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Make Your Living Room Cozier With These 4 Things

On February 9, 2022 by

This past fall, our living room got a makeover. New flooring and a coat of paint quickly made it feel fresh and bright! Now I’m finally getting around to adding some finishing touches.

The living room is the main area in our house where we spend time together as a family and hang out with friends. It’s where we read stories, say prayers, do schoolwork, and sip coffee. So making it a peaceful, inviting space is a priority for me.

Some comfy elements to add to a room are fairly obvious, such as pillows, blankets, or candles. But here are a few other things I’ve done to cozy up our living room that maybe you can use, too.

Books & Bookshelves

There’s just something about a shelf full of books that brings a homey feel to a room. Most of our current collection is geared toward first grade or below, so this bookshelf is heavy on the primary colors!

My husband made this little bookshelf while I was pregnant with our oldest son. I requested nice big shelves that could fit oversized children’s books. It’s gotten a lot of love (and abuse) over the years, but I love how simple and sturdy it is.

I did some minimal styling with semi kid-friendly decor. I’m hoping that down the road I can add another bookshelf somewhere to hold chapter books and lots of classics.

Personalized Wall Art

The pictures you choose to hang on your walls are some of the most personalized things in your whole house. Everyone has different tastes and styles, and those preferences will usually come out in your wall art. Displaying photos of your loved ones, or artwork you like, is a wonderful way to create a room you love to be in.

As you may already know, I love a good gallery wall.

This particular gallery has been in progress for a long time. Nearly everything came from thrift stores and garage sales over the last couple years. (Thought I’d also share my weird habit of leaving thrift store tags on things.)

I’m really happy with how it turned out!

There are still a couple more walls I’d like to hang some artwork on, but I’m waiting for the right pieces.

Plants

Bringing even a little bit of greenery into your space automatically adds a peaceful, cozy element!

Unfortunately, I had to rehome all my potted plants when we sold our house in NY. I’m gradually rebuilding my collection now, but I’ve used a lot of faux greens in the meantime. If you have rambunctious kids, curious pets, a brown thumb, or all of the above, don’t discount fake plants! Some of them look quite realistic, especially succulents or other plants that naturally have a waxy look.

One of the only real plants I currently have is this gorgeous monstera. My sister gave me a cutting when she came to visit, and it’s been growing like a weed. The bright green leaves add a fun pop of color to the room.

A Decorated Mantel

If you happen to have a mantel, put it to good use! It’s easy for them to become cluttered, but putting just a few unique pieces, or one large statement piece is usually a safe bet.

We will likely be changing the look of this brick and the mantel at some point, but I’m doing my best with it for now.

If you don’t have a fireplace in your living room, you could try adding a wall shelf that can be decorated in a similar way.

I love being able to share little bits of our home with y’all! I really hope it inspires you to create your own cozy spaces for you and your family to enjoy.

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