the cozy home

photo

What makes a cozy home? I think about it all the time.

Some ideas this Monday (inspired by the photo above):

-a modest number of throw pillows on a given chair/sofa/love seat
-small piles of well-loved books
-well cared for potted plants (brown and languishing don't count)
-freshly cut flowers, ends cut and kept in fresh water until they start to look droopy (at which point you discard)
-table lamps with lower-wattage bulbs
-paintings/illustrations that hold special meaning
-the best of your family and friends photos in tabletop frames (the rest in photo albums, organized in a way that suits your taste)
-natural light
-rooms without clutter (a biggie in my book)

Bonus points if your place carries the smells of good home cooking (bring on the fall soups!).