In my mind, these are 3 "must haves" in creating your cozy home

Here is a cozy room I designed for Renovation Style Magazine. photography by Michael Partenio

#1 Throw Pillows- Pillows are essential for making a room feel complete. For a quick makeover change your pillows to create a fresh new wave of color and patterns that will transform your space. Work with odd numbers like 3 or 5 on a couch and use 18" or 24" sizes that are more substantial, instead of lots of small pillows.
Pick pillows that are sturdy, but soft and comfortable. Down filled is desirable. Stiff, foam pillows never look natural on furniture. In a casual setting they do not all have to match . In this shot I created for Renovation Style you can see how we mixed patterns but worked with a color palette that was similar.

#2 Throws- Invest in a few good throws, essential for comfort , napping and softening your spaces. I keep a huge basket filled with folded plaid wool blankets so there's always a comforting blanket for everyone









#3 Books- invest in coffee table size books in whatever topics you love; art, history, aviation, travel. Coffee tables, side tables, desks are all natural places to create neat piles of big books. Books invite curiosity and discussions, and bring a layer of your personality to your space.

Bookshelves enhance any space, not just for books, but for artful pieces or collections. If you do not have bookshelves look for my upcoming poston creative ways to create places for your books