How to Make Your Apartment Cozy in 4 Steps
Cozier living room right in time for winter? We're so there.
Chilly winter months make us want to embrace our natural homebody side. If you've ever wondered how to make your apartment cozy or looked for hygge-worthy room inspo, you've come to the right place. Grab a throw blanket, sit down by the fireplace, and then check out our favorite modern, cozy living room ideas below.
Embrace Warmth…
Looking for inspiration on how to make your apartment cozy? The first step is to embrace all of the warm things: from the colors you choose to the materials you gravitate toward. Keep reading for our favorite ways to warm up a modern, cozy living room.
...With Lots of Gray or Warm Tones
If your room already has warm-toned floors or walls, opt for a gray sofa. Gray is the ideal neutral for a cozy living room apartment with a minimalist aesthetic, because its shades range from light to dark and pair well with any accent color. If your room is more cool-toned, choose a toffee-colored leather sofa to warm it up a bit. Then embrace more warm colors by way of a throw blanket, coffee table books, or woven decor accents. These twin accent chairs made from woven caramel leather create a cozy balance.
...Through Wood Details
Wood details are one thing you'll spy in any modern, cozy living room. If you've been #blessed with wood walls, let those babies show! Instead of hanging art, embrace the warmth of the wood around you. If your floors are wood, let them take center stage. Make rich caramel wood floors pop with an off-white sofa, and if you absolutely need a rug to function, choose a small sheepskin option. A sheepskin rug layered over any surface adds that Scandi-style warmth your living room craves.
...With Mellow Lighting
Nothing says cozy interior design quite like the ability to adjust the lighting in the room to match your mood. Whether you're curled up watching documentaries on the sofa or vegging out with your partner on a lazy Sunday, there's a different amount of light that may work best. Floor lamps and table lamps give you the ability to up the brightness or dim it down to balance the light illuminating from the fireplace. If you don't have a fireplace and all of your outlets are taken over by electronics, opt for candles instead. Cozy lighting and a cozy scent? Yes, please.
Playing with different textures is an easy way to make your apartment cozier. It's basically science – more layers equals more coziness. See below for a couple of ways we infuse texture into our living room apartments.
...With a Pile of Pillows
Pillows, especially faux fur, velvet, and suede, create the coziest space for unwinding with a glass of Cab on chilly winter nights. Pick a color palette for cozy interior design inspiration, and then look for as many differently textured variations as you can find in that palette. Once you have your throw pillows, toss them on your sofa or use them to cozy up your reading nook.
...With Natural Elements
Creamy caramel leathers and warm-toned woods are exactly what a modern, cozy living room needs. Modern design is all about connecting the old with the new and fusing natural pieces with man-made objects. Look for little ways to bring natural elements into the room. We love a wooden decorative tray (ideal for carrying hot chocolates), a ceramic vase filled with greenery, or woven wall hangings. Go all out with a wool-blend rug or by bringing in a sofa with a wooden frame.
Pro Tip:
Plants can add an element of organic texture to create a cozier living room. Consider adding a jade, corn, or snake plant to your space. Each of these types of plants can thrive without much sunlight, making them a great choice for shorter days in the winter months.
Being intentional with your room design and decor is one of the key things to keep in mind when figuring out how to make your apartment cozy. Peep our cozy home decorating tips below for how to intentionally optimize your living room.
...By Opting for a Sectional
Sectional sofas are one of the best pieces you can choose for a modern, cozy living room. Aside from giving you tons of space to sprawl out, sectional sofas also offer a lot of flexibility with your living room's design – particularly reversible sectionals. Simply adjust the sofa's orientation to accommodate the windows in your space and ensure the natural sunlight can stream through uninterrupted.
...By Creating Storage Solutions
We know how you feel about a cluttered space, which is why storage solutions in an apartment living room are so important, especially if you have a small living room. If your living room feels stuffed with things, you won't be able to relax. Consider cozy home furniture like a coffee table with hidden drawers for tucking away remotes, laptops, and chargers to create a uncluttered, minimalist aesthetic. Opt for a storage ottoman if you need a secret space for books or that craft that you're totally going to work on when you have free time. (Sorry, free time? We forget who she is.) Bring in a large woven basket to easily store your pile of knit throw blankets.
...By Adding Bonus Seating
Now that you've got the coziest living room among your friend group, it's time to put out some invitations for a trivia night or a Bachelor viewing party. Floor pillows are great for last-minute get-togethers. Simply slide the pillows out for your friends to sit on, then nestle them back under the coffee table when your friends leave. If your coffee table is low to the ground, opt for a pouf instead. They can fit snugly into a closet or under a console table when they aren't being used. Maximize comfortable floor seating with a high-pile rug.
Fêng shui might not be the first thing that comes to mind when contemplating how to make your apartment cozy, but it's super important. A living room with natural, flowing movement will automatically feel more cozy. Check out our favorite fêng shui tips for the ultimate cozy home decorating below.
…By Considering Shape
The shape of the furniture you choose for your living room is just as important as the aesthetic, size, and color of the piece. If your living room is on the smaller side, consider a round coffee table. The round shape will make it easier to move around the room. If you want the energy to flow naturally throughout the room, start by grounding the space with an area rug in the center. Then, choose cozy home furniture like a coffee table, end table, and console table that are open at the bottom. Thin legs are ultramodern, and they'll allow for more natural sunlight to shine into the room.
...By Reflecting
Hanging a mirror in your modern, small living room is a great way to make the room feel bigger and to reflect natural light. It also allows you to channel your aura into the room. To make this work in your living room, choose a mirror that is big enough to see your entire head, shoulders, and chest. Good vibes? Heck, yeah.
...By Cozying Up Around the Fire
We would never tell you not to cozy up and binge watch the newest murder mystery series. However, there's one exception. If you have a fireplace in the living room, let it be the room's main focal point instead of the TV. The warm glow of a fire has forever created a deep connection and encouraged conversation for those who sit around it. If you don't have a fireplace, consider hanging an interesting piece of art or an abstract wall hanging. Anything that sparks conversation will create a deeper bond between you and the friends you host.
Ready to put these cozy apartment living room ideas to good use?
