15 Ways to Make Your Home Cozier for the Holidays
Spruce up your home for Christmas!
Give your home a toasty, comfy makeover this Christmas with these upgrades, quick fixes, and expert tips.
Pick a candle, any candle.
"Candles are a classic way to add a joyous mood to your home," says interior designer Anna Hackathorn. "I especially love a large group of 15 or so white pillar candles in various heights, massed together on a large plate or tray in the center of the dining table." And while any candles displayed on your table while food is being served should be unscented, placing scented candles around your home is great way to create ambiance and make any room feel cozier. "Select a fragrance that reminds you and your guests of the season," says interior designer James Wheeler. "Candles in scents of pumpkin, spice and apple are easy to find, and I particularly love the warmness of tobacco and sandalwood."
Switch up throw pillows and blankets.
Replace your lightweight cottons and linens with cozy, chunky textures, likes knits and velvets, and patterns like plaid. "Accent items, like a cozy throw on the arm of a chair or throw pillows in fresh colors, can create warmth by adding nice pops of holiday color and texture without much effort," says Hackathorn. You can also add an oversized knit blanket to the bottom of your tree in lieu of a tree skirt, as seen on Kindred Vintage & Co.
Consider the bar cart.
If you like the idea of a bar cart, but haven't gotten around to setting one up, the holiday season is the perfect time to do so. Remain perpetually cocktail party-ready by setting up a fully loaded bar cart in your entryway, which encourages guests to help themselves.
Switch up your art.
Hang new affordable art on your walls that displays seasonal colors and subject matter. "Switch out your art, either permanently or just for the season, with all your other holiday décor," suggests Hackathorn. Blogger Liz Marie hangs a large painted wood wall sign as the perfect finishing touch for her cozy Christmas bedroom, pictured here. Another good idea: Update all your framed family photos, so that visiting relatives can see what you've been doing in the past year.
Set up a hot cocoa bar.
Add hot chocolate essentials to your bar cart and then decorate it with festive items.
See more at Jeanne Oliver Designs.
Put a tree in your bedroom.
Putting a Christmas tree in your bedroom, like Shades of Blue Interiors blogger Rachel, makes makes staying in bed all day that much easier.
Make your home smell like Christmas.
Simmer DIY holiday potpourri on your stove, and your house instantly gains extra cozy cred. Get the recipe for this potpourri that will make your house smell like Christmas at Half Baked Harvest.
Invite nature inside.
"One of my go-to tricks for fall decorating on a budget is simply heading outdoors to collect the elements," says Wheeler. "I particularly love a grouping of curly branches or a cutting of greenery in a variety of fall hues." Other simple house plants and flowers that make a big impact during the fall season? Maidenhair ferns, orange lilies, green hydrangeas, and orchids, says Hackathorn, who also recommends displaying accents like a silver tray filled with pomegranates or a wooden bowl filled with apples. For Christmas, try filling a crock pot with birch logs, evergreen clippings, and berries like blogger Nina Hendrick.
Keep cut wood on display.
"If you're lucky enough to have a fireplace, grab a natural seagrass basket and use it for storing firewood," says Wheeler. "This adds texture while keeping things tidy and convenient for cool fall evenings." Another idea: Fill a non-working fireplace with split logs.
Simplify with burlap.
"I love using natural and rustic materials for table runners, such as burlap or garlands of magnolia or eucalyptus leaves," says Hackathorn. "Pair one with casual napkins and simple pottery, or with your best china for contrast."
(Burlap table runner, $18; food52.com)
RELATED: How to Make a Magnolia Leaf Garland
Drape doors and entryways with lights.
There's nothing cozier than the glow of Christmas lights. Take inspiration from this house tour on Modern Mountain Life and drape every doorway and entryway in your home with garlands and twinkling lights.
Pile on the bedding.
A few minor tweaks to your bedding can make a huge difference as you adjust for seasonality, and can keep your heating bills from skyrocketing, says Donna Garlough, style director of Joss & Main. Start by swapping out your cotton sheets for flannel, and add a blanket between your top sheet and your comforter or duvet. Layer a throw on the end of your bed that you can grab on an especially chilly evening.
Swap lampshades.
A quick change that can really warm up your space? Lighting. Simply swapping out the shades on your lamps can offer up an entirely new look, for the fraction of the cost of buying an entirely new lamp. What's the best fabric for fall and winter months? "My go-to lampshade is made of a heavier grade linen fabric," says Wheeler. "Because of the natural elements of linen, it's completely versatile and can resemble tweed when it's heavier or chunky. And when illuminated, produces a beautiful, soft glow."
Don't be afraid to mix metallics.
"It used to be that you needed to choose which type of metallic to use in the design of a room or entire home," says Christa O'Leary, an interior designer and author of Home in Harmony: Designing an Inspired Life. "If you were using silver you couldn't pair it with gold, and vice versa. Now mixing metals adds a timeless elegance. Go ahead and incorporate that silver bowl and gold frame in your design—the important thing is that you love how it looks!"
(Mercury Vases, from $12, westelm.com)
10. Experiment with warm, cozy paint colors.
Sure, you're probably not going to take on a time-consuming project like re-painting your walls right before the holidays. But what about updating a bookshelf or a side table in a rich, inviting color? The results can add a lot of cozy character to a room with little effort. "Pops of color can be great ways to add interest to a room in a subtle way," says Benjamin Moore color and design expert Andrea Magno. "The inside of a bookcase, behind glass cabinets, an accent piece of furniture, or even the inside of a closet or a door—the key is to bring in a pop of color in a location that makes sense with the space."
(Clockwise from top left, Cinnamon Slate; Hot Chocolate; Jack Pine; Spiced Apple Cider; all colors by Benjamin Moore)
Lauren (she/her) is the digital content director of the Hearst Lifestyle Group, where she oversees online content and strategy for Good Housekeeping, Woman's Day and other Hearst titles, including SEO, video, social media and e-commerce efforts. She has almost 20 years of experience writing and editing beauty, lifestyle, home, health, entertainment and product review content. She graduated from NYU with a degree in journalism and history.
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