5 Home Decor Items That Increase Comfort
It is great to decorate your home, but if you can add an element of functionality with your decorations that is even better. Your home not only needs to look good, but it needs to feel good and be a comfortable place for your family and guests.
Adding designer touches is a great way to enhance the look of your home, but here are five home décor items that increase comfort as well.1. Let There Be Light
One thing that makes any room more comfortable is good lighting. Lamps that provide the best light are often quite functional and not all that great looking, and those that look great don’t always provide the best light. Finding the right balance of these two things can be a bit of a challenge.
However, adding stand lamps, fashionable table lamps that incorporate light-diffusing shades, mirrors, and newer LED technology can be a great way to add a new look and more useable light to a room. You may even want to add a fun neon wall sign like those from the Neon Mama team; adding a funky and unique design to the room as well as an additional light source!
That being said, not all rooms are created equal, and useful light varies. For instance, in a bedroom you might want bedside lamps that provide good, soft light for relaxation or watching TV, but you might also want a couple of good reading lamps. You can find these in the same lamp with adjustable settings and tones, or you can add built in reading lamps on the headboard and keep your other bedside lighting options for a softer mood.
The kitchen is all about visibility, the living room and dining areas about both function and form, and bathrooms more about function than anything else. There are creative and designer options for all of these rooms, and with some clever forethought you can provide useful and fashionable lighting almost anywhere.2. I’m A Fan
Even with central air and heat, moving air around is really important. What do you need to do that? Fans. However, the traditional box fan or oscillating stand fan doesn’t do much style wise for any room.
So what do you do? Well, there are some great options out there. There are some tower style fans that take up less room, still oscillate, and look much more modern than a simple stand or box fan. There are also options from Dyson and other companies that are quieter and move air with different technology.
The next place to look is up. Your light fixtures can be replaced with ceiling fans, and they can be both fashionable and a great comfort enhancing addition. Most fans can either push air down or pull it up depending on the direction of the fan and its blades. This means you can either create a breeze or subtle air movement depending on the season and the inside temperature.
There is also the option of attic fans. No, they don’t show except for vents to the attic, and that is an advantage. They don’t have to look good, because no one sees them, and they don’t detract from the look of any room. Still, with the right installation they can increase the efficiency of your home heating and cooling and are fashionably absent.
The point is that moving the air around can be stylish and add comfort no matter what kind of fan you choose.
3. Wax On
One of the most stylish and comforting things you can add to your home is candles. Not only do they make great décor, scented candles can do a lot to enhance the atmosphere in any room. Mood lighting is also affected by candles as well, as they offer a soft, flickering light similar to the fire in a fireplace without the accompanying heat.
Fortunately, there are a number of candle types to choose from. Some burn slower than others, some scents are stronger, and if you don’t care about the scent and don’t want to deal with the smoke and flame of real candles, there are LED and other options that simulate that type of light without any of those things.
From large to small, intricate to simple candles that fit in various fixtures, scented or unscented, and real or fake, there are candles out there that are right for you and your home décor theme.4. Like A Rug
Hardwood floors and even laminate is great, but they are not always the most comfortable. One way to add style and comfort to a room is by adding an area rug. This can be done everywhere from a bedroom to the living room or a dining area.
When it comes to rugs, there is a difference in quality that is linked largely to price. Inexpensive rugs often cost less for a reason. They use inferior materials, don’t lay or wear as well, and can be much harder to clean.
These rugs also seldom look as good or offer the same comfort to those walking on them. Polyester and other coarse materials are rougher, and thinner rugs offer almost no comfort difference from the floors underneath them.
Shop around, get a quality rug, and learn about designing around them. Room arrangements matter when it comes to rug placement. There are plenty of sources of diagrams online that show you best practices used by designers everywhere.5. Got You Covered
Finally, a great touch to any rom is the right window coverings. For bedrooms, room darkening shades keep out light early and help keep in heat in winter months and cool in the summer. They can be pulled back to let light in, and are available in a number of lengths, colors, and styles.
Wooden blinds, shutters both inside and out, sheer curtains, and other covering options offer both privacy and insulation in varying degrees. There is no one solution for every room and every situation. Depending on the time of day that room gets the sun and heat will depend on the desired window dressings.
Beyond the standard mini-blinds, there are a myriad of options for covering any window that offer both comfort and a stylish touch.
Decorating with style and function in mind gives you a double benefit, and makes your home a more desirable place to be. Use these five ideas to get started.
