Low-Budget, But Cozy Living Room Decor Ideas for Fall

If you’re looking for cozy living room ideas for fall or inspiration and you’re on a limited budget, I’ve got you covered.

Read on for creative ideas that can be easily done and will add a cozy autumn feel to any space in your home.

I have always leaned toward comfy-cozy style in my home, but in the fall, my need for a cozy space ramps up quite a bit.

Cozy has also become a trend. After making it through 2020 we crave environments full of tactile, cozy, furniture to wrap us up and project the feeling of safety. With lighting and accessories, texture gives a sense of organic materials that gives the impression of bringing nature into our homes.

I agree and feel the pull to make my home as cozy as it can be and prefer that the decor in my home doesn’t speak much louder than nature.

To make my living room feel cozy for fall this year, I decided to keep my white and woodsy color scheme and not use as many oranges, rust and yellow shades as I have in previous years.

I kept the fall color scheme to a few warm colors and neutrals with the addition of a few deep olive green accents in the way of a few new pillows on the sofa and two small speckled vases I found at a local home decor shop.

For the rest of the seasonal changes in the room, as well as to answer reader’s questions like, how do I make my living room cozy on a budget?

I looked around my attic decor stash and came up with a few ideas.

My fall colors and choice of decorative accessories may be different than yours, but these cozy decorating takeaway ideas can be done no matter what your style of decorating is.

How to Create a Warm and Cozy Living Room?

Creating cozy home interiors can mean different things to each of us as we all have different tastes and needs.

Having our creature comforts in arms reach though is usually the most important.

Coziness is also a philosophy as opposed to a style, but I think we can all agree that coziness at home feels good no matter what our style of decorating is we can all make our space feel cozy.

Soft Comfortable Seating

Form follows function is a saying interior designers use that holds merit when creating a cozy room for fall.

Make sure you have a comfortable place for every family member to sit to read, relax or watch TV.

Mix Accent Pieces

Fall is the time when layers of colors and textures really look perfect when placed together.

Instead of the usual ceramic planter I use on the console table behind my sofa, I used a basket and filled it with a mix of faux and real foliage to create a dried flower arrangement.

I usually use the spray painted the stack of books as lifts for small decorative accessories, but stood them up instead for a slightly different look.

Make the Fireplace the Focal Point

I know everyone doesn’t have a fireplace in their living room, but if you do, fall is the time to make it the focal point of the room.

• Add logs in the firebox.
• Decorate the mantel with a collection of candles, vases and dried flowers.
• If you have any metal accessories, a little shine in the way of warm copper, pewter, or brass will create a mice textural contrast and a cozy accent.

Add Layers

Adding soft layers and different textures on all surfaces will cozy up a room in no time.

I don’t have plush carpets in my living room that can add the feeling of warmth to a room.

I do however have an insulated layer in the way of a large seagrass area rug that does warm up the hardwood floors.

This area rug has the added bonus of adding a layer of woven texture as well.

• Even if you have wall-to-wall carpeting, adding an area rug over it in the center of the room will amp up the cozy.

Soft Lighting

A cozy fall room needs just the right lighting that creates a warm glow. If the ambiance feels off in your room, try changing the lighting.

This can easily be done by bringing in a table lamp from another room into the space.

• Experiment with different types and style of light bulbs to achieve a cozy feel.

Other ways to add just the right cozy mood lighting:

• Try not to rely on a center ceiling light to light a room. If you do, consider adding a dimmer switch to the fixture.

• Add real or battery-operated candles along a mantel or on a table to create just the right mood lighting or to create a warm glow.

Add an Accent Wall or Accent Color

Remember that cozy home decor doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to introduce a moody color into the room.

You don’t need to have dark walls or use dark colors to create the feeling of warmth and comfort.

In rooms with light and bright colors, adding more layers to the room will add the same feeling of cozy.

I added barnwood paneling to two walls as an accent to the room, the rest of the walls in the open concept space with the kitchen are white.

Display a Vintage Collection or Items from Nature

Do you have a collection of vintage items that you can put out on display? Get it out from a storage box and use it as decor.

Vintage and the season of autumn just seem to go together perfectly, even if it is added in a small way.

• A collection of vintage pitchers placed across a mantel or console table.
• Fill a low-sided bowl with a collection of matchbooks

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