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When we first started planning for our new home, I knew for certain I wanted one thing, a cozy living room. Fast forward to plans and budgets and my cozy living room went from my dream of a stone fireplace, surrounded by charming built-ins and crown molding clad ceilings; to a basic little box! I wanted those quartz countertops y’all, the sacrifices had to be made.
So, what was I to do? I still wanted that cozy living room, but it had to be done with my decor instead, and since I blew most of our budget on the actual home building, that decor had to be affordable! I give you, my living room and the five affordable ways I made my blank space more inviting.
Five Affordable Ways To Create An Inviting Living Room
Add Big Pillows & Throw Blankets
Nothing says cozy to me like a big fluffy pillow. Key word here is BIG! Not only is a big pillow super soft, it takes up more space on the couch, so you don’t need as many! Pillows can get a little pricey, so the fewer you have to buy, the better. If you’re like me and you like to change pillows with the seasons, opt for covers you can change, rather than the entire pillow; saves money and saves space when it comes to storage. No pillow should have to be without a blanket, so I recommend a throw blanket or two also. When I sink into my couch, I immediately grab a throw blanket, even in the dead of summer. Plus, a throw blanket pairs well with a solo pillow if you only have three, like me. If I didn’t have two small children, who are constantly creating crumbs and spilling miscellaneous liquids, I would have a rug too, because a rug just brings a room together and ups the cozy factor.
Hang Long Curtains
One wish list item for the new house, that I wasn’t budging on, were big windows and lots of the them. I just love having a lot of natural light. We have so many windows in our house, but we also have neighbors. So, before we moved in, we stocked up on basic white curtains. We hung them about a foot above the windows to add a little drama and height to the room and used black rods, to match our rubbed bronze fixtures. They immediately made the room feel more comfortable and inviting!
Live Plants & Fresh Flowers
A live plant adds a little texture and warmth to a room. I’m terrible at keeping plants alive. However, this little palm tree is pretty hardy! I forget to water it more than I would like to admit, and a few months in, it’s still going strong! I have mine planted in a planter, but placed in a basket. I also like to keep a mason jar of fresh flowers out. Sometimes, if I don’t feel like buying fresh flowers, I use fake flowers, but you can’t beat the beauty of fresh blooms!
Soft Lighting
Another thing I just had to have in our new home, was recessed lighting. It is so warm and inviting, but taking it a step further, is adding a lamp to your room. I love my recessed lights, but my favorite light source in my living room is the lamp. The light is so soft and gives me all of those cozy feels. Plus, since our living room is a little large, it gave me something to put in that corner!
Candles
Probably the most affordable way to make a room more inviting and cozy, is adding a candle. I LOVE candles and have one lit in my home, every day! So, you can imagine, I buy a lot of candles. Not only are candles another great source of soft light, the scent sets the mood and the season. In the fall and winter you can find me pulling out all of my pumpkin, vanilla and spice scents. In the summer and spring, I’m all about fresh and floral. I was in Kroger the other day and picked up a couple of The Atmosphere Collection™ Fine Home Fragrance by Glade® candles to try. 
I grabbed, N°1 Enraptured™ – Jasmine and Cedarwood and a N°2 Bright™ – Sweet Pea and Pear. The Atmosphere Collection™ Fine Home Fragrance by Glade® not only looks high end, they smell that way too. I love traditional scents, but the N°1 Enraptured™ – Jasmine and Cedarwood and N°2 Bright™ – Sweet Pea and Pear I purchased were unique, like a boutique candle. N°1 Enraptured™ – Jasmine and Cedarwood is enchanting with scents of jasmine, lady apples, and sweetheart rose petals on a base of cedarwood. N°2 Bright™ – Sweet Pea and Pear is fresh and playful with scents of pear and sweet pea flowers. I use them both in my living room. When I want the room to feel fresh and playful, I light the Sweet Pea and Pear candle. When I’m going for a relaxing, but still fresh feel, I go for Jasmine and Cedarwood. I love how a scent really sets the mood I want and makes the room more inviting.
You don’t have to go crazy with your decor to make a space inviting. Keeping it simple is not only more affordable, it’s easier to keep clean. If you’re like me, with two small children, the easier to keep a space clean, the better! Let me know in the comments your favorite ways to dress up your home.
-Brooke
