I dreamed of having a cozy living room with a comfortable chair right by the fire. Imagine sitting there in the evenings with a good book and a cup of tea. Up until a few years ago, the living room was overrun with teenagers. With five kids waiting in line for their turn with the remote, that was the last place I wanted to be at the end of a long day. The living room was bare bones for easier cleaning, especially since we also had three dogs. There were no curtains, throw pillows, area rugs or even a coffee table. At the time, that was how I wanted it.
Things have slowed down a little. Now I can turn my attention to my home and making it feel cozy and inviting. Decorating the home had been a little intimidating for me. I see all the pretty homes on Instagram, but I didn’t know where to start with mine. As you know, furnishings can be expensive and you don’t want to get the wrong thing. Sometimes I would walk in a store and just freeze because I didn’t know what to focus on.
Creating a Cozy Living Room One Section At a Time
Make a list of things you know you need to buy and keep them on your phone. I like to have that with me when I go thrifting so that I don’t miss out on a good bargain. The first purchase was a coffee table I found on Facebook Marketplace for $25. The table needed a little work but it was the right height and width for the space. Below are some tips to help you choose the right coffee table for your space.
https://reclaimingjoyhomestead.com/choosing-the-right-coffee-table-for-your-home/
How to Know The Right Rug Size for Your Space?
The next step was to find an area rug. Picking a rug that is too small is a common mistake. To avoid that, look at the placement of your furniture and where you want the rug to go. Using tape to outline the area is a good way to see what size works best. Rugs usually come in standard sizes, so keep that in mind when taping. Think about the colors in the room and what would compliment them best. Knowing exactly what you need will give you more options to search for what you want at a good price. I found a 9×12 foot Oriental rug for $50 and my professional shopper mom, bargained it down to $40. I bought the rug at a home improvement thrift store.
How to Know Which Curtains to Buy.
So far, I would say the curtains have had the most impact on creating a cozy living room. I wanted long, floral, English cottage drapes but couldn’t find them on my budget. After months of looking, I found these curtains at a thrift store for $5 a pair. They were pretty and I knew that if they didn’t work in the living room, they would be perfect for our home office. I still need to replace and raise some curtain rods. The curtains were a little shorter than I thought they would be but it works. I should have measured the window frame and the distance from the top of the window to the floor. That would have let me know how long the curtain was. These curtains do allow some filtered light, which helps brighten the room.
There is still quite a bit to do. I have yet to convince my husband that we need a new couch and I would like to get rid of the love seat and broken recliner. On the list to buy is two chairs to sit on either side of the fireplace and a cabinet to hide the Playstations (yup, plural). We took down some shelves that weren’t working in the space, and now I definitely have to paint. If I continue to focus on one thing at a time, then I am able to enjoy the process without getting overwhelmed.
