It's Time To Make Your Living Room Cosier

To inspire a sense of cosiness you must engage the senses, with particular emphasis on sight and touch. For this reason the choice of materials will play an important part in making a space cosy. The arrangement of these items also plays an important function. Living rooms do not need to be small to have a cosy atmosphere. If you have a large living space, try breaking it up into separate cosy ‘corners’. Avoid formal layouts for a living room. A cosy living space is a relaxing place to spend time. It should therefore have a sense of informality.  Avoid formal L shaped furniture arrangements. Bring sofas and armchairs forward and arrange in a circular or hexagon arrangement around a central focus such a coffee table or fireplace. Introduce floor cushions or foot stools to increase the sense of informality in the room.

The choice of colours in a living room design influence the atmosphere that is created. To create a refreshing, cool atmosphere in the hot summer, choose light and bright colours. This may include pale yellows, blues and greys. For a warm, cosy atmosphere in the winter choose warm colours; darker golden yellows, dull yellow, dark brown-reds and deep reds. This room is a great example of how a warm colour, such as this dark red can create a cosy atmosphere. The red sofa gives the impression of a warm peaceful retreat on a cold winters day. The rich red tones of the sofa work well with the warm timber tones to enhance the cosy atmosphere.  This is further enhanced by the dull yellow walls and the rich timber floors. 

To create the ultimate cosy living room atmosphere the sofa and armchairs must beckon you to sink into them. To create this inviting look scatter the sofa and armchairs with soft furnishings such as throw rugs, blankets and cushions. Use materials such as chenille, faux fur and mohair to tempt the visitor to sink into these soft warm fabrics.  Choose a variety of soft cushion cover materials; velvet, wool and faux suede to mix things up in the design. Include a thick, soft rug on tiled and hard wood floors to soften the atmosphere. This stunning cushion and throw rug has been made from 100% lambs wool. It is incredibly soft to touch and a wonderful item to wrap yourself in on a cold winters night. They have been made by Suzie Lee Knitwear.  

Candles are not just for use during the festive season. Candles can add an extra dimension of warmth and cosiness to any space. There are many ways you can use candles in your living room design. To create a cosy corner in any space arrange a few candles together. These can be placed in candle holders to soften the light, or on their own, creating a stronger golden glow. They can also be used to create an all over soft lighting effect. Place a line of candles along a windowsill or table to create a warm glow in the room. Candles not only bring light into the room, they can also bring a scent. Scented candles are an excellent way to enhance the cosy atmosphere. Try introducing candles with the aroma of cloves, cinnamon and orange to create a wonderful wintery atmosphere.

Lighting is one of the most important elements when creating an atmosphere. Bright, florescent lighting is used in shopping centres as it stimulates, encouraging people to shop. This is not the type of lighting you would want for a cosy living room. The light should encourage relaxation rather than stimulation. To create a cosy atmosphere lighting should be kept soft and inviting. Reflect light off walls to create an all over glow in the room. Consider using several smaller lights rather than one central ceiling light to create different areas of interest in a room. This could be done using lights with lampshades to soften the brightness. Experiment with colours to create the ultimate cosy retreat. Use warm red, purple and orange lamp shades to create a colourful glow. This lampshade is a stunning example the delicate pattern and colour creates a warm glow all around it. 

Nothing says a cosy winter retreat like an open fireplace. At the end of a cold day there is nothing better than returning home and sitting on a large, comfortable couch in front of a roaring fire. Simply staring into the flames of a fireplace is enough to inspire complete relaxation. This amazing fireplace is a wonderful example. This eclectic space has been completely transformed with the inclusion of the fireplace. Fireplaces make a great focus point in a room. Place the coffee table, armchairs and sofas around a central fireplace to give the room that added cosy feel. You do not need to have an existing fireplace and chimney to have a fire. New technology has meant that gas fires can create the same cosy atmosphere without all the maintenance and expense of a traditional open fireplace. Consider a fireplace to create the ultimate cosy atmosphere. For more ideas about gas fireplaces see Planika Fires.

Now that the cold winter winds have descended upon us we look for a warm place to retreat to. After a day in the wind, rain and even snow there is nothing better than to return to a cosy living room. To create the ultimate cosy living room retreat use warm inviting colours such as rich dark reds, browns and dark orange. Include plenty of soft furnishings such as faux fur throws and dreamy velvet cushions. For lighting use soft and reflected light as well as atmospheric candles. To create the ultimate cosy living room dream, include a fireplace as the focus of the room. These are just a few amazing living room ideas. For more inspiration see A Cosy and ComfortableHouse in Yellow.