11 things I would do to instantly achieve that warm and welcoming look

Introduction

Pinning those gorgeous rooms that draw you in and wondering why yours don’t look that way? 

Thinking that only an expensive designer could help you find a solution? Or, you may be worrying that you’d have to go a full-on remodel and don’t want to deal with the mess at the moment.

What if I told you there’s something you can do right now and it’ll dramatically change the way your room looks and feels?

A room where everyone feels welcome.

And you don’t have to break the budget.

You can use a lot of things you already own. Or, you can go all-in and turn it into an exciting hunt for beautiful, curated, storied pieces for your home.

Either way, you’re going to have fun, and your guests will thank you for that.

1. Add Plants

Plants Help Relax and provoke curiosity

Picture yourself sipping ice tea in an English garden. It’s an intimate summer party, just close friends. Fresh cut flowers overflowing a vase on the table, lazy conversations floating around the table, laughter. 

Why do we love those idyllic settings? 

Because, even a small green space includes so much variety for us to focus our attention, yet they are familiar and predictable, so we can easily relax. 

We call those spaces restorative: in such spaces we regain our energy by relaxing and being curious at the same time. 

So, bring in plants and flower arrangements into your room. 

These living things look great and purify the air. 

Not a plant person? I didn’t use to be either. I was literally googling: “plants you can’t kill”.

I found five. It was a long uphill battle, I kept buying new ones from the same list of five. Let’s take a moment to honor the faithful soldiers who sacrificed their lives to make me a decent five-plant gardener. I am now enjoying quite a lush indoor garden. You can too.

2. window treatments  

Frame the view from your window

Have you heard of a focal point? 

It’s something that instantly draws your attention as you walk into a room. 

A sectional, a large piece of art, a fireplace or another object can serve as a focal point. Designers use it to achieve the exact feel and look they’re going after. 

Well, no matter what else is going on in the room, a window is always a focal point. It will always, always have your attention.

Which means, if it’s bare, it better be showing off impeccable woodwork or a stunning view.  And what if it’s got some boring office-style blinds instead? 

You see where I’m taking you? – The feeling of the room’s going to be …impersonal. Quite far from warm and welcoming.

Window treatments are a great investment. Everyone in the room, including you, will always be looking at them. 

For your window textile, you can choose a contrasting color or a bold print and then they’ll serve as a frame for the view outside. 

You can go for a softer color, similar to the scenery outside – that way it’ll accentuate the view and bring it in.

Another great reason to have curtains and window treatments – is to protect you from the elements.

How? That depends on your local climate.

Every time I travelled in climates with scorching sun, be that North Africa or the Mediterranean, shutters and curtains saved the day. 

Linen is especially perfect for that – it guards you from the sun, but it lets the air in, so the room is not stuffy.

If you enjoy a lot of warm sunshine in your area then light sheers will look like a perfect, almost cloud-like thing, letting the light pour into the room freely. 

If you get gray days, drafts or winds in your area, then heavier, thicker weave curtains is a god-send. These drapes will stop drafts and help the room feel cozier on a gloomy day, especially if you have a lamp in the window. I live in Europe and that’s exactly what I do in winter. I place a lamp with a playful shade in each window and drape velvet curtains around. I must say, it totally draws you in – so inviting. 

3. Vary textures

Cut through monotony & add interest

We all want to feel something good. 

All the time. 

All of us. 

When everything in your room is smooth, it quickly gets boring. So if you add a bit of variety, it simultaneously energizes and adds interest. 

To make a space more relaxing, add more matte (non-glossy) finishes.

In a new place I always start with an area rug, I prefer wool for its warmth, historic appeal and wellness qualities (see #9 in this article) and just for its sensory texture.

Then I mix in a few pillows with different textures: fluffy, strong hand-woven textures, cross-stitched, silky, suede, and leather. They all provide different sensory experiences, and some of them double as conversation pieces. 

4. Mix patterns

Imitate nature’s Abundance

We’re drawn to nature. It soothes, calms and restores us.

But at home everything is rectangular, even-surfaced, and often the same color.

Think about your recent walk in the park, or a ride – patterns and shapes constantly change. (Besides, they always move). How often will you find straight geometric lines? – almost never. 

You can add that feeling of natural comfort in your room and no, you don’t have to drag in a boulder or driftwood.

What I’m talking about is patterns and prints on your accessories, wall art, vases, pillows, and if you want to invest more, wallpaper and upholstery.

What patterns am I talking about? – Whatever brings nature in and makes you happy: for a lot of people it’s florals. But wait!

If you aren’t a florals person, you have dozens of choices. 

Lush foliage, pebbles, birds or animals- patterns with these motifs trick our mind: when we see that pattern, it triggers our brain to remember how good it felt when we last saw it ‘live’. Nature always brings in the aspect of mental health.

Animal patterns are both feminine and masculine. 

And no, you don’t have to cover everything in cow, zebra, snake, or leopard print. One or two accent pieces are enough. But, if you’re a maximalist – patterns is where you should really go to town. It’s your time! Enjoy.  

5. Side tables

Save your guests from awkwardness

Nothing makes your new guest feel more awkward (and, therefore, unwelcome) than these two things: not knowing where to sit, and not knowing where to put their drink.

So I always make sure that every seating area has a side table or two where a guest can put their drink. Otherwise they’ll be nursing it and worrying if they’re going to accidentally spill it on your upholstery. (I know I have. I mean, worried… and spilled, too.) 

6. Conversation starters

Personal artifacts are a win-win-win

Not everyone can interact all the time.

We don’t need a researcher to tell us that (although research in the psychology of space shows it).

Basically, you need to give your guests an opportunity to gracefully break eye contact. You and your guests need a “visual break” – something where they can politely divert their eyes. That way they can feel more relaxed in a conversation or if they aren’t into too much interaction. A piece of art, a view out of the window, or even if they can leaf through a coffee table book. 

Your conversation starters are a win-win, because they’re a great opportunity to celebrate your life story by showcasing your antique finds, a collection of treasured things, family photos, especially fun or artistically done, quirky artisanal pieces from your travels. 

Warmth comes from something that’s lovingly made and infused with a story: and that’s always personal.  

7. Books

Books always give a room a lived-in look

Worried about your home being a cookie cutter? Nothing shows off personality more than a full bookshelf. It’s real and it speaks volumes about its owners (pun intended). 

If you’re not a reader, then be a viewer – invest in coffee table books with stunning photography or pictures that pick your curiosity. 

Give your guests something to leaf through. 

To me, a good book collection beats rare finishes, wall art, and antiques.

8. Display Antiques

Heirlooms make the room feel inviting and loving

Antiques carry legacy just by existing. 

If you aren’t into Louis XV chairs or baroque sideboards, it’s totally fine.

Bring in your family heirlooms, a chest of drawers from your favorite great-aunt that reminds you of care-free summer breaks.

Or that coffee table, your first ‘grown up’ purchase that served you faithfully, from apartment to apartment until you found your ‘forever’ home. 

You can have your antiques refinished, reupholstered, or just keep them aged and covered with other mementos.  

Don’t worry if they don’t perfectly fit the design style of the day. No interior design authority has the right to tell you a piece that’s dear to you doesn’t belong in your home.

If it’s personal, it’s interesting!

9. Wood & Wool

Two things that always make a room feel cozier

Don’t know how, but they do. 

Great thing about wood – it comes in so many different colors and textures. So, choose one or two different textures you like and incorporate it in your room. 

Furniture pieces, shelves are an obvious choice, but it could also be in lamp stand finishes, wall paneling, trays, coasters and other accessories, even wooden pots or sculptures. 

Just remember to treat wood as a color, so when you’re working out a color scheme for your room, don’t forget to include samples from your wood finishes and furniture into it. 

As for wool, 

Did you know that genuine wool is a natural dust repellent? 

It also doesn’t soak water too quickly, so with an accidental spill, you can quickly shake it off, if you don’t let it soak in too long.

I always try to have at least one-two pieces with woolen finish: upholstery on a wingback chair or an ottoman, a lambskin cushion.

A throw is the easiest addition that can last for decades, it’ll warm you up and feel nice to the touch. One specific merino wool throw, hand-knitted, has been traveling with me for over a decade and has graced a room in every home I’ve lived in.

10. Warm Colors

a visual trick to make the room feel warmer

Warm colors draw us in, that’s what the psychology of color research shows. Brands have used it for decades: that’s why in some stores the most distant wall is painted deep red or orange, so you’re drawn to walk in further.  

Of course, your goal is not to manipulate people, but you can achieve a much more welcoming, warm look with the right color scheme.

You can go two ways: create a base with warm neutrals and then you can safely add bright, or even cool accents and your room will still look warm. 

Or, if you’d like a bit more drama and visual interest, go for a cooler and breezier base, then add all your accessories, decor and accents in the warm color palette. 

Also, today a lot of trending colors are from a warm color spectrum: dark reds, earthy browns, terracotta, moca – think about incorporating these, because these hues have also withstood the test of time and have been around for centuries. They’re truly timeless colors you can come back to. If you aren’t a maximalist and not into color-drenching, don’t worry. These colors look great in furniture finishes and upholstery, and if you look around, you may discover that you already own a few.

11. Focus on Lighting

Lighting can make or break the room

If you choose to ignore every tip above, pay attention to this one:

Doing this will put you in permanent risk of living in an impersonal and uninviting space.

And that is,

None of the tips above will help you if you keep that overhead light as your single light source. 

Even though brightly lit rooms seem cheerful, they also keep us alert. 

Especially LED lights on a blue scale.

I personally think It makes everything and everyone look ugly. Sorry, but I have to be blunt.

What’s more, researchers, who study how space affects our psychology, have found our evaluations of other people are higher in a darker room, rather than in a brightly-lit room. 

Also, “A room that is not brightly lit relaxes us” Place Advantage We speak more intimately with each other when lights are dimmed.

I almost never use overhead lights and instead place lamps in seating areas, in windows, use spotlights and lights for work areas and I’ve replaced all light bulbs with warm-spectrum bulbs.  

Try it and you’ll see that your room will immediately look more intimate. The secret word: area lights. 

In my bedroom I never ever turn the overhead light on. Dreamy, cuddly atmosphere is easily created with bedside lamps. Bright just enough to read a book, subtle enough to cuddle. Makes your skin look good too. 

Play with visually interesting lampshades – a perfect accessory that doesn’ crowd your shelves or bedside. A perfect escape.  

Conclusion

If you use just half of the ideas from this article, you’ll see changes in how your room feels.

First of all, look at your existing lighting, as it impacts the look and feel of your room most dramatically. See if you need to replace your light bulbs for those on a warmer spectrum. Then see if you can add some reading lights, lamps on side tables, floor lamps.

Add comfort by bringing in a variety of textures and patterns. Add a few interesting books. Bring in those family heirlooms or your favorite antiques: those are the ones that’ll show off your personality the best, and serve as a perfect conversation starter.

Most importantly, surround yourself with meaningful objects that bring warm memories. Take action, bring in a few of these and you’ll have a comfortable room you’ll never want to leave and your friends can’t wait to visit.