Good afternoon dear friends! I’m currently writing this outside on a very hot and muggy afternoon so when I say the topic of cozy is far from my mind, it’s truly one of the last things I’d naturally be thinking about right now. 😂
But I was having a little think session recently and I realized it’s really not fair that the cozy season is typically relegated to only a few short months out of the year. I mean, I don’t know about you, but being cozy is one of my favorite things so if I can extend cozy season I’m game (prepare yourself to be sick of the word cozy).
I realized though that I kind of naturally gravitate towards a home that is on the cozier end of things however and even when it IS hot outside I still have little elements around my house that make my home feel warm and inviting throughout the year.
So today I thought I would share 10 ways that I add cozy to my home even when it’s still hot outside.
1. Rugs –
rugs add such a dose of warmth and texture to your room and they infuse your room with personality. Trust me, they make such a huge difference! You don’t have to spend a fortune either, but you can invest if you find one you really love. The bottom rug in our bedroom was a Target find (no longer available), and the top rug was a pricier find from Revival (gifted). The quality is beautiful and I love that light colored jute material.
2. A soft blanket –
this may seem like the last thing you’d want when it’s hot outside, but it can actually get pretty cold inside with the AC on, I love curling up under a blanket at night with a book and a snack and this one feels like you’re snuggled under a not messy melted marshmallow ha!
3. A sound simulator –
this is one of my favorite purchases ever. I have one on my bedside table and I have one in the kitchen and I really only use two settings on it: in the morning I use it play the birds singing setting and at night I play the fire crackling setting. It creates the best ambience in our house – it helps put us to sleep at night and wake us up in the morning.
4. A transitional candle –
I always forget to burn candles in the spring and summer, but there are so many scents that are so yummy for the warmer seasons (think basil and tomato for the height of summer, florals for spring, etc.). As we head into fall this candle is perfect for this time of year. It smells like August in a candle to me. There are hints of fall in the cedar and lingering scents of summer with the lavender. It’s heavenly and I love the way it makes our home smell.
5. A Record Player –
this has been such a fun addition to our house and I love the way a record player adds a level of coziness to your home that a regular Bluetooth speaker and iPhone can’t. We have our favorite records that we play for different seasons of the year (we’ve been playing a lot of Chicago this summer, but come Christmas it’s Doris Day Christmas all the way 😜) and it creates a wave of nostalgia whenever you hear that music I’m future seasons.
6. Sentimental seasonal touches –
I’m not one for decorating for seasons, except for Christmas obviously, but I do love pulling out little sentimental pieces that are seasonally specific. This shell is the perfect example: it was one of the decorations used at our wedding so it has a lot of sentimental value, but it’s subtle and it adds a touch of seasonal decor. It also is something the kids look forward to seeing and it makes me happy to see it sitting out every summer.
7. Bring the outdoors inside –
one of my favorite ways to add cozy little touches to our house every season is to add little bits of outside to my decorating. It instantly makes the decorations season specific, but it also feels like a breath of fresh air to see them whenever I walk by this table on my way out the door. This little dish is the perfect size for collecting these little treasures (often brought to me by my children). It’s sold out, but I have another bowl that’s similar so I’ll link to that one here.
8. Put family heirlooms on display-
these tea cups are a part of a dish set that’s been passed down my family and those little wooden bowls were made by my father in law while those shot glasses were my great grandfather’s. I love putting these dishes on display because they whenever I look at them they give me a jolt of happiness knowing I get to continue the tradition of our family offering these heirlooms a home. And even though these are up year round, they do provide a dose of coziness in these hot months.
9. A comfy place to be outside –
there’s nothing better than having a comfortable place to relax outside when the weather is beautiful. We adore our hammock for this, but it can be anything as long as it invites you into a time of true relaxation and rest.
10. Warming up your signature scent
this isn’t necessarily about your home, but for summer I always alternate between Clean Reserve Skin or Brochu Walker Morning Light, but towards the end of the summer I like to layer those perfumes with a spritz of Outremer Vanille. It smells like straight vanilla extract and it adds just the slightest note of vanilla to my summer fragrances and gives them that transitional quality I love.
And those are my tips. David always says I’m in my element when I’m cozy and he’s not wrong! 😜 Do you have any traditions or tricks that you do around this time of year to make your home feel a little extra cozy? Let me know in the comments!
Until next time,
Karin
