Cosy & Luxurious – 10 tips for creating the look
21.12.2016 BY SANNA HUOVINEN
Many of us dream of a cosy and luxurious log house with a warm and inviting atmosphere. The Cosy & Luxurious look is based on light-filled rooms, natural high-quality materials and eye-catching focal points such as artwork or stunning lighting fixtures. By following these 10 simple steps, the look can be brought to any home – no matter if your space is small or big, new or old.
1. MAXIMIsE Light and space
Space is the new luxury. However, luxurious living is not just about the number of bedrooms or the size of your bathroom. It’s about thoughtful design that maximises the space available to create a living environment where you can achieve perfect serenity.
Most of the Honka log homes we supply are customised designs that uniquely take into account your lifestyle, your family’s needs and the possibilities and limitations of your building site. The design process of a house always includes some prioritising – thinking about what are the most important areas to your family and how you want to invest your available square metres.
High ceilings and a large floor-to-ceiling window to the surrounding nature create the airy atmosphere of this compact living room. Exposed beams add visual interest to the design.
Many of the popular Honka house designs (for example Serenata and Ajatonta models) feature a large window wall that floods the living room with natural daylight, making it the perfect spot for relaxing and socialising.
2. Natural materials & colours
Invest in genuine high-quality materials that serve as a harmonious basis for more vibrant colours and eclectic accents. Natural materials such as solid wood and natural stone come together beautifully to create a sophisticated, warm and inviting atmosphere.
Natural solid wood and a neutral colour scheme set the tone of this warm and welcoming living room (Ajatonta design).
The log walls can be treated in various ways with natural waxes and stains. Some people love to have a bright and light look with white walls. You may also go for darker browns to create an extra cosy and warm atmosphere. Or if you love the natural colour of wood, let it show!
On the left, the log walls are treated with matte white wood wax, letting just a hint of the wood grain show through. If you want to stick to the natural colour of the wood, you may protect the walls with a transparent UV treatment.
3. ADD A TOUCH OF SHINE
No luxurious space would be complete without a certain amount of shine. Warm golds, sophisticated silvers and bronzes add glamour to your rooms and make them appear bigger. Just make sure you don’t overdo it – too many shiny elements will only make the room look tacky. Usually just two or three thoughtfully chosen pieces in a room are enough to create the desired effect.
Give your bathroom, kitchen or fireplace the luxury treatment with glittering ceramic tiles or incorporate shiny elements into your furniture and accessories.
4. comfortable furniture
Home is the place where you should be able to feel completely comfortable. Add extra cosiness to your home by providing plenty of plush seating. Classic, high-quality pieces of furniture stand the test of time and create a warm, welcoming atmosphere.
Cosy seating draws the home dwellers together to relax and socialise.
5. COSY, High-quality textiles
Opt for rich, high-quality fabrics that complete the luxurious look. Soft and fluffy materials like velvet and mohair mix beautifully with shinier surfaces. Add plenty of throw pillows and warm blankets to create cosy, relaxing nooks.
Mohair blankets and velvet cushion from Withinhome.com, wool and alpaca knit blankets www.restorationhardware.com.
6. Eclectic lighting
Brighten your home with elegant chandeliers or modern sculptural light fixtures. Invest in a couple of quality lamps that can act as the focal points of your rooms. It’s especially important for a living room to have multiple light sources for different occasions. Add lamps to your side tables and use indirect lighting and dimmers to create different moods.
A light-filled living room with multiple light sources and an eye-catching chandelier that serves as a focal point.
Bay windows and high ceilings require sculptural lighting fixtures to make the most of the space.
8. hotel style bedrooms
A glamorous bedroom has visually appealing lighting and luxurious bedding. Opt for fluffy, full bedding and create harmony with visual symmetry. Wood is an excellent material for bedrooms, as it is proven to have a relaxing, calming effect. This effect is doubled when the decor has a harmonious colour scheme.
Hotel style bedding, warm colour scheme and matching table lamps create the balanced harmony of this bedroom.
A classic headboard with button-tufted upholstery creates an inviting feel that is ideal for a master suite.
9. Spa-like bathrooms
While a spacious bathroom truly is a luxury, the spa-like atmosphere can also be achieved in a smaller bathroom. Rich, warm colours with natural wood and stone create a luxurious look. Make sure your bathroom is well-lit and consider installing dimmer controls for mood lighting. Keep toiletries hidden and surround yourself with luxury soaps, scented candles and extra softness: cosy towels, a plush bath mat and a spa-style robe with a pair of slippers.
Wooden details bring a spa-like atmosphere to any bathroom. A clever trick to making a small bathroom look bigger is to use the same tiles on the walls and the floor.
9. Show what you love
Personalise your interior decoration by showing what you love. Whether it’s the collection of your travel photos, your books or your favourite artwork, these are the things that make your house feel like home. Just make sure that they will get the attention they deserve. Try to organise smart storage space for all the daily necessities and reserve the best spots for the objects that you actually want to display.
10. INVITE NATURE INSIDE
A touch of nature will instantly add more life and charm to any room. Fresh flowers are a luxury we can all afford. Choose fresh flowers to match a particular room’s colour theme or stick to white flowers for a simple, elegant look. Other elements of nature such as pine cones, stones, sand and a piece of drift or weathered wood can be used just as well.
Get started with your own dream home
The log home of your dreams can be modern or timeless, unique in design or pre-designed according to the best practices in the business. The common factor in both of these approaches will be the careful design according to you and your family’s needs where the features of the plot where the house is to be built will also be taken into thorough consideration.
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