Out of everything you can maxx in today’s world, ‘cozymaxxing’ might just take the biscuit, especially now that autumn’s chill has entered the picture and the days are growing shorter.
‘Cozymaxxing is basically making your home as comfortable as you can once it gets dark early,’ says Alysia Panther, head of interior design at House Designer. ‘People are home more from October and they want rooms they can sink into.’ She says the trend also ties into nostalgia, with people craving the comfort of what feels familiar.
If wrapping up in a big, fluffy blanket from now until springtime sounds like the dream, then cozymaxxing is definitely for you. Here’s how designers say you can create the perfect comfy reprieve.
Colour drench the space
Go all in on colour with colour drenching and pattern drenching, which involves coating an entire space in the same hue or pattern. ‘In one library, we drenched everything, from the built-ins to the crown moulding to the ceiling, in a deep teal and paired it with olive velvet chairs,’ says designer Abigail Morris. ‘It feels calm and cocooned the second you sit down.’
This also works with lighter tones, such as blush, sage or pale blue.
Layer lots of texture
For Alysia, cozymaxxing heavily relies on textural layering. Think a chunky wool throw, a rug with some pile to it and plush pillows in a mix of tactile fabrics. ‘Keep the colours fairly close and let the fabrics do the work,’ she suggests. The softer, fluffier and more sumptuous, the better.
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Have a comfy place to land
Whether you’re working with a lot of space or a smaller footprint, creating a snug little corner is a must for cozymaxxing. Alysia says this might look like investing in one proper chair you look forward to settling into every time you see it.
‘After 10 years in design, I know the rooms people use most are the ones with somewhere comfortable to sit,’ she says. ‘A corner with a blanket and a little table next to it gets used every night, way more than most accessories do.’
Design around a ritual
Adopt an analogue mindset as you curate the perfect cozymaxxing space. The idea is to create a room around a comforting ritual – not around a computer, phone or TV screen.
‘One of my favourite rooms is a games room featuring a round table with a chessboard, four velvet barrel chairs pulled up to it and a scenic mural wallpaper above teal wainscoting,’ Abigail tells us. ‘You can do this at home with a record player, a stack of board games and seating that faces each other instead of the TV.’
Add some treasures
To tie in more of the nostalgia element, incorporate pieces from the past. Abigail says: ‘Nothing warms up a room like something with a story. My grandmother is an avid antique collector and her primitive pieces are some of my favourite things in my own home.’ Mix eras freely – an heirloom next to something sculptural and new keeps the space from feeling like a museum.
