Feature

Interiors, like people, can have vastly different moods and feelings. Some are cheerful and chirpy, some are dull and miserable, and others are confused and cluttered.

Contemporary interior design often is focused on opening out spaces and creating a light and airy feel to a room, which is desirable for many people. However, there is a time and a place for a little more intimacy.

For living rooms and bedrooms, one of the most welcoming moods to evoke is a cosy atmosphere. Walk into a modern living room and you may feel a little unwelcome or uncomfortable, but enter a cosy haven and you will feel surrounded by its warmth and comforted by its inviting spaces.

Whatever the size of the room you want to decorate and style, there are many techniques to create a cosy feel and mood. Here are some of the tricks of the trade.
 

Lighting
This is one of the least tapped-into tricks by the average DIY designer. By directing light and shadows, you can create entirely different moods. Shadows effectively eliminate parts of the room from view, which adds to the cosiness of areas highlighted by table lamps or candles.

TV interior designer Laurence Llewelyn Bowen recommends that you layer the lighting throughout the room to suit your different needs. You can do this by having as many ways as possible to light your room, including ceiling lights with dimmer switches, table lamps and uplighters. 

Colour
Choose deep and strong colours for your walls and floor as they tend to draw the walls in on one another. To avoid closing them in too much in a small room, consider adding one dark and sumptuous feature wall in something like rich dark chocolate.

A dark floor with walls of brown or deep red, blue or green tones will help create the feeling of a smaller, cosier space. You can then use lighting to add extra focal interest on rich walls.

Textures
Heavy, soft textures add warmth to a space. Faux fur or hand knitted throws on a sofa, plush pile carpeting and curtains in luscious fabrics are the kind of textural elements that create a cosy atmosphere. Use rougher textures for the hard elements in the room; iron instead of chrome, brick instead of glazed tiles.

Patterns
The use of pattern in a room can also lend a sense of cosiness to the space. Oriental rugs, printed wallpapers, and patterned upholstery fabrics can used alone or in combinations. The more patterns in a room, the smaller it will feel. Care must be taken when combining patterns in a room. The rule of thumb, especially in a smaller space, is don’t overdo it.

Furniture
Choose dark finishes and fabrics to create a sense of the furniture being larger than it actually is. Heavy textured fabrics and large patterns will add a cosy feeling to a sofa or chair. Place furniture away from the wall and use tall furniture to divide and define smaller spaces within a room for greater intimacy.


Picture caption: For a cosy room, use warm colours, textures and patterns.

MyVillage, 30th June