1Choose Right-Sized Furniture
Brie Williams In Bambi Costanzo’s quaint 1920s cottage in West Virginia, right-sized furniture, like the white slipcovered sectional from Ikea that is never without layers of blue-and-white textiles, makes the most of this small space. The coffee table had a previous life as a neighbor’s kitchen table. When the neighbor moved and gifted it to the Costanzos, Bambi stripped off the white paint, cut the legs down, took a few inches off the sides, and painted it with a gel wood stain. “My husband carved our initials in a heart in one of the corners, so it's a keeper,” she says.
2Create a Corner Perch
Annie Schlechter A rustic daybed topped with a plaid cushion provides a cozy spot to take in views from a glass-walled great room in designer Amy Meier's lake house. This corner perch, along with a dining area and kitchen, is carved out of a lofty open-concept space with soaring 22-foot cathedral ceilings.
3Use Moody Blues
Read McKendress, styling by Matthew Gleason Vintage oil paintings of clipper sailing ships and coastal scenes provided these homeowners with the perfect moody gray-and-blue palette inspiration for their sunroom-turned-den. At first, they left the ceiling white, “but it didn't feel cozy enough, so we painted it the next year,” says Stephenie Watts. Velvet and wool fabrics cover the furniture (including mismatched red vintage chairs found on Facebook Marketplace), which are then all topped with a mix of textiles that reinforce the room’s acquired-over-time feel.
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4Give it a Lodgelike Feel
Marta Xochilt Perez In this Minnesota lake house, a wall of moss rock surrounds the fireplace, with chiseled stone corbels supporting the mantel. On cool nights, the homeowners light a fire, spin a few records from their vintage vinyl collection, and wrap up in wool blankets. Talk about an ideal place for a snuggly hang-out!
5Embue Storybook Charm
Helen Norman In the living room of this Virginia cottage, the thick pine-paneled walls, even thicker ceiling beams, and petite four-pane windows all struck homeowner Amy Whyte’s fancy, but her favorite element is the fireplace, with its unique cast-iron grate. “Its backplate has a fox on it,” she says. “It was like a little surprise tucked beyond the hearth.” That little fox inspired woodland motifs throughout the house, including the charming oil canvas above the mantel.
6Use Reclaimed Materials
Brie Williams In this newly built North Carolina mountain house, old materials create instant age for a warm and welcoming living space. The reclaimed beams came from an 1800s Massachusetts mill and the log skins were salvaged from old barns in the Midwest, while North Carolina stone on the fireplace gives a nod to the home's location. The palette for the new sofa, chairs, and draperies in the room was inspired by the antique rug that was used to upholster the ottoman.
RELATED: 6 Best Places to Find or Buy Reclaimed Wood Near You
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7Arrange a Pair of Facing Sofas
To cozy up the long living room in this Mississippi hunting lodge, Country Living Editor in Chief Rachel Hardage Barrett and friend Holly Audrey Williams created multiple gathering spaces—one for lounging, the others for games and piano sing-alongs. Facing green velvet sofas flank a vintage table atop a natural fiber rug. A chandelier, mounted brass sconces, and fireplace offer a pretty glow come nighttime against the bourbon-colored paneled walls.
8Add a Mix of Textiles
David Tsay In the petite living room in this Santa Barbara bungalow, a right-sized sofa fits beneath the arched windows. A pair of equally scaled-down wingbacks reinforces the idea that small furniture needn’t feel modern nor minimalist. A square antique table (cut down from a taller table) completes the puzzle, and a simple lantern provides plenty of light without breaking up the space.
9Give it Cabin Vibes
Marta Xochilt Perez The original fieldstone fireplace creates the warmest welcome in this Wisconsin cabin. To up the cozy vibes even more, the wood-wrapped space features a cushy leather sofa and blankets galore. The “Pine Cove” sign had been stashed away in the garage, but with the addition of vintage-style hooks, it’s now “the world’s largest coat rack,” says homeowner Megan Marsh.
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10Layer in Collections
RIKKI SNYDER Jeannette Fristoe collects a lot of things—decoys, cuckoo clocks, pottery, old books, and glassware to name but a few. She displays a sampling of them all in the living room of her 1920s bungalow, along with plenty of plants to keep things fresh. Bookshelves provide a spot to display cherished collectibles. A stone fireplace warms up the space.
RELATED: 100+ Best Places to Shop for Antiques and Vintage Online
11Keep the Wood Walls Natural
Seth Smoot In this living room, a comfortable collection of neutral furnishings—re-covered linen barrel chairs, wicker and fringe lamps, an antique rug—complements the home’s redwood walls. An upholstered ottoman and piles of pillows add an additional layer of softness.
12Pair Leather and Wood Furniture
William Abranowicz Newly plastered white walls provide a calming backdrop for the arrangement of dark leather seating and antique wood tables. “We like pieces that are weathered—authentic objects that celebrate their wear,” says homeowner Jason Frank.
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13Layer Richly Colored Fabrics
Nick Johnson “I wanted this room to feel rich and cozy and warm—the kind of place you'd sit by the fire to read a book,” says Erica Harrison of Detroit-based design firm Hudson and Sterling. That coziness comes courtesy of higher-end fabrics from heritage brands that help balance the Michigan country home’s rusticity, including on the reupholstered antique wicker sofa, velvet ottoman, armchair, and assorted throw pillows. Topped with a classic vintage game, the antique oak trunk provides the perfect patina-rich spot to unapologetically kick up your feet.
14Make it Look Assembled Over Time
Lincoln Barbour A wingback chair and a spindle chair give this Alabama cabin’s living room a collected-over-time vibe. It’s unlikely you'll find an out-of-the-box matching set of anything in a 100-year-old home like this one. “This house isn’t about ‘Don't put your feet on this piece of furniture.’ It's all about comfort and making people feel at home,” says homeowner Debra Koehler. The rustic mantel is made of wood from her grandparents’ farm.
RELATED: 50 Fireplace and Mantel Decor Ideas for a Cozy Upgrade
15Hang Vintage Finds
Annie Schlechter Singer-songwriter Holly Audrey Williams’s restoration of this old Kentucky farmhouse features a fresh coat of paint on the walls and millwork, allowing vintage finds—like the hanging banners salvaged from a church—to shine.
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16Hang Art Salon Style
Annie Schlechter A floor-to-ceiling library (with a so-fun library ladder!) and a gallery wall of family art set the scene for creative gatherings in this Manhattan apartment. Honey wood floors, a gold-framed mirror, and stone-framed fireplace add more warmth.
17Pile on the Stripes
Tria Giovan 18Layer with Rustic Accents
An open window policy and a mix of midcentury modern furniture with a smattering of rustic accents come together in this lakeside living room. Sheepskin-inspired blankets and rugs, comfy poofs, and paneled walls up the cozy factor.
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19Give it a Ski Lodge-Inspired Look
Photograph by Eric Piasecki, Design by Anthony Baratta In the mountains of Utah, designer Anthony Baratta warmed up this après-ski setting with a mix of graphic lumberjack fabrics, dramatic accessories, and a light dusting of kitsch.
20Keep it Neutral
DAVID TSAY Amy Mitchell is the managing editor at Country Living and VERANDA. She writes about a wide range of topics, including homes and lifestyle content.
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