Top Ways to Cozy Up Your Home

Add a Throw Blanket

Nubby knits are an ideal companion for chilly nights at home with a movie. Plus, they temporarily add seasonal pattern and color to your home.

Pile Up Pillows

Paired with a warm blanket, pillows become snuggle buddies during on-the-sofa homework help or bill paying. Look for pillows with a lot of texture.Then pile them on the sofa and think about investing in or making larger ones for the floor.

Gather Around the Hearth

A crackling fire naturally draws people to it, so accommodate that with extra seating around your hearth. For the fall and winter months, rearrange your furniture to shift your conversation area to the fireplace.

Pull Out Your Quilts

Quilts have always looked great on a bed, but consider using them as decor this fall. Frame pieced squares and hang in a grid or hang an entire quilt on the wall. If you have an out-of-the-way table, try placing a small quilt on it as a tablecloth.

Line Tables with Fabric

Bare tables, while perfect for breezy summers, are too stark for fall. Cover them up with seasonally appropriate runners.

Get Cozy: Tablecloths are expected, but a runner is an even easier way to dress up a table. Get creative and use a long scarf, a fabric remnant, or a thin blanket as a runner.

Carve Out a Reading Nook

Fall is the time to pull out your favorite tomes or find a new favorite and lose yourself for hours in a good book. Pick a well-lit corner of your home, either by natural light or a lamp, and arrange a comfy armchair in it. Place a table nearby, stacked with your favorite books and reading lists. If you read on a tablet, consider a spot near an outlet for easy charging.

Try an Area Rug

Nothing heralds the pending arrival of winter quite like a cold floor on bare feet. Fend off icy toes by placing area rugs in well-traveled spots in the home. Or layer area rugs for even more coziness.

Hang Heavier Drapes

Heavy drapes keep out drafts and lend an opulence to the room, especially if you let them pool an inch or so on the ground. Switch out summer sheers for pattern drapes with a heavier hand.

Seasonal Patterns

Employ cozy patterns, such as plaid, herringbone, and tweed, in small doses. Look for patterns that work with your existing scheme. For example, if you have navy blue accents in your living room, add a plaid throw with navy in the design.

Warm and Fuzzy

Drape sheep skins over chairs and sofas for instant comfort. The texture is inviting and irresistible.

Skirt a Table

Cover bare table legs and create an entirely new shape in your room by draping cloth over a table to the floor. Bonus: You can stash boxes of paperwork and clutter beneath the skirt for quick cleaning.

Layer Bedding

Introduce extras to your bed for the fall and winter months. Layer in additional pillow pairs and place a decorative throw in a seasonal color or pattern across the foot of the bed.

Warm Up with Gold

Although not soft and fuzzy, gold accents still have a warming effect. Hang a series of gold framed mirrors in a hallway, foyer, or on any bare space of wall that needs a little lift. If you can't find the perfect gold accessories, head to the crafts store and pick up some gold spray paint and add the Midas touch to candlesticks, figurines, and more. (Be sure to buy the right spray paint for the material you'll be updating.)

Switch Out Accessories

Trade in brightly colored area rugs, towels, and other affordable accessories for muted tones and seasonal textures. These inexpensive changes can be made even more affordable if you shop end-of-season sales.