Cozy and Chic Winter Decorating Ideas for the Living Room
Are you looking for cozy and chic living room decorating ideas for the winter months? While it’s cold and bleak outside, you can keep it warm and cozy on inside! Take a tour through my living room and see how I styled it for the winter season! Bonus! This post includes a winter tablescape idea, if you’re living room attaches to your dining table or if you have an open concept home!
Why Just the Living Room?
That might be your first question when you see the title of the post.
Just the living room?
Well, for me, yes, although there are a few caveats.
The living room is primarily where we spend most of our time.
Winter is such a short decorating season; for me, it’s not worth it to decorate the rest of the house after all the Christmas decorations are taken down (which is all so much work!)
That said, we have a living room and a den back-to-back, so I sort of consider them all the ‘living room’ since we bounce between the two all day long.
However, if you want to do your kitchen or bathroom or bedroom or porch (I do my porch as well), I encourage it if it helps you fight the winter blues!
In this post, I also included my dining table with a coordinating winter tablescape, since it actually is a part of the living room. Or at least in the same room, with no separation. You might find that part helpful, if you have an open concept home!
If it doesn’t create more stress for you, go for it!
So let me who you want I did to create a cozy living room and offer some general tips you can use in your own home.
Tips for Decorating Your Living Room for Winter
*Pre-Decorating Tip
Before you start, give a little thought to how you want to approach it.
Are you starting from scratch with a clean slate or just tweaking your Christmas decor?
Some people love to do a deep clean after the holiday decorations come down, leaving them with a clean slate for winter decorating.
Others (like me) just like to remove the overtly ‘Christmas,’ decorations and all the red, which is the classic Christmas color, leave the rest, and add in a few accents. For me, this is one of the easiest ways to attach winter decorating.
I’m pretty worn out after Christmas, and I’m usually just looking for a cozy ‘hold-over’ to get me through January until I transition to Valentine’s Day and spring.
But really, how you go about it is up to you!
OK, now on to the details.
1| Neutral Color Palette
When decorating for winter, a more neutral color scheme is much more soothing to me.
I love winter whites, creams, and tans. And then, I add in some dark greens and black for a little contrast.
True, it’s lacking some bright bursts of color, but personally, it creates a more relaxing atmosphere.
2| Layered Textiles
Winter is a great time to enjoy the coziness of all the warm textures!
I have layers of plush blankets on just about every couch and chair, for easy access. I love putting throws and soft pillows in baskets.
Cozy knit pillows and blankets not only provide warmth during the chilly winter months, but it makes the whole space more inviting for winter hibernation.
A sheepskin rug or faux fur blankets are especially cozy during the winter.
I even use upcycled sweaters for some of my DIY projects such as sweater knits around mason jar vases and pillows – those cozy textures also add to the cozy vibes!
3| Seasonal Accents
Even though the Christmas decor is away, there still are enough seasonal accents to include.
For me, I love using my small mini Christmas trees as winter decor. I also love to include snowflakes, icicles, pine cones, bottle brush trees, and winter candles to bring a touch of winter charm to your living room.
4| Ambient Lighting
There is more than one way to have light in your home, beyond overhead lighting or floor lamps.
Soft, warm lighting such as candles, string lights, and table lamps create a cozy and intimate ambiance. I have several lanterns I keep around my home, with battery-operated candles.
For me, white lights on evergreen trees and candles are what do it for me.
Little winter vignettes with a cozy candle are wonderful to place on a console or side table.
As you’re thinking about candles for lighting, also think about candles for scents! Candles with warm, comforting scents like cinnamon or vanilla evoke warmth during the colder months.
During the day, I do my best to keep the curtains open as well, to let in as much natural light as possible. I’ve found this does wonders for my mood, as well!
5| Natural Materials
Personally, as much as I love nature, I hate being out in the cold during the winter!
I try to bring the outdoors inside by incorporating cozy winter natural elements in my decor, such as wood, pine branches, birch logs, and faux greenery into my decor.
This is a simple winter vignette of an upcycled pitcher filled with winter greenery on a table on the way in from the front door.
Pine cones in a dough bowl or scattered in a tray is one of my favorite ways to decorate a coffee table!
One of my favorite pieces is a manzanita branch in a mason jar.
This was actually a centerpiece from my wedding, but it works amazingly well as a branch for winter-themed decor! I love to hang icicles ornaments or snowflakes on it, just to enliven the space a little bit!
You don’t need to buy a special branch – bare branches from your yard inside a vase or jar will absolutely do the trick!
If you need even a little more cheer, you can add in some white flowers as well, to coordinate with the other colors you’ve used for winter decorating.
Real or faux plants can also coordinate well with winter decor as it complements other greens you might be using.
6| Winter Crafts
I love DIY projects for a few reasons.
Not only does it provide the perfect opportunity to create unique decor, but it’s a great way to use the time indoors while you’re hibernating.
I made the sweater vases last winter shown above during a hibernation spell, and it felt so good to create.
If you’re prone to depression, having a creative outlet and some space to work on projects can be an absolute mood-lifter.
It doesn’t have to be complicated – it can be something as simple a DIY winter wreath or a thrift store upcycle or repurposing a flea market find.
But I find that winter crafts are a lifesaver (and I’ve got some great inspiration for winter DIY projects here!).
You don’t need to run to Hobby Lobby and buy a whole bunch of new things (if you don’t want!)… a few simple DIYs plus what you have on hand is enough.
7| Seasonal Artwork
If you’ve been around here for a while, you know that I use signs and printables all the time in my home!
I have several inexpensive designs in my Etsy shop that I use around my house all the time. The ‘Snowflakes that Stay on My Nose and Eyelashes‘ and ‘Comfy and Cozy‘ prints are both in my Etsy shop!
You can also get free printables right here on the blog when you become a subscriber. There are also loads of free printables on Pinterest as well.
To me, they are one of the best decor elements for such a short season – they are inexpensive but add a winter touch that might be lacking otherwise.
You can also fill in with some small, inexpensive signs as well!
8| Fireplace Focal Point
If you have a fireplace mantel, I suggest giving that prime attention! There is nothing more cozy in the winter than a fire in the fireplace, and the winter home decor on top can only highlight that cozy feel!
For my mantel, I used the same wreath I had for Christmas but removed the red berries. And then, I also kept up the evergreen garlands and used them as winter decorations.
And don’t forget the hearth! You can add in some birch logs in pails, baskets with blankets, and pillows, and woven trays to create winter vignettes with candles, bells, and greens.
9| Warm Beverages Station
If you have a space for a coffee or hot cocoa bar, this is a great way to create a cozy space!
A tiered tray along with a place to serve hot drinks like cocoa, tea, or mulled cider add a practical and comforting touch to your winter living room decor.
10| Empty Space
During this time of year, life slows down with the cold weather. It’s peaceful and serene.
Keeping your home uncluttered and embracing some of the empty space is a perfect way to enjoy winter. The best part is that it’s more about removing than adding, which is a perfect time to scale back as you enter the new year.
Displaying a few of your favorite things is a simple way to create a cozy look for winter.
Bonus Space: Dining Room
While this technically isn’t living room decor, my dining table actually is part of my living room on the far end.
I wanted to share what I did for our dining table, in case your set up is similar to mine and you want to be able to coordinate that as well.
To create this winter look, I used this light and airy runner with just a few candles and faux potted evergreen trees for a little bit of a simpler look.
I incorporated some fresh pine under the place setting and used simple white plates, linen napkins, plastic gold flatware, and a black ribbon as a ‘napkin ring.’
Then, I used a cloth pinecone coaster with mason jar classes.
Winter Decor: More Ideas to Try
I hope you enjoyed these great ideas for beautiful winter decor! If you’d like more easy ideas for winter decor in all of your living spaces, which include more winter living room ideas, be sure to check out these 2 posts which are reader’s favorites!
Cozy Rustic Farmhouse Winter Decor Ideas
How to Decorate for Winter after Christmas, Farmhouse Style + Before & After Pics
And below are even more simple winter decor ideas for other areas of your home.
25 Best Cozy & Classy Winter Porch Decorating Ideas
21+ Cozy, Easy, & Elegant Winter Tablescape Ideas
Get Cozy this Winter with 30 Fantastic Mantel Ideas
Easy Minimalist Winter Decorating Ideas: Uncluttered & Yes, Cozy
If you try any of these ideas, I’d love to see them! Please tag me on Instagram @100affections, and I’ll share in my stories!
Other thoughts, I’d love to hear them! Leave a comment below!
