Home is where you feel most comfortable, but not all décor styles and furniture pieces reflect that. On the opposite end of the spectrum, though, pieces that are too well loved, cozy and comfortable can look that way, too.
Fortunately, there’s a middle ground between style, comfort and function, and it’s one that’s easy to find. There are plenty of ways to create the type of homey space you imagine — these are just six ideas for how you can do it:
Make It a Sofa Bed
This is an especially handy addition to a small space, where guests don’t have their own room when they come to visit. Investing in a new couch will obviously make your living room more comfortable and welcoming on its own, but choosing a sofa bed ensures it’ll serve more than one purpose. Your guests will be glad to catch Z’s on a plush, cozy bed that tucks away when it’s time to wake up, too. Just be sure to do your research and find one that’s comfortable for both sitting and sleeping.
Add Bar Stools, Too
If you’re lucky enough to have a kitchen island, then it’s up to you to take advantage of it as seating space. Just imagine: you can grab quick meals at your kitchen counter, or you can give your loved ones a place to sit while you cook — who doesn’t want a little company while they prep dinner? You might just find yourself taking advantage of the new seats and eating more meals at the island than at your designated dinner or dining room table.
Switch Up Your Hardware
You’ve probably already heard that upgrading and modernizing your hardware is an easy way to update your kitchen. But a hardware update can make your home more eye-catching and functional, too.
The doorknobs on all of the doors in your home are a perfect example. They’re easy for healthy, adult hands to open and close, but they’re more difficult for little kids and those with arthritis to use, for example. Plus, having door handles instead of knobs makes your home stand out from the pack, since most builders install the latter.
Hang Curtains
The more thick, cozy layers of fabric around you, the better — at least, as far as the coziness of your house is concerned. So, hang curtain rods and add curtains to the rooms in your home that need an extra dash of comfort.
Once your curtains are in place, you will find they add function to your room in winter, too. You can throw them back during the day to let natural light — and heat — into your home. But at night, you can close them to keep heat inside your home, since it’s harder for cold air to seep in with a thick curtain blocking your panes.
Lay Down an Area Rug, Too
Another fabric accent to add to your home for instant comfort? An area rug. No matter which style of area rug you choose, one thing is certain: the addition will instantly bring a feeling of cohesion to a space. This is especially true if your home has an open floor plan, as each area rug you lay down will help separate the living room from the dining area and the office, for example.
Area rugs are also a cozy addition to the bedroom, if you have hardwoods or other flooring that feels cool in winter. If you hop out of bed and onto a plush area rug, though, your toes will feel nice and warm year-round.
Invest in Your Mattress and Bedding
Perhaps the most important place in your home for you to feel comfortable is your bed. All of that hinges on whether or not you love the mattress on which you catch Z’s each and every night.
Therefore, it’s worth it to invest in a high-quality, comfortable mattress that will promote restful sleep for years to come. Don’t stop there, either: once you have the right place to sleep, outfit it with soft sheets, well-made pillows and warm blankets to make sure you’re sleeping comfortably each and every night.
Get Comfortable
With these six ideas, it’s clear that comfortable, sensible and beautiful design are not only achievable separately, but in conjunction with one another. All it takes is a bit of thoughtful planning on your part to pinpoint the areas in your home that could use a little bit more coziness along with an improved function and voila: you should be able to figure out how to fix in a way that’s visually appealing to you, too.
Once your projects are finished, all you have left to do is sit back and relax: your home is just as comfortable as you want it to be now. And, like we said before, that’s exactly what you should be doing — and how you should be feeling — every day when you wake up in your home.
About the Author:
Kacey Bradley is the lifestyle and travel blogger for The Drifter Collective, an eclectic lifestyle blog that expresses various forms of style through the influence of culture and the world around us. Kacey graduated with a degree in Communications while working for a lifestyle magazine. She has been able to fully embrace herself with the knowledge of nature, the power of exploring other locations and cultures, all while portraying her love for the world around her through her visually pleasing, culturally embracing and inspiring posts. Along with writing for her blog, she frequently writes for sites like US Travel News, Thought Catalog, Style Me Pretty, Tripping.com and more!
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