Cosy Minimalism: How We Created a Warm and Inviting Home

Creating a beautiful, welcoming, and cosy space is a goal that many of us aspire to. However, when it comes to minimalism, we often associate it with a cold and barren aesthetic. We may believe that getting rid of clutter means sacrificing warmth and comfort in our homes. But that doesn’t have to be the case.

I remember returning from a trip and entering our home, only to find it felt a bit empty and unwelcoming. While I appreciate clear countertops and some empty space, I felt that maybe we had taken our version of minimalism a little too far. We began exploring ways to add warmth and life to our space and make it feel more inviting, without introducing clutter.

I recognise that minimalism can differ for each person, and striking the right balance can be difficult. The key is to find the perfect balance between simplicity and cosiness. However, it is possible to embrace both simplicity and warmth in a more streamlined manner. By incorporating certain elements and techniques, we can create a clutter-free, warm, and inviting minimalist home. Today, I will share the benefits I have discovered and the steps we took to achieve this.

Benefits of Cosy Minimalism

When it comes to cosy minimalism, there are numerous benefits that can enhance your home and lifestyle. Here are some of the advantages I have discovered:

• Save Money: Cosy minimalism allows you to avoid unnecessary trends and decorations, focusing instead on timeless and classic styles. By being intentional with your choices, you can save money in the long run.
• Reflect Personal Style: By curating your space intentionally, you can create an environment that truly reflects your personal style and brings you joy. Surround yourself with items that hold meaning and significance, rather than cluttering the space with unnecessary possessions.
• Simplify Cleaning: A relaxing and simple space in your home can lead to more mental energy, fewer stressors, and less time spent on cleaning. With fewer items to manage, you can enjoy a more streamlined and efficient lifestyle.
• Create a Cosy Retreat: Cosy and inviting spaces help us relax and slow down, particularly during those long winter nights. Embracing cosy minimalism can transform your home into a warm and comforting sanctuary.

If these benefits resonate with you, let’s explore the areas that can make your home feel even more warm and cosy.

1. Embrace Neutral and Earthy Tones

When you’re creating a cosy minimalist home, it’s all about finding that perfect balance. You want a space that feels warm and inviting, but still maintains the simplicity and calmness of minimalism. One key aspect is choosing a neutral colour palette. Think soothing whites, gentle beiges, calming greys, and earthy browns. These colours create a harmonious and calming atmosphere, making your home a peaceful sanctuary.

In our smaller home, we opted for white walls. This not only enhances the sense of spaciousness and cleanliness but also maximises natural light, making the rooms feel brighter even on cloudy days. We found that excessive patterns or different tones on the walls can be visually distracting and make the space feel cluttered. So, keeping it simple with a consistent colour palette throughout the entire home creates a sense of unity and cohesion.

By incorporating these neutral and earthy tones, you’ll be able to achieve a warm and inviting space that reflects your personal style and preferences. We want to create a cosy minimalist oasis where you can truly relax and unwind.

2. Balance with Warm Textures

Let’s talk about textures and colours. To give your home that cosy vibe, try incorporating warm textures and earthy ceramics alongside neutral colours. Think about adding in some subtle patterns, wooden accents, and cosy textiles. You can bring in elements like baskets, textured fabrics, and warm metals like brass or copper. These additions not only add visual interest but also create a more inviting atmosphere.

When it comes to decorating, focus on functional pieces that also double as beautiful décor. Avoid decorative items with no meaning or purpose (you know, the ones that just collect dust). Instead, opt for things like ceramic vases, warm wooden coffee tables or side tables, woven baskets, throw pillows, and throw blankets. This idea can be applied to all rooms. For example, in the kitchen, display wooden chopping boards or fruit bowls to add warmth. In the bathroom, use warmer shades for towels and amber bottles. By reducing unnecessary clutter and sticking to what serves you best, you’ll create a space that feels cosy, organised, and clutter-free.

When creating a sense of warmth, we can’t forget about adding softness and comfort to your minimalist home. Soft materials like wool, bamboo, cotton, and linen are your secret weapons. Use these softer materials for rugs, curtains, cushions, blankets etc. these natural materials will elevate the look of your room and make it feel that bit cosier.

Let’s not overlook the walls! Textured wall art is a fantastic way to enhance the visual appeal and create a cosier atmosphere. Consider adding pieces like macramé, wood, bamboo, or tapestry. But also embrace the beauty of blank walls too! They make your art pieces stand out and add a special touch to your space.

3. Using Curves and Circles

In addition to warm textures, incorporating curves and circles into your décor can help soften the straight lines often associated with minimalist design. This can be achieved through the use of vases, rugs, and round tables. These shapes not only provide visual variety but also create a sense of balance with the straight lines commonly found in buildings, resulting in a more cosy environment that you’ll love spending time in.

4. Curate with Intention and Thoughtfulness

If you have small items that you use multiple times a day and want to keep handy, here’s a trick: use a small box with a lid. For example, if you have stationery that you always need at your desk but don’t have drawers to store it, put all those items in a small box. It keeps things looking cleaner and more organised, while still being functional. You can use this idea anywhere you keep small things together, like beside your bed for earplugs, lip balm, tissues, or in the living room for hand cream, a nail file, and so on.

When arranging items in a space, go for larger pieces and use fewer of them. It creates a more spacious and uncluttered feel. And if you have smaller items that you want to display or use, try gathering them in groups of three. To bring the look together even further you can place them together on a tray. For example, in our living room, we have coasters that we use all the time, and we also have a candle that gets lit daily. So, we display them together with a vase of seasonal flowers. It creates a cohesive look as the 3 pieces now look like one, and reduces clutter beautifully.

5. Personalise with Meaningful Décor

Instead of using random décor, be intentional and thoughtful with the items you have. Take the time to evaluate whether an item is essential or brings you joy. Keeping things simple and functional will help avoid unnecessary clutter and reduce the amount of work needed to maintain your space. Remove any obstacles that can make walk areas feel cluttered and consider removing labels where possible to create a cleaner look.

While it’s nice to keep surfaces clean, it’s also okay to have a few items that may not serve a functional purpose but still bring you happiness. The key is to surround yourself with items that hold personal meaning or serve a purpose, rather than accumulating things for the sake of it. Display meaningful artwork, cherished photographs, or items collected from your travels. By incorporating your own personality into your décor choices, you can create a cosy and personalised space that truly reflects who you are.

Although we appreciate clean surfaces in our home, we also have a few items that serve no functional purpose but still bring us joy when we see them. It’s all about striking a balance between minimalism and warmth, and creating a space that feels like a cosy sanctuary.

For instance, in our living room, we have a picture ledge where each item holds a special memory that comes to mind whenever we look at it.

In our bedroom, we have wall art that includes a didgeridoo I brought back from Australia, a hieroglyphic painting from our trip to Egypt, and a guitar I bought for Stu on our first Christmas together. These items are made from wood and lighter materials, which adds warmth and carries cherished memories.

Another idea for meaningful décor is to create DIY pieces. These can be inexpensive and changed with the seasons, or made with more effort and kept long-term. Examples include crocheted blankets, paintings, tapestries, photography, and many more.

6. Play with Lighting

By considering the different aspects of lighting in your home, you can create a warm and inviting atmosphere while maintaining the simplicity of your space.

Natural Light

Make the most of natural light. Avoid blocking windows or covering them with heavy curtains. Instead, use sheer or light-filtering curtains that allow natural light to fill your space. Natural light not only creates a bright and open atmosphere but also helps to uplift your mood.

Overhead Lights

While overhead lighting is necessary for tasks that require it, it can feel stark and harsh in a cosy minimalist home. Consider using dimmer switches to adjust the brightness of your overhead lights. This allows you to create a softer and more relaxing ambiance when needed.

Mood Lighting

Mood lighting is ideal for creating a comfortable and cosy atmosphere in your home. Choose warm-toned bulbs or soft table lamps that emit a gentle glow. You can also incorporate candles or salt lamps to add warmth and create a soothing ambiance. If you prefer scented candles, opt for natural and calming scents to enhance the cosy atmosphere of your minimalist space.

In our home, we have a combination of wick candles and rechargeable candles. This allows us to add warm light to our home while keeping the naked flames close to where we are sitting.

Mirrors

Strategically placing mirrors in your minimalist home can enhance its cosy and inviting feel. Mirrors not only make a smaller space appear larger but also reflect light, creating a brighter and more open atmosphere. Consider placing mirrors across from windows to maximise the amount of natural light in your space. This not only adds visual interest but also contributes to the overall cosy ambiance.

7. Incorporate Nature

Bring the outdoors inside by adding plants and natural elements to your space. Plants not only add a touch of greenery and life but also help purify the air.

Greenery

Plants are a wonderful addition to any space, as they bring life, colour, and texture, creating a sense of calm and tranquillity. With their various shades, shapes, and sizes, plants are versatile and visually appealing. It is clear that I am a big fan of plants!

In an ideal world, I would fill my home with an abundance of plants because I love their aesthetic and the vibrant energy they provide. However, in reality, I struggle to keep plants alive. To avoid the disappointment of seeing my new plants wither or dealing with pesky plant flies once again, I have had to make a compromise. This compromise is actually better for the plants themselves. Now, my new plan is to keep one real plant in each room. These plants not only filter the air but also bring a sense of vitality to the room. Any additional plants are artificial, providing the desired colour, warmth, and “life” without the need for ongoing maintenance. Unfortunately, it took the loss of many plants for me to realise that this is the best way forward.

There are plenty of options available for both real and artificial plants to create a cosy atmosphere in your room.

Natural Elements

Another idea to make your home feel cosy and close to nature, is to bring in some branches, stones, or pebbles and display them in a lovely bowl or vase. It’s such a simple and natural way to create a connection to nature right in your space. I love how it adds a touch of cosiness and brings a little bit of the outdoors inside.

Seasonal Stems

Seasonal flowers are such an easy and convenient way to bring vibrancy and cosiness to your home. One of my favourite things to do is to switch out fresh or artificial stems based on the season. It’s like adding a burst of beautiful colours that instantly catches your eye and makes your living space feel so inviting and cosy. You’ll love how it elevates the overall ambiance of your home!

8. Mix Old and New

You know what’s great about creating a cosy minimalist home? It’s all about mixing old and new items to add character and personality. You can bring in vintage or unique pieces and pair them with modern furniture. It’s like creating a perfect blend of styles that make your space feel more lived-in and inviting.

And here’s a bonus: when you mix old and new, you can often find older, high-quality furniture at a great price. These pieces are built to last a lifetime, so you don’t have to worry about constantly replacing them. It’s all about quality over quantity.

When you walk into a room with a more eclectic feel, it’s like stepping into a warm and cosy oasis. You get a variety of tones and textures that add a sense of warmth and comfort. For example, instead of going for a full three-piece suite, why not mix it up with an accent chair and a sofa? It adds so much personality and makes your space feel more inviting.

So, don’t be afraid to mix old and new in your minimalist home. It’s all about creating a space that reflects your unique style and makes you feel right at home.

9. Simplify and Declutter Regularly

When it comes to minimalism, remember that less is more. It’s all about being intentional with what you truly need in your home and taking your time to declutter. Choose the items that bring you joy and serve a purpose, and let go of the ones that don’t. Surround yourself only with the things you love, and you’ll create a space that reflects your personality and style.

You know how flat surfaces tend to collect clutter? Well, to keep a warm yet minimalist look, it’s important to keep those surfaces free of unnecessary items. If you don’t use something daily, find a designated spot for it and put it away. Remember, “if it’s not used every day, put it away”. This will give your space a clean and streamlined appearance, and you’ll appreciate the few items you choose to display even more.

Set up a routine for decluttering regularly. No matter how hard we try to stop things from coming into our homes, they always do. Find a routine that works for you to stay on top of this process. When you start to see things accumulate, it’s a good time to have a decluttering session.

By removing all the items that you don’t love, you create plenty of space for the things you do love to shine. Enjoy the things that bring you joy and make your space truly cosy and inviting.

Creating a cosy minimalist home is all about finding the perfect balance between simplicity and warmth. By incorporating elements such as neutral and earthy tones, warm textures, curves and circles, intentional curation, meaningful décor, thoughtful lighting, nature-inspired elements, a mix of old and new, and regular decluttering, you can transform your space into a welcoming and inviting sanctuary. Embrace the benefits of cosy minimalism, including saving money, reflecting your personal style, simplifying cleaning, and creating a cosy retreat. With these tips and ideas, you can achieve a cosy minimalist home that brings you joy, comfort, and a sense of calm. Remember, it’s not about sacrificing warmth and comfort for minimalism, but rather finding the perfect balance that suits your lifestyle and preferences.

These are some of the steps we took to make our minimalist home feel cosier. Feel free to share in the comments what you do to create a cosy atmosphere in your home 🤍