The Secret to Making Your Living Space Feel 10 Times Cozier This Year

Home is more than just a place to eat, sleep and exist: it should also be a comfy sanctuary to relax and recharge in. If you want to elevate your living space from functional to full-on cozy, the secret is all in the layering. From soft textiles to dimensional wall art to modern fireplaces, more is more when it comes to making your living space feel its comfiest. To help make your home as welcoming and cozy as possible this year, we’ve rounded up 10 ways to incorporate a little more warmth into your living space.

comfy living room with plush beige sectional topped with knit blanket and array of throw pillows

HGTV Canada

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Take on Textiles

The easiest and most cost-effective way to turn up the comfort factor of any space is to add an array of cozy textiles. Choose a mix of sizes and fabrics for throw pillows on your living room couch (as Jonathan and Drew Scott did with this artfully adorned sectional for Property Brothers: Forever Home), or incorporate soft textures in unexpected places – like a faux-fur throw on an office chair or a knit blanket on a dining bench.

white living room with mix of brown blinds and white curtains over windo

HGTV Canada

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Treat Your Windows Right

Natural light brings makes a big difference when it comes to brightening a room, but window treatments are the secret to managing the light, privacy and the overall coziness of your living space. When choosing window treatments, you have two key options: flowing curtains add softness and warmth, while blinds offer more adjustable control. Or, you can embrace the layered look and opt for both blinds and curtains, as Samantha Pynn and Sebastian Clovis did for this beachy Save My Reno living room.

contemporary white living room with Valor Portrait Classic Arch shown with Coals and Fluted Black Liner

Valor Fireplaces

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Fire Things Up

If you want to warm up a room – both literally with some heat and visually with added decorative appeal – a gas fireplace gives you the best of both worlds, no matter what your favourite interior design style may be. The Valor Portrait Series, for example, lets you choose an adaptive fireplace front from a collection of traditional and contemporary designs, and then pair it with the radiant warmth of a high-efficiency gas fireplace insert. The result is a cozy room that perfectly matches your decor aesthetic.

eclectic family living room with round 3D art on shiplap wall above fireplace

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Upgrade Your Wall Art

There are endless ways to decorate your walls, but, if you want to evoke a comfy vibe, your best bet is to add layers of dimension with living room wall art that goes beyond basic. In this Family Home Overhaul living room, for example, Scott McGillivray and Sarah Keenlyside layered a series of round art pieces over the fireplace to create tons of dimension that’s equally cozy and stylish.

cozy white living room with styled fireplace mantel and black-and-white wallpaper behind open shelves

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Play With Pattern

Dimension doesn’t always have to be 3D, either. As designer Samantha Pynn beautifully demonstrated in this modern farmhouse-style Family Home Overhaul living room, pops of pattern can bring major cozy appeal to a space. By placing black-and-white-patterned wallpaper behind open shelving, Samantha brings tons of personality and warmth to the room – without taking up any extra physical space.

H3 Gas Fireplace shown with Traditional Logs, Plain Black liner, champagne brass 4-sided front and backing plate with woman sitting in covered outdoor living room

Valor Fireplaces

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Warm Up Outdoor Spaces

There’s nothing like a little fresh air to boost your mood and yet, we often neglect what’s outside when designing cozy living spaces – which means missing out on fresh-air hangouts when cold weather hits. The solution? A sleek H3 gas fireplace from Valor, which brings relaxing ambiance to any room. Plus, the outdoor-compatible design makes it a smart option for warming up indoor-outdoor spaces. Because the H3 is compatible with Valor’s HeatShift™ system (which transfers convective heat upwards while bypassing walls and surface areas around the fireplace), you can enjoy the warmth without worrying about your surrounding walls, artwork, electronics and more.

cozy white living room with salvaged wood mantel over black fireplace

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Natural Wonders

Touches of natural materials – like the hand-crafted wood mantel Randy Spracklin created for a Rock Solid Builds living space – bring instant warmth and comfy appeal to a space. Not sure where to start? Try incorporating details in reclaimed wood, or look for furniture or decorative accents in woven textures like rattan or wicker for a cozy farmhouse-inspired feel.

cozy cottage living room with angled wood-beam ceiling and green plants on shelves and in pots

HGTV Canada

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Go Green

One of the common pitfalls of making a space feel cozier is that a layered, warm space can sometimes verge on feeling a little stuffy. Luckily, a little green goes a long way and the addition of a few indoor plants adds instant freshness. Case in point? In this cottage living room for Scott’s Vacation House Rules, Scott McGillivray and his team used green touches on multiple surfaces to balance the cozy ambiance created by the angled wood-beam ceiling and black-brick fireplace.

sophisticated grey family room with grey sectional, black fireplace and large area rug

HGTV Canada

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Step Up the Softness

Hardwood and tile floors are beautiful, but they aren’t always the softest place to put your feet. A simple way to add character and comfort in your living space is with an area rug. As Hilary Farr showed us with this Love It or List It room, an area rug in a sophisticated pattern can tie design elements of a room together, while simultaneously lending comfort to each step.

cozy modern farmhouse living room with white shiplap feature wall and red area rug

HGTV Canada

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Create a Cozy Feature Wall

Another way to turn up the coziness in your living room is to use texture to create distinctive spaces in a larger or open-concept room. As Jonathan and Drew Scott showed with this Property Brothers: Forever Home living room, strategic shiplap around the fireplace brings subtle contrast and establishes a unique focal point in the room.