I’ve always thought that cozy homes were the most interesting. A crucial aspect to coziness is livability — being able to imagine spending an afternoon in a space, relaxing and forgetting about time, is, for me, part of what defines something as cozy. Compare that to, say, Kim Kardashian, who famously lives in a wide-open Hidden Hills home with little to no color outside of the neutral range. The house is beautiful, but beautiful in a sort of glossy magazine kind of way. Not in an, “I could live there” kind of way. (Although she does, in fact, live there. And I’m sure she’s very happy with her home. I pass no judgement.)
There is an ineffability to coziness, and it’s a sought-after feature that many folks look for when trying to cultivate just the right vibe in their space. The subreddit r/CozyPlaces has 3.9 million members and is in the top 1 percent of subreddits by size. According to Google Trends, searches for “hygge” — a Danish concept referring to coziness and contentment — have spiked every winter in the United States since 2016, the same year The Little Book of Hygge was published. But even when we reach for it and seek it out, coziness can’t be forced. It’s something that comes with time and slowness.
Verticality and envelopment
Cozy spaces envelope their inhabitants in a comforting way. A good way to achieve this is through verticality. When you think about it, most of our furniture is between knee- and chest-height. But if you have 8-foot ceilings, that means a lot of your home occupies between a quarter to half of the space, and even less if your ceilings are higher. In general, designers will recommend that you draw the eye up when decorating a room, which can be done through pendant lighting, artwork, high-hung curtains, and tall or hanging plants.
Envelopment is kind of hard to define. How do you make a home feel like a warm hug? I think for me, easy ways to do this has been full and high bookshelves, gallery walls of artwork, and reading nooks complemented by tall plants and standing lamps (like the photo above). Angled walls also have an inherent quality of envelopment.
Lighting, texture, and color
The harmony of lighting, texture, and color will define any cohesive space. Kim Kardashian’s Hidden Hills home, for instance, is bright, with a little bit of texture, and neutral colors throughout. Because coziness is a broad term and can easily define spaces across interior design styles, I think there is a lot of play available in these three elements.
I like these particular images because I think they really represent the three elements of lighting, texture, and color well. In the left image, from takesunset on Instagram, there is a mix of natural and ambient lighting, from multiple vantage points. Natural light streams in from the open French doors and window, while the fireplace and candles provide ambiance. Warm lighting above aids in reading. There are several different textures: the brick wall, wood ceiling and floors, smooth glass tabletop, and upholstery. And finally, there is contrast in the color scheme. Bright white walls are complemented by warm wood, jewel tone cushions, and plants.
Sentimentality
This is my favorite thing about a cozy space. Cozy spaces have personality in part because they are personal. Sentimentality is what makes a space yours, and in my opinion, is part of that livability aspect that is essential to coziness. If you’ve ever stayed in an Airbnb that was clearly stripped of its character in order to be more of a blank slate for guests, you probably understand why sentimentality is crucial. Without it, a space can quickly feel sterile, even if it has all the other elements that would otherwise create a cozy space.
Books and plants are usually very sentimental to me. Books, because if I’ve read something and decided to hang onto it, it must have struck a cord with me. If I haven’t read a book and decide to keep it, it provides a kind of hope. And plants because I care for them and work hard to keep them alive. Witnessing a plant grow or come back from near death (which has happened more times than I’m maybe willing to admit) offers a sense of pride. They’re a symbol of reciprocity.
Sentimentality is also part of the reason that homes feel cozier after they’ve been lived in. If you look at a space and think only about its aesthetic design — flow, colors, lighting, and style — then you’re missing that vital piece that can only be attained by living in and knowing a space like the back of your hand.
That personal touch comes in when you realize that you always read in a certain chair, and how great would it be if you had a little table nearby for a cup of coffee and your book when you’re in between chapters? Or how you could really use an extra shelf in your bathroom, a tray by the stovetop for the pepper grinder and olive oil, and a space for your keys by the back door.
Image sources: kejti.ts on Instagram, aconsideredspace on Instagram, takesunset on Instagram, fireplace Pinterest, The Design Files, Reddit