Layering In Style

With fall having just arrived, it's time to talk about layers! From snuggling up on the couch with a soft blanket while watching your favorite classic holiday film to enjoying a morning cup of tea in bed with a good book, each moment of this season can be bottled down into layers. We invite you to embark on a journey that will transform your house into a cozy home sanctuary through layering.

What is Layering?

Layering in design is all about creating texture and warmth through lighting, furniture, flooring, and accessories. The key is to learn the different ways to use all of these elements combined to get that cozy feeling throughout your home. When it comes to successfully layering, the ultimate goal is to design a space where warmth meets elegance, and comfort intertwines with sophistication.

Here are a few tips to create a cozy home this fall.

Choose a Warm Color Palette

Motorization Silhouette by Hunter Douglas

The first step in layering is to set the mood with warm colorways and neutral shades. The choice of colors sets the tone for your home's ambiance, and opting for warm, inviting hues is like wrapping your space in a comforting embrace. These colors exude a sense of tranquility and intimacy, making your home feel like a snug retreat from the outside world. From earthy neutrals and warm white hues to rich, autumnal tones, a warm color palette provides a blank canvas for other layers to pop.

Warm Up Your Floors

Dark Finished Hardwood by Carpet One Floor & Home

Next, warm up your floors by layering area rugs. There's a reason interior designers often use rugs in their design process —area rugs are like the pièce de résistance of layering, serving as both a visual anchor and a cozy foundation for living spaces. They introduce life, texture, color, and pattern into a room, defining individual zones within open-concept areas and adding a touch of personality.

Coupled with your choice of warm flooring, such as natural hardwood, wood-look laminate, or even heated stone tile flooring, you create a harmonious symphony of layers that not only look stunning but also invite you to step in and experience ultimate comfort. If you have medium finished to dark finished hardwood installed throughout your house, you're already well on your way to creating a cozy home, as these wood palettes with their rich graining supply a certain warmth that's often paired well with area rugs in neutral shades.

Layer with Lighting

Design by MICHELLE BERWICK Photography by LARRY ARNAL

Layering in interior design is more than just choosing colors and arranging furniture; it's about adding depth and dimension to your spaces. Lighting is the unsung hero of layering. It's the key to setting the mood, highlighting focal points, and adding that extra touch of ambiance to your living spaces. Whether you're aiming for a cozy and intimate atmosphere or a bright and energetic vibe, the right lighting can make all the difference. (For example, candles by the bathtub go a long way if you're looking to create cozy bathroom lighting.)

By strategically layering different types of lighting, such as ambient, task, and accent lighting, you can create depth and visual interest in your rooms. Wall sconces, pendant lights, and table lamps are just a few tools in your lighting arsenal that can transform a space from dull to dynamic. Plus, with smart lighting technology, you can easily add dimmer switches, colored lights, and timers to make turning on each light that much more convenient!

Add Organic Details to Every Room

Design by MICHELLE BERWICK Photography by MIKE CHAJECKI

Natural layering through organic details like new plants, nature-inspired art, woven blankets, dried flowers, wood furniture, and stone fireplaces is an easy step on your way to a cozy home. These elements bring a touch of nature's beauty into your home, adding depth and richness to your decor. Whether you're decorating with the warmth of wood, the lushness of greenery, or the raw textures of stone, organic details infuse a sense of balance and harmony into your living spaces. All these elements combined provide a grounding effect, connecting your interior with the natural world and fostering a sense of well-being.

Mix and Match

Design by PATTI WILSON Photography by MIKE CHAJECKI

Add layers by mixing and matching patterns, materials, textures and fabrics to create a space that is uniquely you. For example, you might add leather chairs to your living room that are offset by the black metal finishes in your table lamps or mix a bold red patterned area rug in the bedroom with a tawny orange knit throw on the bed. Whether you incorporate different patterns through window treatments, soft furnishings, or throw pillows, overlap pieces to create layers that add visual texture and depth.

Incorporate Texture

Design by PATTI WILSON Photography by MIKE CHAJECKI

When it comes to crafting the perfect ambiance, texture plays a crucial role. Add texture through materials like a raw wood coffee table or sleek marble countertops in the kitchen. Layers of texture can tell a story of comfort and style. Whether it's the plushness of a shaggy rug, the smoothness of glass, or the coziness of a knitted throw, textures not only stimulate our senses but also add character and warmth to a room.

Looking for more design inspiration this season? Check out our design blog to find expert advice on current trends in home decor and flooring. Plus, read our latest Fall/Winter issue of Beautiful Design Made Simple magazine to get insider tips from professional designers on how to create a cozy home.