve already looked at how adding a throw over an arm chair or sofa arm adds warmth, the same trick works if you put a smaller textured rug over your larger rug or carpet. Kathykuohome.com has a good article with tips on layering rugs. I really like this example of a furry rug on top of a classic rug style.

Image credit Kathykuohome.com

Hopefully these ideas have inspired you to try some tricks for a cosy living room. What’s your favourite trick to cosy up your home? Tell us what you plan or have done in your home in the comments below.