It’s the time of year when many of us want to cozy up at home in front of a toasty fire. But if your living room leaves a lot to be desired, your relaxing retreat might be anything but. Luckily, it doesn’t take much to create the ideal living room set up. Here are a few steps to bring your living room up a notch or two:

Don’t lose out on heat

It doesn’t matter how beautiful your living room reno looks or how comfortable your sofa is, you won’t want to spend time there if a chill is in the air. So, first thing’s first, make sure you’re not losing heat through poor insulation or gaps in your weatherstripping. Check for proper insulation, replace any worn out window seals, service your heating and ventilation system and clean your fireplace. If you don’t have a fireplace already, consider installing one for the classic cozy feeling.

Get your lighting right

Soft, warm lighting is key to making a space comfortable and inviting. While a fireplace is ideal for a soothing ambience, the light it provides isn’t super functional. Relying on an overhead fixture or pot lights aren’t the answer either. They can be too harsh for you to get into the cozy zone.

Layer light using floor, table and task lamps to add dimension and get the flexibility to see the pages of your book and then avoid a glare on your TV screen. Swap out natural or bright white bulbs for warm light and install dimmers to set the mood as needed.

Leverage the layout

Consider how the placement of your furniture encourages a comfortable time enjoying your living room – and how it doesn’t. Facilitate conversation with seating that’s grouped together so people can naturally begin to connect as they sit down. Think about a sectional with chairs nearby, or two sofas facing each other and decide what will be the focal point of the room – perhaps a statement coffee table, a feature wall with a television or fireplace, or maybe the view from your living room windows.

Balance practicality and comfort

When the goal is a cozy space, comfort cannot be ignored. So, go for the nap-ready sofa, a rug that kisses your feet, and the most exquisite blanket – you want your body to feel right at home. At the same time, practicality still plays a role too, since things like washable fabrics and the easy-to-reach coffee table make everyday life in the space more pleasant and inviting. Still, you don’t have to neglect style either! Plenty of luxe materials are getting the “high-performance” treatment, such as easy-wash velvet.

Rethink your clutter

It’s easy for items to pile up in the living room, but that can get a bit overwhelming. Minimize extra stuff in your home to make it easy to find, create a more serene surrounding and make your place look more polished. For a light and airy feel in your cozy retreat, try stylish storage baskets or an ottoman or coffee table to quickly tuck items away in.

If you’re more of a maximalist at heart and feel most at home among all your prized possessions, it’s still beneficial to rethink what those are and be intentional in how you display them. You’re not alone in this impulse either: 2023 will be all about people “finding new ways to honour old stuff in their homes,” according to Pinterest’s annual trend predictions.

Live for layering

Add warmth and depth you want to dive right into by layering colours, patterns and textures – from sumptuous dark faux-fur couch cushions to a chunky knit blanket in cream, to a knubby, woven rug.

Layering goes beyond accessories too: add dimension elsewhere with subtly textured wallpaper, wood accents, live plants and stone features.

This mixed media approach brings comfort to your body and mind no matter if your style is minimalist, maximalist or somewhere in between – simply adjust the number of items, the weight of the materials and the colour palette accordingly.

Using our mechanically fastened stone veneer, called Fusion Stone, makes it a simple DIY project to incorporate the deluxe colours and textures of stone alongside other layers you enjoy. From the laidback luxury of a stone wall or a warm and inviting stone fireplace, see how you can create quality custom stone accents for the coziest living room ever. Check out our inspiration gallery and past blogs to learn how.