How To Make Your Space Feel Cozier with Tips from Local Designers

Local designers share their favorite ways to make spaces feel warm, inviting and lived-in.

Story by Audrey Geib + PHOTO BY Molly Rose

As cooler weather rolls in and gatherings move indoors, comfort becomes the ultimate luxury. We asked local interior designers how they bring a sense of warmth into every corner, from the glow of good lighting to the softness of a well-placed throw. Their answers prove that cozy is more than a style; it’s a feeling

Build warmth from the ground up

For interior designer Deborah Van Plew of Court Atkins Group, coziness begins beneath your feet and grows upward through thoughtful layers. 

“Try pairing a natural woven rug with a patterned one for texture and warmth underfoot. It’s an easy way to bring depth and character to any room,” she said. “Add throw blankets and plush pillows to seating areas for instant coziness.”

Her approach centers on comfort through balance and connection. “Nothing says cozy like a room that invites conversation,” she said. “Matching lamps, mirrors or end tables on either side of a fireplace or sofa create balance, a quiet kind of order that feels instantly peaceful.”

Design for comfort and connection

For interior designer Taylor Stone of Group 3 Designs, coziness is as much about how people interact as how a room looks. “I believe that coziness is deeply rooted in connection, which can be challenging in large open-concept living spaces that have been popular,” she says. “By creating distinct, smaller seating zones, often multiple within one room, you can create warmth and intimacy within any space. This approach also maintains flexibility to open up the area for larger gatherings as needed.”

Stone’s designs prove that creating togetherness doesn’t mean sacrificing style. By carving out small, intentional spaces within larger rooms, she ensures that comfort always has a seat at the table.

Layer texture where people touch

For Leah England, owner and lead designer of Bellweather Design + Build, coziness lives in the tactile and the tangible. “Layer texture where people touch: a chunky knit throw, a wool rug, a leather log basket. Mixing nubby, smooth and natural keeps the room feeling lived-in instead of staged,” she said.

England views the fireplace as the soul of the home. “A great fireplace doesn’t just heat the room. It pulls people in and makes them stay,” she says. “Arrange seating within about eight to 10 feet of the fire: a sofa facing the fireplace and two chairs angled in. Everyone gets warmth, everyone sees the flames.”

For her, comfort also comes through materials and tone. “Firelight is soft and low, and everything around it should support that,” England explains. “Choose matte, textured materials such as plaster, smoothed concrete, brick, or visible-grain wood, and use warm, earthy tones like cream, camel or olive.”

Let lighting lead the mood

Joni Burden, senior designer of J. Banks Design, believes that lighting is one of the easiest ways to transform a room’s atmosphere. “Add lamps and smaller lighting throughout your home,” she said. “Use a softer bulb or even an amber bulb for a warmer light, and it’s friendlier for your circadian rhythm.”

She also focuses on comfort through thoughtful details. “Add coasters and smaller side tables to reading nooks and other areas so that you can set a nice cup of coffee anywhere in the house,” she says. “There is nothing better than a big, fluffy rug in a living room. As designers, we love to think about the feel and use of what we place.”

Even without a fireplace, Burden says there are simple ways to bring in that signature glow. “Use a few candles in various areas to create that signature cozy glow,” she says. “Candlesticks on dining tables or mantles, and scented candles that add to both the light and the ambiance.”

Bringing it all together

Across the board, these designers agree that creating a cozy home is about appealing to the senses and the soul. Comfort is about how a space feels, not just how it looks. Cozy, they remind us, is built intentionally. One rug, one chair, one soft glow at a time.

Nostalgia meets coastal charm

Often dubbed “granny style” or “grandma core,” this wave of nostalgic design celebrates comfort, character and the charm of well-loved things. In the Lowcountry it’s finding a natural home, where coastal ease meets collected, story-filled interiors.

Designer Hannah Fulton of J. Banks Design says the appeal lies in how the look brings a personal, memory-filled touch to modern spaces.

“Granny style can really be reminiscent of nostalgia in any way and is applicable to the coastal design aesthetic,” Fulton explained. “Whether it’s an heirloom antique or more kitschy pattern play, we know grandmas have good taste! And that’s why so many trends are coming back today. In coastal design it’s more about a sense of place than a certain look or obtuse accessories like a bowl of shells. There’s modern coastal, traditional coastal and everything in between.”

That sense of place shines through in layered interiors: patterned wallpaper, ruffled textiles and heirloom accents balanced by clean lines and airy palettes.

 At Group 3, interior designer Taylor Stone has noticed clients embracing similar ideas, using sentimental pieces in fresh, expressive ways.

 “I find this general look showing up in the Lowcountry in several ways,” she said. “Clients are often re-covering their antique or inherited furnishings with bold/colorful ornamental patterns to work within their more modern homes. Also, the use of chinoiserie as accents is popular, as shown in this client’s home, where we displayed their fine china as art on the wall in a breakfast nook.”

 The result is a look that feels both nostalgic and new, proof that comfort never goes out of fashion.