Designer Tricks to Get a Comfortable Home

Make your home feel cozy with these easy decorating tips.

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All About the Furniture

Textural Updates

Vintage Touches

Classic Details

Scale 101

Show Off the Family

Add Nature Elements

Be Eclectic

Pick Soft Colors

Find It, Keep It

Personalized Artwork

Makeshift Coffee Table

Layered Windows

Distressed Perfection

Start a Collection

Rustic Touches

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All About the Furniture

Choosing plush or upholstered furniture will set the cozy feeling in your home.

Your furniture is the main ingredient in setting the comfort factor in your room. By choosing upholstered furniture, such as this headboard, you add a homey feel while maintaining the traditional lines of the room.

Textural Updates

Natural tones and textural fabrics can instantly warm up a room.

Fabric does wonders -- this living room was given an instant makeover with bold black-and-cream throw pillows, which contrast the natural look of the linen-covered sofa, chairs, and ottoman. A rustic wood coffee table anchors the neutral space and becomes an on-trend focal point in a traditional living room.

Vintage Touches

Whether they are classic finds or vintage-inspired, accessories from the past add charm to a room.

Adding accessories is an easy way to give a personal touch to any room in your house. Browse flea markets and antiques stores for unique finds such as these ceramic birds and old movie tickets.

Classic Details

Artisan touches found in Craftsman-style homes built in the 1920s and '30s exhibit traditional charm that is hard to find in new-construction homes.

Bring the artisan details into your home with easy DIY projects. In this photo, carved, ready-made ceiling rosettes (available at home improvement stores) make an impressive eye-level wall display. Painted in graduated shades of yellow, the disks add style to a sitting room. Made of urethane, they are lightweight and easy to hang.

Scale 101

The scale of your furniture is a tricky decorating element to conquer, but it can add instant ease to your home if done right.

Even this tiny condo looks spacious because the furniture has the proper scale. The neutral sofa is long but not tall, so it doesn't take up much space visually. The typical coffee table is replaced with two small benches that can double as extra seating if needed.

Show Off the Family

Displaying family photos is an easy way to add comfort to your home.

Dress up ordinary mattes by wrapping them in colorful fabrics. Create a photo wall by displaying different sizes of framed photos or filling floating shelves with with pictures.

Add Nature Elements

Touches from the outdoors create a cozy and organic look in your home.

Use spindly branches from your backyard to create a sculpture-like tabletop vignette. For a no-cost arrangement, go branch hunting in your backyard instead of purchasing artificial branches. Here, a branch arrangement is paired with a nature-inspired bowl filled with succulents, which coordinate with the grouping's sea green and azure blue glassware.

See more Natural Decorating Elements

Be Eclectic

Mixing and matching different styles creates a personalized look for your home. Don't be afraid to try it, just be sure to keep one dominate element and mix styles through the accessories.

In this master bedroom, an antique headboard is paired with modern bedding to create a chic mix of styles.

Pick Soft Colors

Create a serene home by choosing a soft or neutral color palette that will give your room a clean look.

People hesitate when buying neutral furniture because of the chance it might get dirty. Consider using a slipcover on your sofa; slipcovers can be removed and washed. Kick up a neutral palette with colorful accessories, accent furniture, and artwork for a more casual look.

Find It, Keep It

One man's junk is another man's treasure when adding unique found or flea market items to your home.

Cottage, traditional, or modern, found items are perfect for adding character and a cozy feel to your home. Here an old sign sits above a modern floating shelf. To find unique "junk" for your home, search flea markets, antiques stores, and online auctions.

Personalized Artwork

Add personal touches throughout your home with artwork. Whether you create it yourself or buy from a local artist, unique artwork adds character to any home.

This bedrooms gets a modern dose of color with an abstract painting placed above the mantel.

Makeshift Coffee Table

Ditch the hard lines and edges of a classic wood coffee table for an oversize ottoman. The cushioned surface will soften the style of a family room or living room.

A large ottoman, such as this one, can easily pull double duty; simply add a tray to create a hard surface for placing vases or drinks, but leave room to kick your feet up.

Layered Windows

Add more texture and warmth to a room by layering a simple shade with drapes.

Windows take center stage in a room when multiple styles of coverings are layered on each window. Here, bamboo shades are paired with a patterned drape. Be sure to keep the fabrics simple when using multiple layers.

Distressed Perfection

A classic element of the cozy cottage style is distressed furniture. Even with the extra wear and tear, these pieces of furniture add instant charm to a room.

This old workbench has been converted into a side table in the dining room, displaying flea-market vases and wildflowers. The bench was whitewashed and distressed, adding to the classic charm of this cottage-style home.

Start a Collection

A collection is a simple way to add a personal touch to your home.

Don't keep your collection hidden away in boxes. Instead, display items on open shelves.

Rustic Touches

Give a natural feel to a room by choosing accent tables in dark, rustic finishes.

When implementing a rustic style, choose case goods that are larger in scale than traditional furnishings.

Designer Tricks to Get a Comfortable Home

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